Beef

Quality of Iowa Forages for Beef Cows

Authors: Russ M. Euken (Iowa State University) , Denise L. Schwab (Iowa State Universtiy) , Joe Sellers (Iowa State University)

Abstract

Production systems have many options to meet a cow’s nutritional needs. Harvested hay and other forages, stockpiled pasture, and summer pastures were sampled and tested to determine nutritional content. While the average forage test results were adequate for beef cow needs, all classes of forages had a wide range in both crude protein and digestibility, supporting the need for forage analysis in ration development. The variability in forage test results emphasize the need to balance rations to determine appropriate supplementation needed to meet cow requirements at the various stages of production.

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How to Cite: Euken, R. M. , Schwab, D. L. & Sellers, J. (2019) “Quality of Iowa Forages for Beef Cows”, Iowa State University Animal Industry Report. 16(1).