Authors: Dale D. Wolf, Richard S. White, and Spencer E. Tinsley; Extension Agronomists, Forages, Virginia Tech
Publication Number 418-014, June 1996
Table 1. Caucasian bluestem (CB) grazing data for 1993, 1994, and 1995. All cattle were grazed on switchgrass when adequate CB was not available. Cattle included steers (beginning weight range 800 to 1100 lb/hd) and in 1994 some dry dairy cows (avg. wt. of 1240 lb/hd).
| 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Begin grazing | June 8 | June 15 | June 3 |
| End grazing | Sept 17 | Sept 26 | Aug 231 |
| Days of grazing (days) | 100 | 104 | 80 |
| Acres grazed (4 paddocks) (acres) | 2.6 | 3 | 3 |
| Beginning live weight (lb.) | 6850 | 13,250 | 11,670 |
| Ending live weight (lb.) | 8035 | 15,410 | 13,780 |
| Gain per head per day (lb/head/day) | 2.4 | 1.7 (2.4)** | 2.3 |
| Gain per acre (lb.) | 456 | 580 | 6841 |
| Beginning grazeable forage* (lb/acre) | 1900 | 1910 | 1390 |
| Beginning height* (inches) | 7.5 | 9.0 | 9.3 |
| Days rest between grazing | 21 | 24 | 26 |
| Days grazed per paddock | 6 to 7 | 3 to 5 | 4 to 5 |
| Animal units days per acre | 288 | 300 | 2841 |
*Beginning grazeable herbage amount and height were averages for all paddocks during the 100 days.
**Beef steers gain in ( ).
1In 1995, steers were removed on Aug. 23 to be used for another study. An additional 30 days of grazing gave estimated gain per acre and AUD per acre. Actual gain by Aug. 23 was 456 lb./acre, with 224 AUD/acre.