Steers prefer two crested wheatgrass varieties over six other wheatgrass and wildrye cultivars, ARS researchers have found. Knowing which plants animals like most will help beef producers plan how to reclaim pastures and revegetate range. To determine forage preferences, scientists recorded each bite taken by three randomly selected steers in test grazing areas. All the tested grasses provide adequate nutrition, but CD-II was the animals' clear favorite, followed by Nordan. Goldar bluebunch wheatgrass, Bannock and Secar thickspike wheatgrasses, Bozoisky Russian wildrye and Magnar and Trailhead basin wildrye were also tested. CD-II, formerly called Hycrest II, was developed by ARS plant breeders at the Forage and Range Research Unit in Logan, Utah. The animals were choosiest when the grasses were young and green, picking CD-II one-third of the time. They were less selective among mature forage. Stands of CD-II and Nordan were also easier to establish and out-competed surrounding plants and weeds. This makes both varieties good candidates for pasture revegetation in arid grasslands.
Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, Burns, OR
David Ganskopp, (541) 573-2064

The traditional feedlot has become a laboratory for scientists who study animal behavior. Scientists are using a specially equipped mobile lab at a feedlot in Lubbock, Texas, to keep an eye on problems such as buller-steer syndrome. The bullied animal often loses weight and may suffer other stress-related health problems. Buller-steer syndrome costs feedlot operators an estimated $3.5 million annually. The mobile laboratory is a converted recreational vehicle fitted with four video cameras, and night-vision goggles developed for the military. These high-tech tools allow researchers to monitor cattle at night without artificial light. Scientists say the extended surveillance will help them determine what triggers buller-steer syndrome and whether it can be prevented or reduced.
Livestock Behavior Research Unit, West Lafayette, IN
Julie Morrow-Tesch, (317) 494-8022

Last Updated: January 28, 1997
Return to: Quarterly Report Table of Contents