Protein Utilization on Pasture

Pastures are a great source of protein, but energy can be limiting. Therefore, supplementing either a grain mix or a total mixed ration (TMR) is usually necessary to improve production on grazing herds and increase the utilization of protein from the pasture. One way to improve nitrogen efficiency from the pasture and decrease MUN is to supplement the pasture with a partial TMR. A study from Penn State supplemented pasture with a partial TMR and saw an 8 lb/day increase in milk production and a 3 mg/dl decrease in MUN compared with pasture supplemented with 19 lb of concentrate. Supplementing with a concentrate is better than not supplementing at all, but concentrates have the potential for slug feeding, which may lead to metabolic problems and reduce consistent capture of pasture protein. Although the pasture may be supplying a large portion of the dry matter, supplementing the pasture is necessary to maximize its full potential. Total mixed ration supplementation of pasture allows for better capture of protein from the pasture the nitrogen utilization will be increased, which can be tracked though MUN values. For all the effort that goes into developing and maintaining high quality pastures lets be sure we are getting all we can out of these efforts.