Challenges, Opportunities, and Applications of Grazing Research: Animal Considerations.

Forage crops are ultimately marketed as meat, milk or fiber; therefore the integration of animal performance variables in forage research is necessary to validate plant responses from small plot research. However, multiple issues should be considered when utilizing grazing animals in forage research programs. All research programs are resource limited and animals require daily labor and significant land area. These limitations force researchers to carefully define animal response variables, assess available resources and define the appropriate animal model, paddock size and experimental unit. Careful definition of animal models coupled with how treatments will be applied and which animal responses will be measured profoundly impacts the interpretation of research results. Multiple animal-oriented challenges of grazing research exist including (1) determining appropriate experimental units; (2) defining endpoints for animal product projects; and (3) measuring diet selection, forage intake and nutrient digestibility. Grazing management questions also remain that can be directly applied to farms and ranches. For example, can grazing management be used to alter alkaloid intake from tall fescue pastures and improve animal performance? Can hybrid forage and grain animal feeding systems be developed to minimize overall time in feedlots while maintaining (or improving) beef quality?  Are small-framed cattle more efficient than large-framed animals on a per head, per hectare, or per enterprise basis? There are multiple considerations when including grazing animals in research projects; however, they are often required to properly answer research questions and encourage producer application of results.