Dietary choice and grazing behaviour of sheep on spatially arranged pasture systems. 1. Herbage mass, nutritive characteristics and diet selection

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 697 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Raeside ◽  
M. Robertson ◽  
Z. N. Nie ◽  
D. L. Partington ◽  
J. L. Jacobs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Plantago Lanceolata ◽  
Dietary Preferences ◽  
Dietary Choice ◽  
3.0 T ◽  
Livestock Productivity ◽  
Multiple Species ◽  
Grazing Behaviour

Offering livestock dietary choice through access to different pasture species enables livestock to regulate their own feed intake, select for nutrients and minerals, balance rumen health and display natural grazing and foraging behaviours, which could in turn result in increased livestock productivity. An experiment was conducted at Hamilton, Victoria, Australia, to test the hypothesis that offering lambs dietary choice through spatially separated combinations of pasture species would improve lamb performance, relative to lambs with no dietary choice. The experiment tested seven treatments, replicated four times in a randomised complete block design with plot sizes of 1 ± 0.1 ha. The treatments were: 100% perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) (PR), 100% plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) (PL), 100% lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) (LU), 50 : 50 perennial ryegrass/plantain (PR + PL), 50 : 50 perennial ryegrass/lucerne (PR + LU), 50 : 50 plantain/lucerne (PL + LU) and 33 : 33 : 33 perennial ryegrass/plantain/lucerne (PR + PL + LU). In the multiple species swards, the pasture species were separated spatially (by area). Plots were grazed by weaned lambs between March and June 2011. Pre-grazing herbage mass during March and April were highest (P < 0.05) from the lucerne and lowest (P < 0.05) from the plantain, with lucerne producing 4.5–5.5 t DM/ha during this time, whereas the perennial ryegrass and plantain produced 3.5–3.9 t DM/ha and 2.3–3.0 t DM/ha, respectively. Herbage disappearance (calculated estimate of feed intake) was highest (P < 0.05) from the lucerne and lowest (P < 0.05) from the plantain during March and April. Leaf crude protein between the perennial ryegrass and plantain did not differ (P > 0.05) and were lower (P < 0.05) than the lucerne, but the perennial ryegrass and plantain had higher (P < 0.05) leaf on offer (kg DM/ha). Plantain leaf had higher (P < 0.05) Fe, Zn, Co, Ca and S than the perennial ryegrass leaf and higher (P < 0.05) Se, Cu, Mg, Na and Cl than the perennial ryegrass and lucerne leaf and a more negative (P < 0.05) dietary cation : anion difference. The agronomic data presented in this paper provides support for the hypothesis, with lambs showing dietary preferences between pasture species and morphological components, and forms to basis for why these preferences exist. The two subsequent papers show how offering lambs dietary choice affected the performance of male lambs to slaughter and female lambs to first joining.

Dietary choice and grazing behaviour of sheep on spatially arranged pasture systems. 2. Wether lamb growth and carcass weight at slaughter

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 710
Author(s):  
M. C. Raeside ◽  
M. Robertson ◽  
Z. N. Nie ◽  
D. L. Partington ◽  
J. L. Jacobs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Plantago Lanceolata ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Carcass Weight ◽  
Eye Muscle ◽  
Internal Parasite ◽  
Dietary Choice ◽  
Condition Score

Dry matter production and nutritive characteristics of the pasture feedbase during autumn are key drivers of profitability in Australia’s prime lamb systems. An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that offering lambs dietary choice through spatially separated combinations of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) and/or lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) improves the post-weaning liveweight gain, condition score (CS), pre- and post-slaughter carcass characteristics and reduces the internal parasite burdens of wether lambs finished to a slaughter weight over autumn, relative to lambs offered no dietary choice. The experiment tested seven treatments, replicated four times in a randomised complete block design with plot sizes of 1 ± 0.1 ha. The treatments were: 100% perennial ryegrass (PR), 100% plantain (PL), 100% lucerne (LU), 50 : 50 perennial ryegrass/plantain (PR + PL), 50 : 50 perennial ryegrass/lucerne (PR + LU), 50 : 50 plantain/lucerne (PL + LU) and 33 : 33 : 33 perennial ryegrass/plantain/lucerne (PR + PL + LU). Plots were grazed by weaned lambs between March and June 2011. The lambs had been born between 3 August and 7 September 2010 and were derived from either Coopworth composite dams joined to Coopworth maternal sires or from Merino dams (Toland or Centreplus bloodlines) joined to Border Leicester sires. Backgrounding the lambs on a pasture system that contained lucerne during the lactation to weaning period increased (P < 0.05) liveweight at slaughter by 8% and hot carcass weight by 10%, relative to lambs backgrounded on perennial ryegrass. Finishing lambs on the LU treatment between weaning and slaughter increased (P < 0.05) liveweight at slaughter by 11%, CS at slaughter by 0.3 units, hot carcass weight by 16%, carcass CFAT (measured over the loin) by 2.5 mm, carcass eye muscle depth by 1.1 mm and carcass GRFAT (total tissue depth at 11/12th rib, 11 cm from mid line) by 3.8 mm, relative to lambs finished on the PR treatment. Finishing lambs on LU + PR, LU + PL or LU + PR + PL did not (P > 0.05) improve any of the measured parameters, relative to finishing lambs on the LU treatment. The PL and PR treatments did not differ (P > 0.05) in liveweight at slaughter, CS at slaughter or carcass characteristics, but the PL treatment had lower (P < 0.05) liveweight gain than the PR treatment during the first 2 weeks of the experiment (39 g/day vs 330 g/day), which was later partially compensated for. Our hypothesis has not been supported given that the use of spatially arranged mixes resulted in no improvement in liveweight gain, CS, carcass characteristics or internal parasite burdens relative to the comparable single species sward.

Plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) as pregnancy and lactation feed for ewes joined at 8 months of age

2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (8) ◽  
pp. 1023 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Raeside ◽  
Z. N. Nie ◽  
M. Robertson ◽  
D. L. Partington ◽  
R. Behrendt
Keyword(s):  
Lolium Perenne ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Plantago Lanceolata ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Lolium Perenne L ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Pregnancy And Lactation ◽  
3.0 T ◽  
Western Victoria

Ewe nutrition during pregnancy and lactation is a key determinant of ewe and lamb performance. A paddock-scale field experiment in western Victoria, Australia, tested the hypothesis that grazing maiden ewes on plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) from mid-pregnancy until lamb weaning (July 2010–January 2011) would increase ewe liveweight and condition score during this period, reduce worm egg counts, and increase lamb liveweights at birth, marking and weaning, relative to tetraploid perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), but that further increases would be achieved by offering a spatially arranged sward of plantain and perennial ryegrass. The experiment tested three treatments: plantain (PL), perennial ryegrass (PR), and a 50 : 50 (by area) spatially separated mixture of perennial ryegrass and plantain (PR + PL). Plots were ~1 ha in size arranged in a randomised complete block design with four replications. The ewes were Coopworth composites joined at 8 months of age. Feed-on-offer levels (kg DM/ha) did not differ (P > 0.05) between treatments, with 2.3–3.0 t DM/ha being available pre-grazing. Twin-bearing ewes had higher (P < 0.05) liveweights when offered PR + PL compared with PR or PL at late-pregnancy and higher (P < 0.05) liveweights than PR but not PL (P > 0.05) at lamb marking. At weaning, single-born lambs were heavier (P < 0.05) on PR than PR + PL, with the PL being intermediate. There were no other significant differences (P > 0.05). This experiment has found that feeding plantain to ewes during pregnancy and lactation, or offering ewes spatially separated mixes of plantain and perennial ryegrass, offers no clear liveweight or worm egg count improvement for ewes and lambs relative to a tetraploid perennial ryegrass under Western Victorian conditions.

scholarly journals Selection by Lambs Grazing Plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.), Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), White Clover (Trifolium repens L.), Red Clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) across Seasons

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2292
Author(s):  
Sharini C. Somasiri ◽  
Paul R. Kenyon ◽  
Patrick C.H. Morel ◽  
Stephen T. Morris ◽  
Peter D. Kemp
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Trifolium Pratense ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Plantago Lanceolata ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Cichorium Intybus ◽  
Trifolium Pratense L

Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) and chicory (Cichorium intybus) are now widely used in combination with clover species to provide greater annual lamb live weight gains than perennial ryegrass and white clover pasture. Reported selective grazing of the species in herb-clover mixes could potentially detrimentally change the relative abundance of species and decrease lamb production. Lambs were offered three herbage treatments: Pasture (perennial ryegrass and white clover) mix, plantain (plantain, red clover and white clover) mix and a chicory (chicory, plantain, red clover and white clover) mix in each of four seasons for two years. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with three replicates with 18–30 lambs per treatment replicate depending on the season. Lambs were rotationally grazed and fed ad libitum. Selection by the lambs of individually tagged plants within the pasture treatments was observed for three days on two occasions per season. Red clover was the most selected species on day 1, but by day 3 there was no difference in the selection of the species (p < 0.05). Plantain and chicory in the plantain and chicory mixes were selected less on day 1 in autumn relative to the other seasons (p < 0.05). It was concluded that three days of grazing before moving lambs maintained the relative abundance of species in the herb-clover mixes.

The effect of species complexity and sodium fertilizer application on the grazing behaviour of calves

1993 ◽  
Vol 1993 ◽  
pp. 142-142
Author(s):  
M. Youssef ◽  
P.C. Chiy ◽  
C.J.C. Phillips ◽  
M. Metwally
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Adult Cattle ◽  
High Sodium ◽  
Red Fescue ◽  
Stages Of Growth ◽  
High Sodium Diet ◽  
Grazing Behaviour

Cattle exhibit preferences not only for certain sward species but for the same species at different stages of growth, and the various parts of an individual plant and for individual plant of preferred composition. This tendency is termed selective grazing (Fontenot and Blaser, 1965). For example ruminants will select a high Sodium diet. Calves tend to be more selective than adult cattle, muzzling herbage before eating.The aim of the present experiment was to investigate the effect of sward complexity, species and sodium fertilizer on the grazing behaviour of calves.Sixteen dairy Friesian calves, aged 5 to 6 months, with no previous grazing experience, were allocated to groups of 4 similar calves, and then at random to four pasture treatments of 3480m2 each with one (Perennial Ryegrass, P), two (P and Timothy, T), three (P, T and Cocksfoot, C) and four (P, T.C and Red Fescue, R) grass species in a balanced change over design. Each species was sown in plots of 290m2 and one half of each plot received 48Kg/ha. nacl.

scholarly journals Milksolids production from different combinations of perennial ryegrass and white clover cultivars: II Milksolids production and farm profitability

2001 ◽  
pp. 97-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.L. Woodward ◽  
K.A. Macdonald ◽  
W.A. Carter ◽  
J.P.J. Eerens ◽  
J.R. Crush
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Previous Season ◽  
Farm Profitability ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Clover Content ◽  
Friesian Cows

1999/2000 and 2000/2001 were the first two complete seasons of a replicated farm systems trial designed to measure the effects on whole farm profitability (Economic Farm Surplus (EFS) of mixtures of ryegrasses and white clovers released on to the market recently, or at least 15 years ago, and rotationally grazed by dairy cows. All the pastures were sown in late autumn 1998. There were four treatments with all combinations of 1980s (80R), and late 1990s (98R) ryegrasses, and 1960s (60C)and late 1990s (98C) white clovers, each replicated 3.0 times in a randomised block design giving twelve 4-ha, self-contained farmlets stocked with three Friesian cows/ha. Milksolids production was unaffected by either ryegrass or clover cultivar age, but there was a significant ryegrass x clover cultivar interaction reflected as higher milksolids production on the 80R/98C treatment than the 98R/98C treatment in 1999/2000. This was a result of a higher clover content in the 80R/98C pastures compared with other treatments. Although the difference in clover content was still present in 2000/2001, the wetter summerÂ-autumn meant the ryegrass maintained a higher nutritive value than in the previous season under dry conditions, so clover content did not affect milksolids production in 2000/2001. There were no main treatment effects on EFS in either season, but there was a significant ryegrass x clover interaction in 1999/2000 shown as a higher EFS on the 80R/98C treatment than on the 98R/98C treatment. Keywords: cultivars, dairying, Economic Farm Surplus, milksolids, perennial ryegrass, white clover

scholarly journals Performance and intestinal development of chicks submitted to different rations and different types of incubation

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-161
Author(s):  
Eliete Souza Santana ◽  
José Neto Cassiano de Camargo ◽  
Michele Laboissière ◽  
Roberto Moraes Jardim Filho
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Experimental Unit ◽  
Average Weight ◽  
Intestinal Development ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Feed Processing

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of two types of incubation and two types of feeding on the performance of chickens and intestinal development of chicks during the pre-starter phase (1 to 7 days of age). One-year-old male Ross® chicks were used. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design, in a 2x2 factorial design, with two types of feed processing (bran and micropelleted) and two types of incubation machines (single and multiple stage), totaling four treatments, with four treatment repetitions each. Twelve birds per experimental unit were used, totaling 192 animals. Performance evaluations were conducted, such as mean weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, bowel weight and size, and percentage of intestine in relation to live weight. Histomorphometric tests on the height of the villi and depth of the duodenal crypts were also performed. The two incubation machines did not influence any of the analyzed variables. Even though both had the same composition, the micropelleted feed resulted in positive gains for the performance variables: average weight, weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion when compared to the meal, but was unable to significantly influence the morphometric measurements of the duodenum of chicks in the pre-starter phase.

Dietary preferences of domestic ruminants

1997 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 96-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Rutter ◽  
P. D. Penning ◽  
A. J. Parsons ◽  
A. Harvey ◽  
R. J. Orr
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Sheep Grazing ◽  
Dietary Preference ◽  
Dietary Preferences ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Domestic Ruminants ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Sustainable Grazing

To develop sustainable grazing systems, an understanding of the complex interactions between competing plant species and grazing herbivores is needed. An understanding of dietary preference is a prerequisite to predicting how much and from which plant species animals select. This work initially concentrated on dietary preferences of sheep grazing perennial ryegrass and white clover swards and was then extended to other animal species to test the generality of our findings.

scholarly journals Onset of feed intake of the suckling rabbit and evidence of dietary preferences according to pellet physical properties

2019 ◽  
Vol 255 ◽  
pp. 114223 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Paës ◽  
L. Fortun-Lamothe ◽  
K. Bébin ◽  
J. Duperray ◽  
C. Gohier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Properties ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Dietary Preferences ◽  
Suckling Rabbit

The level of tree legumes required to meet the maintenance energy requirements of Ongole (Bos indicus) cows fed rice straw in Indonesia

2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (7) ◽  
pp. 641 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. M. Syahniar ◽  
R. Antari ◽  
D. Pamungkas ◽  
Marsetyo ◽  
D. E. Mayberry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rice Straw ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Bos Indicus ◽  
Energy Requirements ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Tree Legumes ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Four Levels ◽  
Maintenance Requirements

Improving the productivity and profitability of smallholder cattle enterprises in Indonesia requires greater and more efficient utilisation of underutilised feed resources such as rice straw. The experiment tested the hypothesis that an Ongole cow with low energy requirements can maintain weight (W) on a rice straw-based diet with the addition of a small amount of tree legumes. Thirty-two Ongole cross (Bos indicus) cows were allocated to one of four treatments in a randomised block design with eight cows per treatment. Cows were offered untreated rice straw ad libitum with four levels of tree legumes (0, 11, 21, and 42 g DM/kg W0.75.day) for 20 weeks. Feed intake was determined daily and liveweight was measured every second week. There was no difference in total feed intake between the treatment groups (P > 0.05). Intake of tree legumes was higher when more was offered (P < 0.05), but cows did not consume all of the legumes offered to them. The inclusion of tree legumes in the diet had no effect on organic matter digestibility, ME content of the diet, liveweight gain or estimated energy balance of the cows (P > 0.05). Rice straw alone contained insufficient ME and rumen-degradable N to meet the maintenance requirements of the cows. From the regression relating liveweight change and ME intake for all cows across all diets, the inclusion of tree legumes in the diet at ~12 g DM/kg W0.75.day or 2.8 g DM/kg W.day was enough to meet the energy requirements for maintenance of Ongole cows fed rice straw ad libitum.

The yield, quality and irrigation response of summer forage crops suitable for a dairy pasture renovation program in north-western Tasmania

2001 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 37 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Eckard ◽  
A. A. Salardini ◽  
M. Hannah ◽  
D. R. Franks
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Block Design ◽  
The Other ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Forage Crops ◽  
Short Rotation ◽  
Permanent Pasture ◽  
Fodder Crops ◽  
Main Plot ◽  
North Western

The yield and quality of perennial ryegrass, short-rotation ryegrass–perennial ryegrass mix, oats, millet, maize, rape, kale, pasja and turnips were determined over a 13-week summer period in 1995–96 and 1996–97. The experiment was conducted on the Elliott Research Station in north-western Tasmania (145˚E, 41˚S) and consisted of 2 irrigated and 2 dryland main plots. Within each main plot was a randomised complete block design with 9 forage crop subplots. Where forage is required through the summer, there is little advantage in establishing millet or oats over a spring-sown ryegrass pasture, mainly as the former still require replacement with permanent pasture in the autumn. However, if additional forage is required from late January then turnips are clearly superior to the other forages evaluated in all respects, apart from a low bulb crude protein (CP) content. Turnips responded significantly to irrigation, producing between 15 and 22 kg DM/ha.mm irrigation applied, with yields ranging between 7.9 and 10.6 t DM/ha dryland and between 13.5 and 14.4 t DM/ha under irrigation. The metabolisable energy (ME) and CP contents of turnips were 12.5 MJ/kg DM and 12.4% in the shoots and 13.4 MJ/kg DM and 7.0% in the bulbs, respectively. In comparison, the other fodder crops tested yielded between 4 and 6 t DM/ha under dryland conditions and between 5 and 7 t DM/ha under irrigated conditions. Turnips were most economic, costing on average A$120/t DM irrigated and $160/t DM dryland, while spring renovation to perennial ryegrass cost $385/t DM irrigated and $344/t DM dryland; clearly more expensive than purchased feeds for this period. These findings confirm the choice of many farmers that, of the species examined, turnips are the most suitable as a summer fodder crop, both irrigated or dryland, and integrate well with a pasture renovation rotation.

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