CASE Study : Effect of Limiting Access to Winter Wheat Pasture on Performance of Angus, Brahman, Romosinuano, and Reciprocal Cross Calves

ABSTRACT The CP content of winter wheat pasture exceeds the daily CP requirement of beef stocker calves by more than 100%. Excess N is excreted as urinary N and may subsequently be lost through volatilization. The objective of this experiment was to determine stocker calf performance when wheat forage DMI was limited by physically removing calves from the pasture. In each of 3 yr (4 pastures/yr), stocker calves (BW = 251 ± 3.8 kg) were assigned to graze wheat pasture continuously (control) or to graze wheat pasture for 3.5 d/wk (limit-grazed) plus be confined in a dry lot for 3.5 d/ wk. Calves in the limit-grazed group were fed supplemental feed and had ad libitum access to hay when not on pasture. Limiting access to wheat pasture decreased (P