Effects of Various Forage Systems on Grazing and Subsequent Finishing Performance

A total of 200 mixed black yearling steers were used to compare grazing and subsequent finishing performance from pastures with ‘MaxQ’ tall fescue, a wheat-bermudagrass double-crop system, or a wheat-crabgrass double-crop system in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Daily gains of steers that grazed ‘MaxQ’ tall fescue, wheat-bermudagrass, or wheat-crabgrass were similar (P \u3e 0.05) in 2010, daily gains of steers that grazed wheat-bermudagrass or wheat-crabgrass were greater (P \u3e 0.05) than those that grazed ‘MaxQ’ tall fescue in 2011 and 2012, daily gains of steers that grazed wheat-crabgrass were greater (P \u3e 0.05) than those that grazed wheat-bermudagrass and similar (P \u3e 0.05) to those that grazed ‘MaxQ’ fescue in 2013, and daily gains of steers that grazed wheat-crabgrass were greater (P \u3e 0.05) than those that grazed wheat-bermudagrass or ‘MaxQ’ fescue in 2014. Finishing gains were similar (P \u3e 0.05) among forage systems in 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014. In 2011, finishing gains of steers that grazed ‘MaxQ’ tall fescue were greater (P \u3c 0.05) than those that grazed wheat-bermudagrass