Restricting Intake of Forages: An Alternative Feeding Strategy for Wintering Beef Cows

Abstract In Experiment 1, 72 Simmental cows with calves were used to evaluate restricting time of access to high quality hay stored inside. Four replications were used to evaluate three treatments relative to access to hay: restricted to 4, 8, or 24 h/d. Final cow BW (P=0.06) tended to be heavier as hay access times increased. Calf performance did not differ. Manure production (kg DM/d per head) increased (P=0.002) with increasing access to hay. Nitrogen disappearance (kg/d per head) increased linearly (P=0.01) and quadratically (P=0.02) with increasing access to hay. In Experiment 2, 72 Simmental cows in the third trimester of gestation were used to evaluate four treatments: ground hay (7.6-cm screen) fed to meet 90% of NRC (1996) recommendations for maintenance and access to hay restricted to 3, 5, or 7 h/d. Cows on all treatments in this experiment were fed average quality hay that was stored outside. Cow BW change increased linearly (P=0.04) with increasing time allowances. Manure production (kg DM/d per head) tended to increase linearly (P= 0.08) as access time increased. In Experiment 3, 108 Simmental cows with calves were used to evaluate three feeding levels of ground hay: [100, 90, or 80% of NRC (1996) requirements for maintenance]. No differences in cow performance, calf BW gain, or manure production were observed. Amounts of N (P= 0.11) and P (P=0.09) in the manure (kg/ d per head) tended to be reduced with restricted intake. These results indicate that restricting intake of at least average quality forages results in a desirable level of cow performance and reduces hay waste, manure production, and manure nutrient output.