Grazing management studies with Australian cashmere goats. 2. Effect of stocking rate on the liveweight gain of sheep and goats grazing an oats-rye grass pasture

1990 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 777 ◽  
Author(s):  
BW Norton ◽  
FT O'Grady ◽  
JW Hales
Keyword(s):  
Intestinal Parasites ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Sheep And Goats ◽  
Rye Grass ◽  
Cashmere Goats ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
High Yields ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Cell Volumes

Australian cashmere goats and Border Leicester x Merino sheep grazing an oats-rye grass pasture were used to study the effects of stocking rate (20, 40, 60 animals/ha) on growth, intestinal parasite burdens and haematology of the 2 species and on the persistence and productivity of the crop grazed. Goats and sheep were either grazed alone or together over a 12-week period to determine the interaction between the species. Liveweight gain decreased with both stocking rate and time on experiment. At the highest stocking rate all animals lost weight between weeks 9 and 12. During the first 9 weeks of grazing, sheep had significantly (P<0.05) higher liveweight gains than goats at all stocking rates; but the rate of decline in liveweight gain with increased stocking rate was similar in both species, whether they were grazed alone or together. Mean values for sheep were 161, 133 and 105 g/day, and for goats 101, 84 and 59 g/day at stocking rates of 20, 40 and 60 animals/ha. Under the same drenching regime, goats were more severely infested by intestinal parasites than sheep as indicated by significantly (P<0.05) higher concentrations of parasite eggs in faeces and lower packed cell volumes and haemoglobin concentrations in blood. Oats was the major contributor to green feed available at all stocking rates, although rye grass yields increased in the later stages of the trial, particularly in high stocking rate paddocks. At the end of the trial, high yields of oat stem remained in the paddocks grazed by goats and goats plus sheep, suggesting that sheep grazed both leaf and stem but goats selectively grazed oat leaf. The availability of green leaf (oat + rye grass) per animal was closely related to liveweight gain in any period, although these relationships were different for sheep and goats.

Stocking intensity and pastoral production: III. Wool production, fleece characteristics, and the utilization of nutrients for maintenance and wool growth by Merino sheep grazed at different stocking rates

1973 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Langlands ◽  
I. L. Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Live Weight ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Unit Increase ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
Stocking Rates

SummaryWool production and wool characteristics are reported for a 5-year period in which sheep grazed Phalaris tuberosa–Trifolium repens pastures at stocking rates ranging from 2·5 to 37·1 sheep/ha. The utilization of nutrients for maintenance and wool production were calculated over shorter periods.Maximum wool production/ha was always recorded at the highest stocking rate attained. The highest annual maximum was 111 kg clean wool/ha in 1963–4. The decline in wool production/sheep/unit increase in stocking rate was greatest during winter and the amplitude of the seasonal rhythm in wool production increased with stocking rate.At high stocking rates wool count increased, staple length and character declined, colour and handle improved, soundness tended to decline and fibre entanglement (cotting) to increase particularly during drought. Live-weight gain/sheep also declined with stocking rate, the rate of decline being greatest during drought. Maximum live-weight change/ha was attained at a lower stocking rate than maximum wool production/ha.The maintenance requirement of grazing sheep was estimated to be 58·3 kcal metabolizable energy/day/kg live weight and did not vary consistently with stocking rate. The value was 79% greater than the requirements for penned sheep estimated from fasting heat production.Efficiency of wool production was defined as wool grown/100 g digestible organic matter intake (ED) and as wool grown/100 g nitrogen intake (EN). EN declined linearly with increasing stocking rate but the intercepts differed between months, and were least in late winter and early spring. En declined with stocking rate in winter and increased during summer. At low stocking rates, ED showed some variation throughout the year but this was much greater at high stocking rates.

Grazing management studies with Australian cashmere goats. 4. Cobalt supplementation and intestinal parasite burdens in sheep and goats in south-eastern Queensland

1990 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 789
Author(s):  
BW Norton ◽  
JM Cavaye ◽  
JW Hales
Keyword(s):  
Intestinal Parasite ◽  
Intestinal Parasites ◽  
Sampling Period ◽  
Similar Rate ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Sheep And Goats ◽  
Final Treatment ◽  
Lower Blood ◽  
Blood Haemoglobin ◽  
Cashmere Goats

A flock of 32 weaner wether sheep (Border Leicester x Merino) and 32 weaner male goats (Australian cashmere) were grazed (37 animals/ha) on a common pasture of N-fertilised pangola grass from early March until June. One half of each group (16 animals) was supplemented with cobalt, and one half of each of these groups (8 animals) was dosed with approximately 500 infective helminth larvae at 2-week intervals throughout the trial. The final treatment was a drenching regime for one half (4 animals) of each of the above groups, levamisole (Nilverm) at 0, 2, 4 and 7 weeks and rafoxanide (Ranide) at 2-week intervals thereafter. There was no significant effect (P>0.05) of either cobalt supplementation or dosing with larvae on liveweight change, parasite egg concentrations in faeces or daily parasite egg excretion. Sheep gained significantly (P<0.05) more weight (50 g/day) than goats (31 g/day) in the first 7 weeks, and sheep also responded significantly (P<0.05) to drenching in this period whilst goats did not. In the second 8 week period, goats and sheep lost weight at a similar rate (-11 g/day), and both sheep and goats responded significantly (P<0.05) to drenching. The drenching program significantly (P<0.05) decreased faecal egg counts in sheep but not in goats. Undrenched sheep generally had higher concentrations of eggs in faeces than did undrenched goats, and with the exception of 1 sampling period, sheep also excreted significantly (P<0.05) more faecal eggs daily than goats. Undrenched sheep had significantly (P<0.05) lower haemoglobin concentrations in blood (82 gL) than drenched sheep (97 g/L). Undrenched goats also had lower blood haemoglobin concentrations (88 g/L) than did drenched goats (92 g/L). Cobalt supplementation did not exacerbate intestinal parasite burdens in either sheep or goats, and whilst goats did not appear to be more susceptible to intestinal parasites than sheep, the drenching strategies used for sheep were not effective in these goats.

Grazing management studies with Australian cashmere goats. 1. Effect of stocking rate on the growth and fleece production of weaner goats grazing tropical pastures

1990 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 769 ◽  
Author(s):  
BW Norton ◽  
CA Wilde ◽  
JW Hales
Keyword(s):  
Intestinal Parasite ◽  
Fibre Diameter ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Parasite Control ◽  
Tropical Pastures ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Tropical Legume ◽  
Fleece Weight ◽  
Stocking Rates

Australian cashmere weaner goats were continuously grazed on either nitrogen (N) fertilised Pangola grass or mixed tropical legume-pangola grass pastures at 3 stocking rates (15, 30, 60 goats/ha). Grazing commenced in January and was terminated in May (18 weeks). Three parasite control treatments (Seponver, Avomec, Systemex) were superimposed on each treatment. Parasite egg counts, liveweight change, cashmere growth and changes in pasture components were measured. Intestinal parasite burdens were low (<400 eggs/g faeces) in all animals throughout the trial, and there were no significant effects of parasite control treatment on goat productivity. The liveweight gain of goats decreased with increasing stocking rate and time on pasture. Mean values for the liveweight change of goats on the legume-grass pasture were 66, 37 and 14 g/day at stocking rates of 15, 30 and 60 goats/ha, respectively. Comparable values for goats grazing N-fertilised pangola grass were 40, 39 and 23 g/day for stocking rates of 15, 30 and 60 goats/ha. Goats grazing the legume-grass pastures at the lowest stocking rate (15 goats/ha) had significantly higher liveweight gains than did goats on all other treatments. There were no significant effects of stocking rate, pasture type or worm control treatment on fleece growth in these goats. Mean values were 191 g, 39 g and 15.0 �m for fleece weight, cashmere weight and mean cashmere fibre diameter respectively. The major legume in the legume-grass pasture was siratro, with axillaris, greenleaf desmodium and cassia forming minor components (10-300 kg/dry matter (DM)/ha). During the first 6 weeks of grazing, all legume components increased under stocking rates of 15 and 30 goats/ha. Thereafter, there was a significant decline in siratro yield to less than 200 kg DMha at all stocking rates. During this same period, the yields of the other legumes generally increased, suggesting that at low stocking rates the goats preferred grass to legume, and when grass was limiting, siratro was the legume preferred over all others. Weed yields increased with time in all except the high stocking rate treatments. It was concluded that weaner goat growth can be maximised on tropical legume-pangola grass pastures when stocking rates and intestinal parasite burdens are low. Protein intake may be limiting growth on N-fertilised grass pastures.

Changes in pH and organic carbon were minimal in a long-term field study in the Western District of Victoria

2002 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 115 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. D. Cayley ◽  
M. R. McCaskill ◽  
G. A. Kearney
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Average Rate ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Stocking Rates

Changes in soil pH from a long-term experiment at Hamilton, Vic., associated with time, fertiliser application, and stocking rate were assessed. The pH was measured in a 1 :5 suspension of soil in water (pHW) from 1980 onwards and in a 1:5 suspension of soil in 0.01 M CaCl2 (pHCa) from 1984 onwards. Topsoils (0–10 cm) were sampled regularly from 1980 to 1999, and the soil profile to a depth of 80 cm in 1994. The site was sown to perennial ryegrass, phalaris, and subterranean clover in 1977. Treatments fertilised with different amounts of superphosphate were grazed by sheep at stocking rates of 7–19 dry sheep equivalents (DSE)/ha. Average applications of phosphorus (P) ranged from 0.5 to 38.7 kg P/ha.year. The pHCa of the topsoil in 1984 was 4.9. It decreased at an average rate of 0.005 pHCa or 0.008 pHW units/year, with little variation due to fertiliser or stocking rate. Measurements in 1994 revealed subtle but statistically significant (P < 0.01) trends in soil pHCa that were associated with grazing pressure, inputs of fertiliser, and whether or not areas sampled were used by the sheep for camping. The top 0–5 cm of soil was slightly less acidic (+0.07 pHCa units) in the camp areas compared with non-camp areas. Below 5 cm to a depth of 80 cm, camp areas were more acidic (–0.19 pHCa units). At the highest stocking rates, heavier applications of superphosphate were associated with greater subsoil acidity: –0.06 pHCa units per 100 kg phosphorus (P) applied. There was no relationship at medium stocking rates. At low stocking rates, higher P applications were associated with more alkaline subsoils. Net removal of product from 1979 to 1994 (wool and meat removed from plots and excreta transferred to camps) was estimated to be equivalent to 140–380 kg/ha of lime over this 15-year period. The organic carbon (OC) content of the topsoil did not change over 20 years of records from 1979, and was unaffected by inputs of P. In 1994, the OC content of the 0–5 cm layer of topsoil was greater than the 5–10 cm layer (mean values 5.5% and 3.8% respectively; P < 0.001). The OC content of camp areas was higher than that of non-camp areas, this difference being more pronounced in the 0–5 cm layer (P < 0.01). It was concluded that the rate of change of pH was slow because of the high pH buffering capacity of the soil, the small amount of alkalinity removed in product, and the generally high perennial grass content of the pastures. Soils shown to be at greatest risk of acidification from this study were those under camp areas, and where high fertiliser rates were applied to pastures with a low perennial grass content. Rotational grazing should diminish these problems by reducing the concentration of excreta in camp areas, and favouring perennials over annuals in both camp and non-camp areas. Inputs of lime may eventually be needed to compensate for the acidifying effect of product removal.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOIL FERTILITY, PASTURE BOTANICAL COMPOSITION, AND PASTURE GROWTH RATE; FOR A NORTH ISLAND LOWLAND PASTURE

1988 ◽  
pp. 141-144
Author(s):  
C. Matthew ◽  
R.W. Tillman ◽  
M.J. Hedley ◽  
M.C. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Olsen P ◽  
Sheep Farm ◽  
Tiller Density ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
The Relationship

Soil chemical fertility, pasture composition and pasture production data were collected for seven 'microsites' within two farmlets at Massey University's No. 1 sheep farm. Palmerston North. The two farmlets had been maintained for twenty years at stocking rates of 26 and 16 su/ha, and were found to have gradients (presumed to result from sheep grazing and camping behaviour) of increasing soil fertility away from a road and towards a shelterbelt. Microsites were placed along these gradients to include contrasting fertility levels for the two stocking rates. Mean values for soil pH, Olsen P and 'quicktest' K tiller density for the various pasture species and pasture production at each of the seven microsites are presented. A microsite where Olsen P = 109 was barley grass dominant and produced 10.5 t DM/ha/year. For other microsites ryegrass tillers per m2 increased with P and stocking rate; and white clover and sweet vernal growing points/tillers per m2 decreased with increasing P. Production ranged from 9.9 t DM/ha/year where Olsen P = 14 to 19.1 t DM/ha/year with different seasonal timing where Olsen P = 66.

A comparison of levels of production and profit from grazing Merino ewes and wethers at various stocking rates in northern Victoria

1980 ◽  
Vol 20 (104) ◽  
pp. 296 ◽  
Author(s):  
DH White ◽  
BJ McConchie ◽  
BC Curnow ◽  
AH Ternouth
Keyword(s):  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Fleece Weight ◽  
Sheep Production ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
One Year ◽  
Stocking Rates

Merino wethers and breeding ewes were grazed at various stocking rates on an annual pasture in the sheep-wheat zone of Northern Victoria from 1966 to 1973. There was considerable variation between years in botanical composition, the incidence of subterranean clover in the pasture plots varying by up to 80 percentage units between years. Total pasture production was measured in one plot during the last 4 years of the experiment, varying from 2.1 t ha-1 in the drought year (325 mm rain) of 1972, to 8.8 t ha-1 in the higher rainfall (883 mm) year of 1973. The large year-to-year variations in pasture production and botanical composition were reflected in differences between years in sheep production at various stocking rates. Wethers produced about 20% more wool than breeding ewes grazing at the same stocking rate, providing no supplements were fed. August-lambing ewes either lost weight in early spring or gained weight more slowly than wethers of the same age and flock background. The consequence of this was that maximum weights of ewes were consistently about 10 kg less than wethers at the same stocking rate. Both ewes and wethers had similar rates of weight loss from November to March. In one year ewes at 3.7 ha-1 were fed supplements in autumn, since they were lighter than the feeding weight of 41 kg, whereas wethers stocked at 11.1 ha-1, were not. An economic analysis of the experimental data indicated that the most profitable stocking rates of Merino wethers were up to 1.7 times that of August-lambing ewes. This ratio varies with season, and is also likely to vary with changes in lambing date or environment. The most sensitive determinants of optimal stocking rate were the rate of decline of fleece weight, and lambs born relative to ewes joined, with increasing stocking rate. Sheep liveweight at time of sale could also be important.

Effect of concentrate level and stocking rate on performance of dairy cows calving in late winter

1976 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. J. Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Post Partum ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
Winter Period ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Grazing Season ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Stocking Rates

SUMMARYA 2 × 2 factorial design experiment was conducted for 2 years using 72 British Friesian cows to assess the effects of two levels of concentrate input (822 and 610 ± 13·7 kg/cow) and two stocking rates (6·4 and 4·9 cows/ha) on animal performance. The animals, which had a mean calving date of 22 January, were blocked according to calving date and allocated at random to treatments within each block.All concentrates were given during the post-partum, indoor-feeding period in addition toad libitumgrass silage. All animals received equal concentrate inputs/kg milk produced for the first 4 weeks after calving following which the input to the low concentrate animals was reduced. The animals went to pasture during mid-April and were rotationally grazed for a 24-week period. The pasture received 450 kg N/ha. No interaction between concentrate input and stocking rate was found. The mean milk outputs during the winter period were 2064 and 1971 ±23·9 kg, during the grazing period 2679 and 2739 ± 53·2 kg, and during the total lactation 4991 and 4984 ± 78·8 kg for the high and low concentrate groups respectively. The mean live weights for the two groups were 515 and 496 + 3·1 kg at the end of the winter period and 549 and 537 ± 4·1 kg at the end of the grazing season. The mean values for the high and low stocking rates respectively were: output/cow at pasture, 2571 and 2847 ± 53·2 kg; total lactation yield, 4804 and 5170 + 78·8 kg; live weight at end of grazing season, 529 and 558 + 4·1 kg. Milk composition data are also presented.

Management of grazing systems

1989 ◽  
pp. 117-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Hodgson
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Control ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Pastoral Systems ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Alternative Means ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Stocking Rates

Recent assessments of the relative importance of stocking rate. stocking policy and grazing management on the output from pastoral systems are used as a starting point to argue the need for objective pasture assessments to aid control of livestock enterprises to meet production targets. Variations in stocking rates, stocking policy and other management practices all provide alternative means of control of pasture conditions which are the major determinants of pasture and animal performance. Understanding of the influence of pasture conditions on systems performance should provide a better basis for management control and for Communication between farmers, extension officers and researchers. Keywords: Stocking rate, pasture condition, pasture cover

scholarly journals 87 Evaluation of two stocking rates for grazing heifers on mixed sward native warm-season grass pastures in the Black Belt Prairie region

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 27-27
Author(s):  
Jane A Parish ◽  
Kalisha C Yankey ◽  
Libby S Durst
Keyword(s):  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Bos Taurus ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Sorghastrum Nutans ◽  
Study Objective ◽  
Little Bluestem ◽  
Year Effect ◽  
Plant Persistence ◽  
Stocking Rates

Abstract Optimal use of native warm-season grasses in pasture systems involves stocking grazing livestock at suitable rates. The study objective was to evaluate forage nutritive value and heifer ADG at two stocking rates on mixed-sward pastures of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi Vitman), little bluestem (Andropogon scoparius), and indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans L.). Pastures (3 replications) were stocked for 56 d during June and July in 2 yr with crossbred (Bos taurus) heifers (n = 24 heifers/year) stratified by initial BW (288.3 ± 1.7 kg) to one of two continuous stocking rates: 1.9 heifers/ha (HIGH) and 1.2 heifers/ha (LOW). Mean forage nutritive values on a DM basis were not different between HIGH and LOW stocking rates, respectively, for CP (7.0 ± 0.2% vs 6.7 ± 0.2%; P = 0.27), ADF (41.0 ± 0.6 vs. 41.4 ± 0.6; P = 0.64), NDF (69.9 ± 0.5 vs. 68.7 ± 0.5; P = 0.09), or relative feed value (RFV) (76.0 ± 1.0 vs. 76.9 ± 1.0; P = 0.53). There was a year effect (P &lt; 0.01) and stocking rate x day effect (P &lt; 0.01) for TDN. At LOW, TDN decreased from day 0 to day 28 (P = 0.02) and day 28 to day 56 (P = 0.02). At HIGH, TDN decreased (P &lt; 0.01) from day 0 to day 28 but remained steady until day 56 (P = 0.21). There was a stocking rate x day interaction (P &lt; 0.01) with ADG: LOW day 28 to 56 (1.20 ± 0.08 kg/day), HIGH day 0 to 28 (0.89 ± 0.08 kg/day), HIGH day 28 to 56 (0.44 ± 0.08 kg/day), and LOW day 0 to 28 (0.30 ± 0.08 kg/day). Further assessment of cattle ADG using more divergent stocking rates and plant persistence measures is warranted to inform ideal native grass stocking rate recommendations.

The intake and production of lactating Merino ewes and their lambs grazed at different stocking rates

1977 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 133 ◽  
Author(s):  
JP Langlands
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Milk Consumption ◽  
Total Organic Matter ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
Maintenance Requirement ◽  
Stocking Rates

Grass and milk consumption and liveweight changes of lambs grazed at stocking rates ranging from 9 to 35 sheep/ha were measured during a 105 day lactation. Grass consumption and wool production of their mothers and of similar ewes without lambs were also determined. The forage and total organic matter intakes of the lamb increased with time while milk consumption declined; all three variables were negatively correlated with stocking rate. The intake of the ewe and its liveweight gain were not sensitive to increasing stocking rate, but wool production declined at higher stocking rates. The maintenance requirement of the ewes was estimated to be 218 kJ metabolizable energy/kg liveweight, and the efficiency with which metabolizable energy was utilized for milk production was 66%. Lactation increased the intake of the ewe but reduced its wool production.

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