Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Life Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Journal

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

2012

2012; Beef; Native tallgrass pastures; Lactating beef cows; Non-lactating beef cows

Articles 1 - 1 of 1

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Spring Burning Of Native Tallgrass Pastures Influences Diet Composition Of Lactating And Non-Lactating Beef Cows, N.A. Aubel, G.J. Eckerle, L.A. Pacheco, M.J. Macek, L.R. Mundell, K. C. Olson, John R. Jaeger, Leigh W. Murray Jan 2012

Spring Burning Of Native Tallgrass Pastures Influences Diet Composition Of Lactating And Non-Lactating Beef Cows, N.A. Aubel, G.J. Eckerle, L.A. Pacheco, M.J. Macek, L.R. Mundell, K. C. Olson, John R. Jaeger, Leigh W. Murray

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Diet selection is a dynamic process because of seasonal changes in animal and plant characteristics. Nutrient requirements of grazing animals are a function of physiological state; moreover, plant characteristics may be altered with prescribed spring burning of native rangelands. Prescribed spring burning is used to improve the average quality of pasture forage by removing old growth and making new plant growth more accessible to grazing cattle. Microhistological analysis of fecal material has been a widely used method for quantifying the botanical composition of a grazing animal's diet since it was first described by Baumgartner and Martin in 1939. Little research …