Alfalfa declared the winner in steer preference contest
March 11, 2024
Which type of pasture plants do steers prefer? Bart Lardner decided to find out.
The researcher at the University of Saskatchewan grazed steers on small plots to see how several different forage species performed under grazing conditions.
The treatments consisted of different varieties of alfalfa, sainfoin, birds-foot trefoil, cicer milkvetch, meadow bromegrass and orchard grass. Three 13-acre blocks were divided into strips where the treatments were planted. The five-year trial from 2019-23 was done at Clavet, Sask. However, the cicer milkvetch and birds-foot trefoil failed to establish.