Forage systems for production of stocker steers in the upper south

The southern states produce large numbers of beef calves that are generally weaned and sold in autumn. Keeping calves in this region beyond weaning to graze high-quality forages through a stocker cattle phase could improve pr ofitability. Autumn-weaned Angus crossbred steers were allocated by breedin g and weight to four forage systems that began in mid-November and continue d through mid-October as follows: System 1, tall fescue (Festuca arundinace a Schreb.) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.)white clover (Trifolium repens L.); System 2, tall fescue, caucasian bluestem (Bothriochloa caucas ica [Trin.] C. E. Hubbard) and tall fescue-red clover (Trifolium pratense L .); System 3, orchardgrass-alfalfa and bluegrass-white clover; and System 4 , rye (Secale cereale L.), soybeans (Glycine max)-foxtail millet (Setaria i talica), and bluegrass-white clover. All steers were supplemented with hay or silage previously cut from their respective systems when forage for graz ing was limited. System 2 which used stockpiled tall fescue for winter graz ing and caucasian bluestem for summer forage plus fescue-red clover for hay and grazing in a three-paddock system, resulted in greater (P < .01) gain per hectare and per steer, more grazing days, and reduced stored forage req uirements and produced more surplus feed than the other systems tested. Gai ns per hectare for Systems 1 through 4 were 454, 554, 472, and 487 kg (SE = 18), respectively. Harvested forage from Systems 1, 2, and 3 met needs for stored forages but System 4 required additional "purchased" hay. Stored fo rage was fed for 61, 38, 112, or 104 d for Systems I through 4, respectivel y. Within the physio-climatic region of this experiment, a simple three-pad dock system based on cool- and warm-season perennial forages could improve beef production per unit of land area while reducing inputs of labor and eq uipment.