Performance of beef cows receiving cull beans, sunflower meal, and canola meal as protein supplements while grazing native winter range in Eastern Colorado

A 2-yr grazing performance study was conducted in Eastern Colorado to evalu ate the effects of feeding raw cull beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) or canola me al, compared to sunflower meal, to beef cows grazing dormant, native winter -range on body weight and body condition score (BCS) change, reproductive p erformance, and calf performance. Ninety-five pregnant, spring-calving cros sbred cows (541 +/- 51 kg) in 1995 to 1996 and 65 cows (602 +/- 60 kg) in 1 996 to 1997 were randomly assigned to one of five treatments (19 and 13 cow s per treatment in 1995 to 1996 ana 1996 to 1997, respectively): 1) unproce ssed Great Northern beans to supply 182 g/d of CP (GNB); 2) canola meal to supply 182 g/d of CP (CM); 3) a mixture of Great Northern beans and sunflow er meal, each to supply 91 g/d of CP, for a total of 182 gld of CP (MIX); 4 ) sunflower meal to supply 182 g/d of CP (SFM+); and 5) sunflower meal to s upply 91 g/d of GP (SFM-). Cow weight and body condition performance were b roken into a gestation and a lactation phase in 1995 to 1996; calves were w eighed at birth, at the end of the lactation phase in April, and at weaning the following September. Only gestation performance was monitored in 1996 to 1997, and subsequent calf birth and weaning weight were recorded. The SF M- group lost more weight during the gestation phase than other treatments (P < .05), yet no differences were detected for gestation phase daily BCS c hange, calf birth weight, lactation phase daily weight change, lactation ph ase daily BCS change, first-service conception rate to AI, or overall pregn ancy rate. Off-test calf weight was higher in April for calves from dams of the SFM+ and CM treatments than for calves from dams on the GNB or SFM- tr eatments (P < .05), and calves from cows on the CM treatment were heavier i n April than calves from cows on the MIX treatment (P < .05). No difference s in calf weight were present at weaning. Consumption of beans by cows on t he GNB treatment was low because of palatability problems. Mixing the beans with sunflower meal in the MM treatment eliminated this problem. Canola me al, Great Northern beans, or a combination of sunflower meal and Great Nort hern beans were comparable to sunflower meal as protein supplements for bee f cows grazing native winter range, despite obvious palatability problems w ith the beans.