The influence of supplementation with haylage, haylage plus soybean meal or haylage plus corn dried distillers’ grains with solubles on the performance of wintering pregnant beef cows fed wheat straw

Abstract

Fourteen pens containing a total of 53 individually fed, multiparous, pregnant, crossbred beef cows were used to investigate feeding of free-choice haylage or supplemention programs for cows fed wheat straw. Dietary treatments for the 112-d feeding period were: free choice haylage (pens = 2, cows = 7; 100% Haylage), haylage offered at 0.7% body weight (BW) plus free choice straw (pens = 3, cows = 11; 0.7% Haylage), haylage offered at 1% of BW plus free choice straw (pens = 3, cows = 12; 1% Haylage), haylage offered at 0.5% BW plus soybean meal and free choice straw (pens = 3, cows = 12; Haylage + SBM), and haylage offered at 0.5% BW plus corn dried distillers’ grains plus solubles and free choice access to straw [pens = 3, cows = 11; Haylage + dried distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS)]. The non-straw component of Haylage + SBM and Haylage + DDGS was formulated to provide equal amounts of N (relative to BW) to that of 1% Haylage. Total dry matter intake (DMI) was greater (P ≤ 0.01) in cows receiving 100% Haylage vs. other treatments and 1% Haylage, Haylage + SBM, and Haylage + DDGS vs. 0.7% Haylage. Straw DMI was greater (P < 0.001) in cows receiving Haylage + SBM and Haylage + DDGS vs. 1% Haylage. Average daily gain was greater (P ≤ 0.002) in cows receiving 100% Haylage vs. other treatments, 1% Haylage, Haylage + SBM, and Haylage + DDGS vs. 0.7% Haylage, and Haylage + SBM and Haylage + DDGS vs. 1% Haylage. These data indicate that feeding wheat straw supplemented with haylage or haylage plus SBM or DDGS may be an acceptable alternative to free-choice haylage to minimize winter feed costs and that supplementation with Haylage plus SBM or Haylage plus DDGS results in increased straw DMI and ADG when compared to supplementation with haylage alone.