Botanical and Chemical Composition of Steer Diets on Two Loamy Prairie Range Sites at Different Stages of Succession

Abstract

Approximately fifty percent of the land in Oklahoma is classified as range and a large portion of the 5,400,000 head of cattle in the state obtain the nutrients from the plants that grow on these lands. The range presents a mixture of plant species of variable nutrient content and palatability to the animal for selection. This study was conducted to determine the botanical and nutritive content of late summer diets selected by steers grazing loamy prairie range sites in two different stages of succession in north central Oklahoma. The accurate determination of the botanical and nutritive composition of the diet of grazing livestock is essential for the proper management of grazing lands and range livestock.