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MEETING THE NUTRITIONAL NEEDS

OF RUMINANTS ON PASTURE

Appropriate Technology TransferforRuralAreas

LIVESTOCK TECHNICAL NOTES

ATTRA is the national sustainable agriculture information center funded by the USDAs Rural Business -- Cooperative Service.

Introduction
The producer of ruminant livestock can
protect profits by managing land for optimal
pasture production. A
complex array of decisions on the use and manipulation of plant and
animal species and management contribute to the
central goal of meeting
the livestock nutrient requirements primarily
through grazing, with a
minimum of harvested
forages and purchased
feedstuffs.
A major problem
encountered in trying to
meet nutritional requirements of animals from
pasture is that most ruminant nutrition research
has been conducted with harvested forages.
Many of the typical livestock feeding
recommendations are questionable, because
they were either not developed from grazingbased research at all or were developed under
grazing that was poorly managed. For example,
low forage quality is most frequently given as
the reason for the poor performance of grazing
animals. In reality, the reason is probably an
inadequate availability of quality forage, which is
primarily determined by how pastures are
managed.

Whats Inside
Nutritional Parameters &
Forage Availability ........................................................ 1
Supplemental Feeding ................................................. 3
Feed Budgeting & Management................................... 4
Suggested Reading...................................................... 5
Enclosures.................................................................... 5
ATTRA // RUMINANTS ON PASTURE

Nutritional Parameters and Forage

Availability
Estimates of dry matter intake based on
nutritional parameters
(acid detergent fiber
and neutral detergent
fiber) probably
underestimate
potential intake by
animals, under good
grazing management
with adequate
amounts of forage.
The most commonly
published estimates of
intake by livestock,
particularly beef cattle,
are too low for
productive animals.
How much cattle eat on pasture is determined
not only by quality parameters but also by the
amount of forage available and by the grazing
behavior of the animal.
Research indicates that cattle will take
about 30,000 bites a day. If the pasture is of
sufficient height or density, the animal can get a
"mouthful" with each bite. For cattle, this height
is 6-10 inches, averaging 1800-2400 pounds of
dry matter per acre for cool-season grasses and
legumes. Bermuda grass need not be as tall
because it is denser. When dry matter
availability drops below 1000-1200 pounds per
acre, the intake decreases significantly. Sheep
will graze closer to the ground than cattle or
goats. Goats need a higher availability of forage
than cattle or sheep, as they tend to graze higher
on the plant. When available forage falls below
the dry matter threshold (forage is 3-4 inches
tall), total intake drops. The animal may
increase grazing time to some degree, but
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usually not enough to offset the decline in bite

size. Production decreases because livestock are
simply unable to consume enough nutrients
even though forage quality may be adequate.
Estimates of fiber (ADF and NDF) and
crude protein (CP) are excellent indicators for
evaluating the nutrient value of harvested
forages, but should be used carefully in regard
to grazing animals. These parameters primarily
reflect the stage of maturity of plants when
harvested. The intent of a good grazing
management program is to keep the plants
vegetative. If that is accomplished, other factors
will influence animal production more, and the
estimates of fiber and crude protein will be less
useful as grazing behavior and quantity of
available forage will have a greater impact on
total nutrient intake than quality. In fact, most
pastures, with the exception of some native
warm season grasses, when kept in the
vegetative state are 12-25% CP so that the
concern actually becomes one of wasting
protein, not suffering a shortage of it. The ratio
of nitrogen to energy can be too high for good
performance in that energy required to use the
protein (nitrogen) will be taken from the
production of the animal, which is thereby
decreased. Without energy available to use the
excess nitrogen, it is excreted. In such cases, the
quality of the forage is too high, as measured by
high protein and low fiber, i.e., the forage is too
vegetative, containing too much degradable
protein and not enough digestible fiber. This can
be of concern to grass-based dairy producers.
Some producers have reported incidences of
acidosis when grazing highly vegetative
pastures. Cows also tend to lose body condition
because they use body fat as an energy source
when the carbon to nitrogen ratio is out of
balance.
Ruminants grazing pasture require two
types of digestible protein. Non-protein
nitrogen is degraded in the rumen (rumen
degradable protein). The N is used by the
rumen microbes to produce microbial protein.
The other type is escape or bypass protein,
which is not degraded in the rumen (rumen
undegradable protein) and is digested in the
ATTRA // RUMINANTS ON PASTURE

small intestine. The degradable protein needs

must be met before a benefit of escape protein
will occur. That is the reason low quality
forages (less than 6-8% CP) should be
supplemented with a degradable protein such
as soybean meal. This happens mostly with the
range-type grasses and very seldom with coolseason grasses in a grazing situation. The native
warm-season grasses, such as switchgrass, are
thought to have more bypass protein and may
at times benefit from a degradable protein
supplement whereas a cool season grass such as
tall fescue or bromegrass has a larger
degradable protein component. This also
explains why producers who use cool season
grasses for hay do not necessarily need protein
supplementation, particularly if the hay is cut at
the proper time.
Most vegetative forages, particularly
cool season grasses and legumes that do not
contain tannins, contain high levels of CP, of
which about 70-80% is degraded in the rumen
for use by the rumen microbes while 20-30%
escapes to the small intestine for absorption. A
standard recommendation is that 62-68% of the
total protein should be rumen degradable. This
situation varies with type of plant and grazing
management. The protein in legumes, such as
birdsfoot trefoil, is less degradable in the rumen
because of tannin content.
Grazing management decisions have an
impact on total diet quality. When animals
selectively graze as in slow rotations, they
consume the leafy, vegetative forage first,
whereas in a daily rotation animals are more apt
to eat the whole plant including a higher
percentage of stems. This is because the stock
density is high enough that the animals must eat
more than just the tops of the plants. The use of
crude protein in determining quality of pasture
is misleading due to a lack of knowledge about
how much of the protein is degraded where.
Recent research indicates that if the animal eats
a diet with more stems, provided the stems are
still immature, rather than grazing the tops
(leaves), less percentage of the protein is
degraded in the rumen, and it is better utilized.
An example is grazing alfalfa with a high stock
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density (daily rotation) versus a low stock

density where selective grazing determines
what part of the plant the animal consumes.
When the animal eats the whole plant, there is a
higher level of undegradable protein as
contrasted to when the animal only eats the top
(leaves).
Supplemental Feeding
After grazing management,
supplemental feeding can have the next most
important impact on animal production.
Normally we think of supplemental feeding in
conjunction with low quality forages. However,
we now believe we can increase production in
animals that have potential for high
performance and are grazing high-quality
forages by furnishing either rumen-escape
protein or a source of energy to better utilize the
soluble protein being degraded in the rumen. In
such cases supplementation is justified by
potential profits, especially if the feed is
produced on the farm. Thus, the return can be
influenced by type of forages being grazed, as
mentioned earlier. One must know about levels
of degraded and escape protein to properly
supplement the grazing animal.
On the other hand, supplementation
sometimes interferes with digestibility if the
level of grain is too high. Until recently, about
1% of body weight was the recommended level
of grain to feed. For example, a 500-pound steer
would have been fed five pounds of grain on a
dry matter basis. Now the recommended level
is .3% or 1-2 pounds for that same steer because
research indicates that the higher grain level
interfered with fiber digestion. This is due to
the fact that different rumen microbes are
responsible for fiber digestion. It may not be
economical to feed the higher level of grain
because of the reduced efficiency of grain
conversion at levels higher than 0.5% of body
weight. Another question is when to feed
supplements. Research shows that feeding
steers on pasture during the morning hours
decreases intake by interfering with normal
grazing patterns of the animal. Feeding in the
afternoon is preferable.
ATTRA // RUMINANTS ON PASTURE

Another area of concern regarding

supplemental feed is in grass-based dairy
production. Excellent research in grazing dairy
cows is being conducted at the Penn State
University Grazing Research and Education
Center. The recommendations from this
research indicate that the best way to utilize
highly degradable protein is to provide energy
from shelled corn or other grains. Energy is
limiting when pastures are the major source of
forage. If energy is lacking and the rumen
degradable protein is high, the rumen ammonia
is converted to urea, which appears in the blood
and milk and eventually excreted in the urine.
Formation and excretion of urea requires
energy, which could be used by the cow for
milk production or gain. Since energy is
necessary for optimum reproduction and since
grazing cows have a higher level of activity than
cows in confinement, the supplementation of
additional energy should be considered.
Research shows that cows on pasture have
lower body condition. Therefore, when
supplementing with grain, the body condition
of the cow should be considered in addition
amount of milk produced by the cow.
An interest in by-product feeds, such as
corn gluten feed, wheat middlings, brewers
grain, rice bran, and soyhulls has developed
because these feedstuffs are high in digestible
fiber and do not negatively impact forage
digestion the way grains do. Fibrous feeds have
an energy value about 85% that of corn.
Supplementation studies have shown them to
produce gains equivalent to those from corn
supplementation. They have polysaccharides
similar to forages, which means these feeds
support the growth of rumen microbes
responsible for forage digestion. Therefore,
these by-product feeds can be used to
supplement high-quality pasture without
decreasing forage intake or digestibility. These
feeds have become quite popular with dairy
producers, and are receiving considerable
attention from other livestock producers
because of the above-mentioned benefits. Ask
your local extension person or feed
representative for more information on byproduct feeds.
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Feed Profiling, Feed Budgeting and

Management of Rotations
In the US we are accustomed to allowing
livestock access to pasture without any forward
planning. In other words, too often producers
just turn cattle on pasture without planning
how to manage the pasture to stretch feed
supplies or how to extend the grazing season. If
pasture is not sufficient, production decreases
and/or we have to supplement with harvested
or purchased supplements which are usually
expensive. The point is we need to have more
control consumption and growth of pasture.
Hence the term controlled grazing.
In New Zealand two useful concepts,
feed budgeting and feed profiling, are used to
plan the management of pastures. Feed profiling
is used to determine the type of livestock
production system that matches the quantity
and quality of forage on the farm. Long term
planning must include feed profiling.
Management decisions such as optimum milk
production, breeding season and calving
(lambing, kidding), or when to purchase and
sell animals determine the efficiency of a
livestock enterprise on pasture.
Feed budgeting is more of a short-term
evaluation of forage availability, growth rate
and animal demand. This process is
particularly useful when surplus or shortage of
pasture is developing. By forward planning we
can match the nutritional requirements of the
animals with availability of quality forage from
grazing. This requires timing parturition with
grass production, fertilizing at the proper time
for optimal growth, making short-term livestock
management decisions to match nutritional
requirements with available forage, and using
grazing management techniques to efficiently
utilize forage. A skillful manager can
manipulate quality and quantity. Animals do not
need maximum intake at all times. If we determine
the critical time periods when maximum weight
gain is necessary, pasture can be rationed at
other times, making more efficient utilization of
the pasture. A producer may develop a feeding
plan based on how much each animal should
ATTRA // RUMINANTS ON PASTURE

eat for optimal production. Note that optimum

is not necessarily maximum production. Very
few animals need maximum intake every day of
the year.
Pasture rationing can be accomplished
through the use of electric fencing in much the
same way as putting feed into a trough.
Rationing is best accomplished through rotation
of livestock every 1-3 days. Higher producing
animals may be grazed on pastures first and
then rotated to a fresh paddock when the
available dry matter is down to 1200-1500
pounds per acre. In order to have high-quality
pastures for the next rotation, the paddocks
should probably be grazed down to 800-1000
pounds of dry matter using animals that have a
lower nutrition requirement. Intake of forage
decreases rapidly as dry matter availability
drops below 1200 pounds. This practice is
referred to as first and second grazers or followup grazing in New Zealand. Proper grazing
allows for more efficient utilization of pasture
and increases the gain per acre of land in
production.
It is useful to note that beef cattle
maintain better intake levels as pasture declines
than do sheep and goats. Goats, in particular,
will decrease grazing time as forage availability
declines. Therefore, cattle may be a better
choice than sheep or goats to "clean up"
pastures, but only if they have low nutrition
requirements, such as nonlactating cows in
adequate condition for calving.
Paddocks, which are out of control, where
growth is slowing because of the reproductive
stage of plant growth, are best removed from a
grazing rotation and harvested for hay. The
paddock can be added back to the rotation at a
later time when it will be higher quality and will
extend the grazing season through the summer.
Had the paddock been grazed instead, then a high
percentage of the pasture would have been wasted
through trampling and forage quality would have
been marginal for maximum performance. Also,
regrowth would have been limited unless the
paddock were mowed or brushhogged after
grazing.
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Summary
The information presented here is
intended to give an overview of the
considerations in raising livestock on grass and
minimizing the use of grain and harvested
feedstuffs. Several steps are involved in
planning a grazing system to meet the
nutritional requirements of ruminants.

Inventory the pastures. Determine when the

best quantity of high-quality forage is
available and establish the animal
production system that utilizes forage most
efficiently.
Know the nutritional requirements of
various classes of animals and how to
manipulate those requirements (early
weaning in extremely dry weather, for
example) to match the forage resources with
nutritional needs.
Learn to assess the forage and determine
whether the animals are getting optimal
intake. Remember that many nutrition
recommendations are based on harvested
forages and are questionable under good
grazing management.
Remember that nutritional requirements of
animals are actually based on the amount of
nutrient intake and not on a percentage. In a
grazing situation, where animals are on a
high-quality forage, the animal may not
have to consume as much forage every day
to meet its requirements, particularly for
protein.
Remember that cool-season grasses, warmseason grasses and legumes differ in
nutrient content. This is certainly critical
when evaluating research results in one
region of the country as to application in
another area. Of greatest importance is
research on supplementation of pasture;
therefore, one needs to know what species of

forages were used in research before

transferring the results.
Suggested reading:
Forage-Animal Management Systems by Roy Blaser.
1986. 90 p. Virginia Tech University.
Grazing Management by John F. Vallentine. 1990.
533 p.
Grazing Management: Science into Practice by John
Hodgson. 1990. 203 p.
Livestock Feeding on Pasture by the New Zealand
Society of Animal Production. 1987. 145 p.
Pastures: Their Ecology and Management by R.H.M.
Langer. 1990. 490 p.
The Ecology and Management of Grazing Systems by
J. Hodgson and A. W. Illius. 1996. 466p.
Enclosures:
Holden, L 1998. Feed budgeting with pasture. Pasture Talk, Vol. 4, No. 1.
Klopfenstein, T. 1996. Need for escape protein by
grazing cattle. Animal Feed Science Technology
60:191-1909.
Gerrish, J. and R. Morrow. 1997. Grazing basics.
Missouri Grazing Manual, University of Missouri,
Columbia.
Muller, L. D. 1996. Nutritional considerations for
dairy cattle on intensive grazing systems. 1996
Maryland Grazing Conference.

Prepared by Ron Morrow

NCAT Agriculture Specialist
June 1998

CT082

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