By: David Steffen, NRCS Rangeland Management Specialist, Burke, SD

Economically meeting the nutritional needs of grazing livestock continues to be a challenge for livestock producers. Twenty four cattle producers across South Dakota participated in the 1999 Ruminant Livestock Efficiency Program Study. Over 200 fecal samples were collected from grazing livestock. The project, sponsored by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), involves collecting fecal samples and sending them to Texas A&M University for analysis.

Using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS), Texas A&M predicts dietary crude protein (CP) and digestible organic matter (DOM). NRCS personnel then initiate a NUTBAL (Nutritional Balancer) consultation with the producer. This information combined with herd attributes provided by the producer, current weather conditions, and pasture production data, is loaded into the NUTBAL computer program. Animal performance can be predicted quickly and easily.

The greatest value of this program is for the producer who has performance goals set for his operation. State or regional grass nutrient content figures are of little value because the data has no specific connection with the availability or quality of forage for grazing livestock in any given pasture. Results show that individual herds on the same ranch harvest totally different nutritional levels in their diets. How can this be? Allan Savory in his new book Holistic Management says, "We realized that livestock do not select species but rather select for a balanced diet, regardless of species. Wild herding animals also select for balanced diets; they never graze all plants equally, and never has this been necessary."

Beadle County producer, Don Miner says, "I changed my management of this herd of heifers this year by moving them to a new pasture instead of loosing body condition." Miner goes on to say, "This is great information, I will change my management on my swithchgrass pasture next year because of what I learned this year." Miner worked with NRCS Range Specialist , Dave Schmidt, located in the Huron, SD. Management changes can be made in a ten to fourteen day period rather than waiting until a visual change in body condition occurs.

Alan Hojer, DeSmet, South Dakota, cooperated with NRCS Range Specialist, TateLantz, during the 1999 grazing season. Two cow herds were grazed on the farm in separate pasture systems. The crude protein intake differed about two percent from June through August between the herds. Animal performance varied accordingly.

Hojer says, "This is an excellent tool to monitor your progress. You can not dispute the results."

Forage selected by two different cow herds on the Alan Hojer farm near DeSmet, SD, varied considerably in crude protein during the 1999 grazing season.

Two yearling herds on a Western South Dakota ranch selected different diets. Using this information, grazing strategies can be changed to increase animal performance.

This new and innovative technology can be used to make management decisions which dramatically impact profitability. One South Dakota producer has increased the pounds of beef produced from 55 pounds to 90 pounds per acre – a 64% increase over four years. This was accomplished while the grass resource was improving in quality and quantity. Fecal samples were used to monitor pasture quality. Pasture moves were accomplished based on the NUTBAL program predictions of animal performance. When estimated gains dropped below the target performance level, the yearling cattle were moved to a fresh pasture. After several years of fecal sampling, the moves were planned and accomplished by monitoring grass production, with only an occasional fecal sample being collected to verify the quality of forage being consumed.

Some claim fecal sampling and NUTBAL predictions are not accurate. However, Hamlin County, SD producer, Rick Smith, assisted by NRCS Range Management Specialist Jay Hermann, weighed a herd of heifers four times during the 1999 grazing season and compared actual weights to the NUTBAL ration balancing program predictions. The NUTBAL predicted weights were within 2% of the actual weights of the cattle.

Just like any other ration balancing program, input must be accurate in order to get accurate output. The NUTBAL ration balancing program is the only program available that uses livestock harvested data (through fecal samples) to balance rations and predict animal performance in grazing conditions. This cutting edge technology improves management skills for today’s progressive goal-oriented livestock producers.

For more information about the Ruminant Livestock Efficiency Program contact David Steffen, Rangeland Management Specialist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Box 339, Burke, SD 57523. Telephone: 605-775-9122. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status.