In a 3-year study, Oregon State Univ. workers allotted 120 pregnant Angus x Hereford cows to three treatments to evaluate the influence of the frequency of protein supplementation on cows grazing low-quality forage (<6% CP) at the Northern Great Basin Experimental Range in southeast Oregon. Treatments were: 1) unsupplemented control (CON); 2) supplementation every day (2 lb DM/cow) and 3) supplementation once every 6 days (12 lb DM/cow). Cows were grazed for an 84-day period from August through November in each of the 3 years. The supplement used was cottonseed meal (43% CP).

Body wt. and body condition scores were greater for supplemented cows compared with CON, but there were no differences due to supplementation frequency. Grazing time was greater for CON than for supplemented cows, with no difference due to supplementation frequency. Distance traveled, cow distribution, DM intake and DM digestibility were not affected by either protein supplementation or supplementation frequency.

This study demonstrated that infrequent supplementation of crude protein to cows grazing low-quality forage can result in animal performance and grazing behavior similar to that of cows receiving supplement daily. The authors concluded that infrequent protein supplementation is a management alternative that can lower the labor and feed costs associated with supplementation of cows grazing native range (Schauer et al. 2005. J. Anim. Sci. 83:1115).

The key to infrequent supplementation is to maintain a healthy rumen. The type of supplement being fed is key, especially when delivering a weeks amount on one day. High starch supplements fed in this manner would be a concern.