Current Program

The program focuses on the relationship between herbage mass and production per animal and per hectare from steers grazing either native of introduced warmseason grasses. These forages are also evaluated with animals in confinement for dry matter intake and the digestion of the dry matter and associated fiber constituents for a range of plant maturities and stored as either hay or silage. Small plot experiments are conducted to obtain management data that can be used in conducting grazing trials or as a guide for proper harvesting as hay or silage.

Current Project Group

• Jaime Fisher, Agric. Res. Technician-Establishment and maintenance of experimental pasture, harvesting and sampling of forage from small plot experiments and preservation of forage as hay or silage for feeding trials.
• Tina Starr, Animal Husbandrymen (USDA)-Care, handling, weighing and diet sampling using surgically modified animals and assessment of short-term animal preference among forages.
• Ellen Leonard, Research Analyst-Laboratory determination of forage nutritive value (including fiber, nitrogen and carbohydrate constituents), estimates of in vivo digestion, diet particle size and other organic fractions of interest