Response of steers to dry season protein supplementation on improved pastures

Abstract

A dry season meat-and-bone supplement fed to steers grazing improved legume-based pastures in northern Australia provided a significant liveweight advantage during three out of four dry seasons. An apparent negative response was attributed to a shortage of dry matter. Analyses of blood, bone and pasture samples and correlations of liveweight change with blood and bone measurements indicated the primary response to the supplement was probably to nitrogen. Feeding the supplement did not reduce the total time spent grazing but it did increase water consumption. The potential benefits of a protein supplement on improved pastures are discussed