Effects of abomasal supplements of methionine on wool growth of grazing sheep

1993 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
FS Pickering ◽  
PJ Reis
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Fibre Diameter ◽  
Significant Response ◽  
Once Daily ◽  
Wool Growth ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Native Pasture ◽  
Grazing Sheep ◽  
Fourth Experiment

Seven experiments are reported in which methionine supplements were given directly into the abomasum of Merino wethers grazing either improved or native pasture at Armidale, New South Wales. In 4 experiments where initial wool growth was 0.4-0.8 mg/cm2.day of clean dry wool, significant increases in wool growth (at 2.4 g methionine/day in 3 experiments and 0.6-4.8 g/day in the fourth) and fibre diameter were obtained when methionine was given once daily in capsules. In the fourth experiment the response to methionine was quadratic, with a maximum at 2.4 g/day. In the remaining 3 experiments, where initial wool growth was >1.1 mg/cm2.day, no significant response to methionine was obtained, whether it was given once daily or infused continuously.

The influence of seasonal pasture production and grazing management on seasonal wool growth

1965 ◽  
Vol 5 (18) ◽  
pp. 252 ◽  
Author(s):  
JD McFarlane
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Fibre Diameter ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Seasonal Fluctuations ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Wool Growth ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Summer Minimum ◽  
Autumn And Winter

The wool growth by Merino ewes grazed on sown annual pastures and by Merino weaners grazed on sown perennial pastures was measured at six-weekly intervals for three years. The ewes were from four groups with different grazing treatments and the weaners were from two grazing treatments. Wool was clipped from tattooed mid-side areas and the weight of clean, oven-dry wool in each sample was determined and staple length and fibre diameter measured. In all pears and in all groups of sheep there were seasonal fluctuations in weight, length, and fibre diameter of the wool. Growth was rapid during autumn and late spring but retarded during winter and summer. With few exceptions the summer and winter minima were not significantly different. The exceptions were mainly due to the summer minimum for a group being less than the winter minimum for the same group ; only in two cases was the summer minimum significantly greater than the winter minimum, and in both of these there was drought during the autumn and winter. The results, obtained at Canberra, A.C.T., are considered representative of the southern and central tablelands of New South Wales.

Phenotypic variance of fibre diameter along wool staples and its relationship with other raw wool characters

1990 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 463 ◽  
Author(s):  
GD Denney
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Change ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Fibre Diameter ◽  
Phenotypic Correlation ◽  
Phenotypic Variance ◽  
Merino Sheep ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Grazing Sheep ◽  
Staple Strength

The variance of fibre diameter along the staple was estimated in a flock of 198 two-year-old Merino sheep, whose management and nutrition were typical of grazing sheep in central-western New South Wales. In a subgroup of this flock, it was found that the estimated variance of fibre diameter along the staple was highly repeatable between duplicate staples sampled from the same sheep, and variation in fibre diameter along the mid-side sample was representative of that variation in the whole fleece. In the main flock, variance of fibre diameter along the staple varied from 0.74 to 6.98 �m2 between sheep, but there were no differences between castrated males and ewes. Differences were found between sire groups in their susceptibility to environmental change. Phenotypic correlation between variance of fibre diameter along the staple and staple strength was -0.30 (P<0.001), but correlations with other raw wool characteristics were not different from zero (P>0.05).

The Diet of the Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Wallaroo in Areas of Improved and Native Pasture in the New England Tablelands.

1983 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 203 ◽  
Author(s):  
RJ Taylor
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Grey Kangaroo ◽  
Native Pasture ◽  
Tussock Grasses

The diet of the eastern grey kangaroo and wallaroo was compared at 2 sites, Lana and Newsholme, in the New England tablelands of New South Wales. At Lana, the pastures had been fertilized for 20 yr and were dominated by low-fibre grasses such as Bothriochloa, Eragrostis, Sporobolus, Microlaena, Danthonia and Vulpia; some paddocks had been sown with introduced grasses, Phalaris, Festuca and lucerne. Coarse tussock grasses such as Poa spp., Stipa and Danthonia pallida predominated at Newsholme. The major difference in the diet of the 2 spp. was in winter when individuals on the unimproved area at Newsholme ate a higher proportion of tussock grasses and less low-fibre grass. Both spp. consistently selected for low-fibre grass leaf; they did not differ in their use of plant parts. The diets contained many plant spp. in common, although there were major differences in the use of several spp. The plant spp. favoured only by the wallaroo were of a higher quality than those favoured only by the grew kangaroo.

Movement of Kangaroos After a Fire in Mallee Woodland.

1985 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 349 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Caughley ◽  
B Brown ◽  
J Noble
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Burned Area ◽  
Aerial Surveys ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Adequate Food ◽  
Macropus Rufus ◽  
Stimulate Plant Growth ◽  
Grazing Sheep

Experimental burning of mallee (Eucalyptus spp.) and shrub vegetation has been done in New South Wales to stimulate plant growth for grazing sheep and cattle. In March 1984 fires were started by an aerial ignition technique in a 'paddock' of 116 km2 and a study was made, by aerial surveys, of movements of kangaroos (Macropus rufus and M. fuliginosus) into the area. Such movements would detract from the benefit to grazing stock. It was found that on this occasion the burned area did not attract kangaroos, apparently because good winter rains gave adequate food for them elsewhere. It is suggested that burning for grazing is likely to be most beneficial where winter rains are most predictable, i.e. inside the mallee zone.

Improvements in growth and wool production of winter-grazed merino weaners when offered a protein-rich supplement

1993 ◽  
Vol 1993 ◽  
pp. 118-118
Author(s):  
J.V. Nolan ◽  
J.A. Thomas ◽  
M.K. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Fibre Diameter ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Supplementation Period ◽  
Native Pastures ◽  
Protein Rich ◽  
Over Time

Protein-rich supplements often enhance production of ruminants grazing native pastures during the winter on the northern tablelands of New South Wales. However, graziers report that animals offered supplements often do not consume them; there is also experimental evidence, obtained using tritiated supplements, that intake of supplements by individuals within a flock may exhibit wide variation. The objectives of this study were first, to evaluate a commercial protein-rich supplement when given to winter-grazed weaners, by determining the effect of supplementation on liveweight gain, wool production and fibre diameter, and second, to estimate the changes in patterns of intake of supplement by individual animals over time during a 12 week supplementation period.

Sustainable grazing systems for the Central Tablelands of New South Wales. 3. Animal production response to pasture type and management

2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 471 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Holst ◽  
D. F. Stanley ◽  
G. D. Millar ◽  
A. Radburn ◽  
D. L. Michalk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rates ◽  
New South ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Fibre Diameter ◽  
Export Market ◽  
Feed Quality ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Natural Pasture ◽  
Lamb Growth

The main limitations for prime lamb production in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales are low availability of forage early in the growing season (late autumn–early winter) and low nutritive value in the summer. This paper describes the performance of a first-cross lamb breeding enterprise on 4 pasture types and 2 management systems over 4 years for the Central Tablelands region. The pastures studied comprised a traditional unfertilised naturalised pasture, a similar pasture fertilised with superphosphate, a sod-sown fertilised introduced perennial grass pasture and a sod-sown summer growing perennial, chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) pasture. Grazing management involved either continuous grazing or tactical grazing that combined a lower annual stocking rate with an optional summer rest to maintain perennial grass content above 50%. An additional area of chicory pasture was set aside for finishing lambs. Over the experiment stocking rates were increased each year as the pasture became established, with increases ranging from 1.5 ewes/ha for tactically grazed unfertilised natural pasture to 3.6 ewes/ha, for chicory and clover pasture. The feed quality v. quantity problem of summer and autumn was reaffirmed for each pasture type except chicory and the lamb enterprise appeared to be sufficiently adaptable to be promising. Ewes lambed in September and produced satisfactory lamb growth rates (about 280 g/day for twins) on the various pastures until weaning in late December. Thereafter, lamb growth rates declined as the pastures senesced, except chicory, reaffirming the feed quality v. quantity problem in summer and autumn of naturalised and sown grass pastures for producing lamb to heavyweight market specifications. Weaning liveweights (in the range of 32–40 kg) from grass-based pastures were high enough for only about 45% of the lambs to be sold as domestic trade lambs with the remainder as unfinished lambs. In contrast, the chicory and clover finishing pasture produced lamb growth rates of 125 g/day and quality large, lean lambs suitable for the export market. Vegetable matter in the late January shorn wool was insignificant and there was no significant effect of pasture on fleece weight, fibre diameter or staple strength. Position of break in staples of wool from chicory pastures differed from that of the other pasture types and warrants further study on time of shearing. It was concluded that a first cross lamb producing enterprise of suitable genetics was effective in producing trade and store lambs before pasture senescence, but the inclusion of a specialised pasture of summer growing chicory would create greater opportunities. In the unreliable summer rainfall region of the Central Tablelands, the area of chicory pasture needed to maintain lamb growth rates of >125 g/day, estimated from these results, is around 10 lamb/ha of chicory.

Studies of soil seedbanks in native and sown pastures in northern New South Wales

2001 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 204 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. Lodge
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Summer Rainfall ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Soil Core ◽  
Phalaris Aquatica ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Native Pasture

Total and germinable soil seedbanks (litter and soil) were studied for a native pasture and three sown pastures (dominated by Phalaris aquatica L. cv. Sirosa) in northern New South Wales from 1993 to 1996. Soil core samples were taken from continuously grazed plots for both pasture types and two oversown treatments in the native pasture and from a spring-autumn rest treatment at the sown pasture sites. At each site above ground herbage mass was also estimated regularly as part of the Temperate Pasture Sustainability Key Program. For all sites and treatments, the proportion of germinable seeds as a percentage of the total (dormant and germinable) seedbank ranged from 1–26% for the native pasture and 1–39% for the sown pastures. Germinable seed numbers ranged from 280 to 26,110 seeds per m2, while total seedbank numbers were from 6700 to 178,360 seeds per m2. Native pasture herbage mass was dominated by native perennial grasses, but seeds of these species were less than 20% of the total seed bank in all treatments in 1994 and 1995. At the sown pasture sites, most of the germinable (51–92%) and total (65–97%) seedbanks were either barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv, annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaudin), subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) or wireweed (Polygonum aviculare L.). Since seeds of annuals and other forbs generally dominated both the total and germinable seedbanks of these perennial grass-based pastures, these species were likely to increase over time. Seeds of the sown perennial grass Phalaris aquatica L, cv. Sirosa were less than 1% of the total seedbanks in pastures sown in 1990 and less than 3% of those sown in 1979. With above average summer rainfall at the native pasture site in 1996 and prolific growth of redgrass, seeds of this species were 38–63% of the total and 11–29% of the germinable seedbank in May 1996. Except at this site and time, the species composition of the total and germinable seedbanks did not generally reflect the dominance of the above ground herbage mass of these pastures by perennial grasses.

Land-use and historical management effects on soil organic carbon in grazing systems on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales

Soil Research ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 51 (8) ◽  
pp. 668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian R. Wilson ◽  
Vanessa E. Lonergan
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Surface Soil ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Soil Layers ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Native Pasture ◽  
Historical Management

We examined soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration (mg g–1) and total organic carbon (TOC) stock (Mg ha–1 to 30 cm soil depth) in three pasture systems in northern New South Wales: improved pasture, native pasture, and lightly wooded pasture, at two sampling times (2009 and 2011). No significant difference was found in SOC or TOC between sample times, suggesting that under the conditions we examined, neither 2 years nor an intervening significant rainfall event was sufficient to change the quantity or our capacity to detect SOC, and neither represented a barrier to soil carbon accounting. Low fertility, lightly wooded pastures had a slightly but significantly lower SOC concentration, particularly in the surface soil layers. However, no significant differences in TOC were detected between the three pasture systems studied, and from a carbon estimation perspective, they represent one, single dataset. A wide range in TOC values existed within the dataset that could not be explained by environmental factors. The TOC was weakly but significantly correlated with soil nitrogen and phosphorus, but a more significant pattern seemed to be the association of high TOC with proportionally larger subsoil (0.1–0.3 m) organic carbon storage. This we attribute to historical, long-term rather than contemporary management. Of the SOC fractions, particulate organic carbon (POC) dominated in the surface layers but diminished with depth, whereas the proportion of humic carbon (HUM) and resistant organic carbon (ROC) increased with soil depth. The POC did not differ between the pasture systems but native pasture had larger quantities of HUM and ROC, particularly in the surface soil layers, suggesting that this pasture system tends to accumulate organic carbon in more resistant forms, presumably because of litter input quality and historical management.

Supplementing Merino ewes at mating for reproductive gain in central western New South Wales

1983 ◽  
Vol 23 (122) ◽  
pp. 259
Author(s):  
GD Denney
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Ovulation Rate ◽  
Feeding Period ◽  
Barrel Medic ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Native Pasture ◽  
Ad Libitum

In four experiments at Condobolin on the Central Western slopes of New South Wales between 1976 and 1979, mature Merino ewes were given supplements for four to five weeks over mating and the effects on their reproductive performance were recorded. The ewes were run on barrel medic or native pasture with mating commencing in late February or early March each year. The supplements were: experiment 1 -1upins (0.25 kg/d), oats (0.25 kg/d); experiment 2-lupins (0.25 kg/d), oats (0.25 kg/d); experiment 3-lupins (0 25 kg/d), lupins (ad libitum), lupins (0.25 kg/d) with ad libitum oats and lucerne hay; experiment 4-lupins (0.25 kg/d). In experiment 4, ewe liveweight was manipulated in the pre-feeding period to obtain two liveweight classes at the start of supplementation. In the three to four weeks before mating, ewes either maintained or lost weight in experiments 1,2 and 4. However, in experiment 3, ewe liveweight increased after heavy summer rains caused an abundance of pasture. The only significant effect of any supplement on flock reproduction was to increase the ovulation rate. This resulted from lupin supplementation but only in two of four years (experiments 1 and 4). However, on these occasions, lambing rates did not significantly increase due to three factors: more barren ewes, higher ova loss or greater peri-natal lamb loss. Oats supplementation in experiments 1 and 2 did not significantly increase reproductive performance, nor was there an effect of any supplement in experiment 3. The results indicate that repeatable reproductive responses to lupin supplementation are unlikely to occur in the area of the study.

Mineral nitrogen fluctuations in soils under improved pasture in Southern New South Wales

1962 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1059 ◽  
Author(s):  
JR Simpson
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Heavy Rain ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Mineral Nitrogen ◽  
Nitrate Accumulation ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Native Pasture ◽  
Autumn And Winter ◽  
Improved Pasture

Soils under improved pasture on the Southern Tableland of New South Wales accumulated nitrate in substantial quantities during the summer and autumn. In this respect they behaved quite unlike the pasture soils which have been studied in most of the earlier literature, and they resembled cultivated fallow soils, which usually accumulate nitrate at the same time of the year. The nitrate was produced mainly in the top inch of soil; ammonium also accumulated under certain conditions. The precise sequence of climatic events, particularly the period of drying between consecutive wettings, was of primary importance in the nitrate accumulation. The nitrate produced during summer and early autumn disappeared from the topsoil after heavy rain in autumn and winter. The seasons could therefore be distinguished as a nitrogen-rich summer and autumn, a nitrogen-depleting winter, and a nitrogen-poor early spring, with an increasing supply of mineral nitrogen during late spring. No appreciable fluctuations in mineral nitrogen were found in soils resown directly from native pasture with less than 0.10% total nitrogen at 0-2 in.

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