ChileanJAR

An experiment was conducted to study oat hay supplementation to steers grazing mature alfalfa, in an effort to reduce bloat incidence. This problem is the main reason for not grazing irrigated alfalfa in the North Central part of Chile.
No effect was observed between Jannuary and May when 3.55 kg of supplement was fed per steer per day. The incidence was reduced only after they had grazed five of the eight days spent in each rotational paddock.
Oat hay supplement had no effect upon daily gains of the animals, which was clase to 700 g per steer.
Forage dry matter production was 8.3 Ton per hectare in 142 days with a meat production potential of 980 kg per hectare when grazed by 6.6 animal units of 400 kg each.