Evaluation of Grazing Options During Summer for Growing Heifers – Year 3

Developing methods to provide high quality forage through most of the year is important for cattle operations. The purpose this study was determine management options offset summer “slump” with fescue. Four grass pasture treatments (10 pastures total; 4 acres each) were used in a completely randomized design and stocked growing heifers (n = 49; initial wt 461 ± 65 lb). Pasture consisted novel fescue (FES), crabgrass (CRAB), bermudagrass (BERM), sorghum-sudan interseeded into (SS-FES). Heifers weighed they grazed from May September. on FES continuously grazed. All other rotationally Sorghum-sudan May. Average daily gain (ADG) entire grazing period not different between systems. BERM SS-FES had greater per acre than those pastures, CRAB being intermediate. This result primarily based increased stocking rates pastures. extreme drought during 2022 resulted little no production these lowest biomass period. Moisture essential success interseeding Weather patterns impact animal performance as it impacts production. best practice may involve operations that have variety cool warm-season grasses producers can use optimize varying weather events.