Productivity and profitability of steers fed hay on pasture of annual species

Abstract

In 3 experiments, young steers stocked at several rates on annual pasture were fed hay at different levels during late autumn and winter and slaughtered at the end of spring. Hay was provided to increase or to maintain liveweight, or at 1.0 or 1.5% of mean initial liveweight daily, for periods of different length. Carcass weight was only increased with hay feeding where the late autumn and winter weight change of the control steers was <-48 kg for the maintenance treatment and <5 kg for the gain treatment. Varying the length of the hay-feeding period in an attempt to influence the animals desire to graze the short winter pasture did not affect the response per unit of hay. Where carcass weight was increased with hay feeding, the average amounts of hay provided per steer, and the conversion ratios to carcass weight, were 391 kg and 13.3: 1 for maintenance treatment and 727 kg and 16.5: 1 for the gain treatment. The most profitable practice for purchased hay appears to be stocking at a rate that achieves the preferred standard of carcass in most years and providing hay only in years of very poor pasture growth.