Palatability Forage

CarI S. Hovelqnd Crop & Soil SciencesDept., Univ. of Georgia ivestock have forage preferences! Most people think that if the forage is nutritionally adequate, then it doesn't matter about what they like best. If we confine animals to a pasture with only one grass or legume species, then they will eat it since they have no choice. However, in most pastures, there are often several grasses and/or legumes and weeds. Like human beings who have a choice in foods. livestock will choosecertain plant speciesin preferenceto others. This preferential grazing can affect forage quality, persistenceofcertain species,and increase of weed speciesin a pasture.As you watch your animals graze, you may discover why certain changes occur in a pasture. Palatability or high acceptanceof a forage by an animal may be affected by texture, aroma, succulence, hairiness, leaf percentage, fertilization, sugar content, tannins, alkaloids, green vs dead leaves, and maturity or lignin content. High palatability may improve intake by the animal but it does not necessarily improve animal performance. Palatability alone can be a misleading indicator of forage quality. These results show that cattle preferred grasses to legumeswhile red deer selected legumes in preference to grasses.Horses and were different and chose rescuegrass annual ryegrass in preference to tall fescue, orchardgrass, and timothy' Horses selected white clover in preference to red clover and alfalfa. In cafeteria grazing trials with horses during two years near Athens, Julia McCann and I found annualryegrassto be by far the most palatable cool season annual grass,followed by oats and wheat with triticale the least liked. Thesepreference rankings are similar with cattle. This means that part of a pasture should not be planted to oats and the other part to rye or triticale unless a fence is placed between them. Otherwise, the oats will be overgrazed and the rye or triticale undergrazed. B. L. Southwell, and J. C. Johnson, Jr. grazed steers in a cafeteria trial with Coastal Bermudagrass at Tifton, GA using different rates of nitrogen fettllizet (split into applications on March 17 and July 14) at two stagesof maturity (2 and 4 weeks). A strip of forage was clipped from each plot before mob grazing for two hours, then another strip clipped to determine approximate consumption.

Nitrogen lblacre 0 50 100 200 300

Forage consumed 4-week 2-week

4 8 6 23 26

18
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The results show that palatability was improved substantially by nitrogen fertilizatron. Dry matter content of the forage decreased and crude protein content increasedwith niffogen fertilization, indicating greater leaf content and less stems. Although the 4-week old grass was taller, cattle selected the shorter 2-week old grass which was leafier. Cattle prefer preferences plant species Pasture green leaves and seek them out in a paswith grazing trials cafeteria In other When animals have accessto a number ture when available. Older more mature I found and McCann Julia clovers. annual of different pasture plant species, they grass is rejected and continuesto accumudefinitely show preferences.Researchin that horses did not like arrowleaf clover. in an undergrazedbermudagrasspaslate in the New Zealand by W.F. Hunt and J.M. Hay This may be a result of tannins ture. resistance to bloat contribute is especially interesting since they ran leaveswhich cafeteria trials with many cool season for cattle. Cattle seem to find arrowleaf experiments gtazed quite acceptable. speciesusing separate Somefinal thoughts deer, and horses. TheY by cattle, red Forage palatability is based on a comranked the most favored species from 1 to of many things such as plant bination Voof forage consumed 8 with 1 being the most palatable to the Clover species, nitrogen ferlilization, and maturi78 animal. Crimson ty. Other aspects of palatability are a 73 Berseem PalatabilitY ranking result of acquired preferencesor aversion Horses Reddeer Catfle 66 Grassorlegumespecies Subterranean ftased on satisfaction or discomfort), 8 Red clover 22 learning experiences in early life with the Arrowleaf 6 White clover mother, and desire for variety in the diet. 7 Alfalfa Grazing management or mismanagement Rescuegrass Effectof nitrogenand maturityon can affect palatability of forage available A Annual ryegrass palatability in a pasture. Careful observation of liveI Orchardgrass Nitrogen fertilization can improve the stock during grazing can assist in getting 3 Tall fescue(endophyte-ftee) 2 palatability of grasses. G. W. Burton, better utilization of the forage. Timothy Grass Annual ryegrass Oats Wheat Rye Triticale Voofforage consumed 92 47 40 30 22
The Georgia Cattleman / January 1996 67