Soil-Ingestion Rates of Steers Following Brush Management in Central Texas

Fecal soil concentrations and soil-ingestion rates were estimated for steers grazing pastures treated 1 year prior with herbicide or bulldozing and stacking. Mean fecal soil concentration was higher on mechanically treated, 16.6%, than those chemically treated, 12.5%, or untreated, 10.9%, under similar forage utilization levels (50%). With one exception, fecal soil concentration decreased over the study period on treated pastures. Fecal soil concentration was correlated with forb availability (r = 0.72) and percentage bare ground (r = 0.85) on treated pastures. At the forage utilization level of this study, no relationship between fecal soil concentration and stocking pressure was apparent.This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries.The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202