Utilizing an electronic feeder to measure mineral and energy supplement intake in beef heifers grazing native range

摘要

Grasslands in the Northern Plains provide the primary forage source for ruminants throughout much of the year ( ). Supplementation practices are often necessary to maintain production and offset forage nutritive decline throughout the grazing season ( ; ). Typically, to maintain a targeted production level, energy and protein supplementations are used for grazing livestock ( ). For developing heifers consuming low-quality forages, inclusion of energy ingredients into supplements may be beneficial for growth and reproductive performance ( ; ; ). In addition, the use of corn and distillers grains supplement has been compared to evaluate performance responses ( ) but the influence of these strategies on intake and feeding behavior on pasture are lacking.