Studies in the supplementation of grazing Friesian steers in the central coast area of New South Wales

Abstract

Four groups of yearling Friesian steers were offered nil, 2.0 kg 4.0 kg and an ad libitum amount of a barley-based grain ration while grazing Trifolium repens, Lolium perenne, Festuca arundinacea and Phalaris tuberosa based pastures from March 23 to September 7 at Camden, New South Wales. A fifth group was offered the cereal ration in pens with 10 per cent long hay added. The mean daily intakes of grain by the group offered it on pasture was 9.1 kg compared with 8.0 kg for the pen-fed group. The mean daily liveweight gains (kg) were: unsupplemented grazing, 0.51; 2.0 kg of barley, 0.57; 4.0 kg of barley, 0.70; 9.1 kg on pasture, 1.10; and the group offered barley in pens, 0.97. The differences in liveweight gain between 0 and 4.0 kg (P < 0.05); 0 and ad libitum (P < 0.01) and 4.0 and ad libitum (P < 0.05) were statistically significant. The response in liveweight to amount of grain fed was linear but the feed conversion ratio was superior for the group fed grain ad libitum on pasture. They had fewer health problems and gained weight more rapidly than the lot-fed group.