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Bransby - A Different Kind of Cattleman
AUBURN, Ala. - Some Alabama cattle producers are slowly adjusting to the ideas of David Bransby. A professor in Auburn University's Department of Agronomy and Soils, some of his ideas are certainly unconventional for the Southeast. But the ideas have been beneficial in improved weight gains, increased feed efficiency and better nutrition for Alabama cattle.
Bransby's area of specialization is forage-livestock research, including grazing management. The researcher conducts research through the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station at Auburn, working closely with staff in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences and the AU School of Veterinary Medicine. Although Bransby's appointment is primarily research, he teaches a forage management course for seniors and an advanced course for graduate students.
"I know that some of my work involves strange things for an agronomist to be doing. But my general research philosophy is that it's important to identify areas where research can most help the producer," he says. He prefers applied research--particularly management practices that producers can apply directly on their farms. But he also believes that researchers must have some futuristic work to retain their creativity, because that's often where the real breakthroughs are made.
Bransby's background includes international experience with cattle. Although his master's degree in agronomy was earned at the University of Missouri, both his bachelor's degree and doctorate were earned from the University of Natal in his homeland of South Africa. While there, he compared rotational and continuous grazing of cattle on bermudagrass pastures. He also determined optimum stocking rates on improved pastures. He came to Auburn University in 1987.
One of his first research projects--suggesting that high quality pasture, such as ryegrass, should be supplemented with hay--wasn't exactly met with acceptance by some colleagues and producers. But Bransby's reasoning was sound: although the cattle gained well on ryegrass, there were potential problems. By observing animals on ryegrass, he noticed how they often spent their time chewing on whatever old, dry pasture was available, such as bermudagrass. So, he tried providing hay on the lush green pasture.
For four years, the animals on his ryegrass experiment gained weight--better with hay than without hay--even with low stocking rates.
Bransby explains, "Ryegrass in winter is often 90 percent moisture. The animals simply can't get enough dry matter in their rumens. A dry matter supplement allows them to take in more total nutrients, improves weight gain and may prevent some health problems."
And hay isn't always necessary--applying Bransby's principle might be as simple as opening a gate to a nearby field with some dry pasture or crop residue.
Bransby also has made important contributions to cattle deworming research. Again, his theories were a little unusual. "It's commonly believed that producers won't get much of a response when they deworm well-fed cattle, but will get a great deal from deworming poorly-fed cattle. In fact, however, the exact opposite can be true."
Again, his logic is sound: if nutrition is a limiting factor, lack of nutrition stops cattle from gaining--not worms.
"Animals with worms don't eat more--the parasites actually suppress their appetites. Reduced weight gain is usually largely caused by the cattle not eating," he says. "When they are treated, their appetite returns. Feed efficiency also increases."
He cautions, "If a producer deworms animals and finds there is still no weight gain, it's probably because they grazed the pasture too short after their appetite returned. If you plan on deworming, you'd better have enough pasture to realize the benefit."
Two of Bransby's most recent "off the wall" projects are even more different--the use of switchgrass and mimosa for cattle. Improved varieties of switchgrass, a native grass, when well-managed, have higher production than either bermuda or bahia. Mimosa is an ornamental tree legume that grows voluntarily, and is a good prospect for warm-season forage. It has 20 percent crude protein, and for the past three years yields have been more than four tons per acre with zero fertilizer.
While his ideas may initially have been met with skepticism, fewer producers across Alabama are doubtful. After all, Bransby is serious about good forage research--and the future of the state's cattle industry is more promising because of his work.
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News from:
Office of Ag Communications & Marketing
Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-4877 (PHONE) 334-844-5892 (FAX)
Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu
Contact Katie Jackson, 334-844-5886 or smithcl@auburn.edu
