Stocking rate impacts performance and economics of grazing beef steers on mixed-grass prairies of the Southern Great Plains

Abstract

Stocking rate is a fundamental management factor that has major impacts on animal performance, profitability, and long-term sustainability of native range ecosystems. This research was conducted to determine the effects of stocking rate on performance and economics of growing steers grazing a mixed-grass prairie on a rolling upland red shale ecological site at the Marvin Klemme Range Research Station (35° 25′ N 99° 3′ W). The recommended sustainable stocking rate at this location is suggested to be 25 animal unit days (AUD)/ha. Steers [n = 836, initial body weight (BW) ± SD = 216 ± 11.7 kg] grazed at seven stocking rates ranging from 4.13 ha/steer to 1.83 ha/steer over a 7-yr period, from 1990 to 1996, with year considered the random replication. During the experimental period, overall climatic conditions were favorable for forage production with average growing season precipitation of 118% of the long-term average over the 7-yr experiment, and only 1 yr (1994 with only 57% of the long-term average) with growing season precipitation substantially less than the long-term average. Over the entire summer grazing season, average daily gain (ADG) decreased linearly (P < 0.01) with increasing stocking rate, such that for each additional hectare available per steer ADG increased by 0.05 kg/d (R² = 0.88). Contrary to ADG, BW gain per hectare over the grazing season increased linearly (P < 0.01) with increasing stocking rate, as stocking rate increased from 4.13 ha/steer to 1.83 ha/steer BW gain per hectare doubled from 33.1 kg/ha to 66.8 kg/ha, respectively. With land costs included in the economic analysis, net return per hectare increased linearly (P < 0.01) from $13 [U.S. Dollars [USD]) at the 4.13 ha/steer to $52/ha at the 1.83 ha/steer. For each additional hectare per steer, net return was reduced by $15.80 (USD)/steer and $15.70 (USD)/ha. In favorable climatic conditions, such as during this 7-yr experiment, economically optimal stocking rates can be more than doubled compared with the stocking rate recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Soil Conservation Service. Increasing stocking rates decrease individual animal performance but maximize BW gain per hectare, which leads to the increasing economic returns observed. Research is needed to determine the long-term implications of these stocking rates during unfavorable growing conditions and setting stocking rates based on seasonal weather patterns and extended weather outlook predictions.