Evaluation of wheat middlings as a supplement for beef cows grazing native winter range with differing forage availabilities

We conducted two studies to compare wheat middlings as a low-protein, highly digestible fiber supplement to soybean meal and corn-soybean meal supplement for cows grazing winter range. In two 60-d winter grazing trials (December to February) cows (BW 500 kg) were allotted by age and weight to a 2 x 4 factorial with two forage availabilities and four supplements. Cows received either soybean meal (SBM), corn-soybean meal (CS), low wheat middlings (LWM), or high wheat middlings (HWM). The SBM and LWM supplements were formulated to provide the same daily CP, and CS and HWM provided the same daily CP and ME. In a 4 x 4 Latin square, four ruminally fistulated steers (BW 765 kg) received the same supplements and had free access to mature prairie hay. Cows grazing the high forage pasture gained more (P .01) weight than cows grazing the low forage pasture. Cows supplemented with HWM gained less weight (P