The effects of allowance and frequency of allocation of autumn-saved pasture, when offered to spring lambing ewes in mid pregnancy, on ewe and lamb performance and subsequent herbage yield
التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
العنوان:
The effects of allowance and frequency of allocation of autumn-saved pasture, when offered to spring lambing ewes in mid pregnancy, on ewe and lamb performance and subsequent herbage yield
The effects of (i) frequency of herbage allocation and (ii) herbage allowance on ewe and subsequent lamb performance, when autumn-saved (extended grazed, deferred grazed) pasture is grazed (between 28 Nov and 30 Jan) by spring lambing ewes during mid gestation, were studied in Experiment 1. This involved 72 crossbred ewes from days 41 to 104 of gestation allocated to one of four treatments; two herbage dry matter (DM) allowances (1.0 and 1.8 kg per ewe) by two frequencies of herbage allocation (daily or twice weekly). From day 105 of gestation to parturition all ewes were housed and offered grass silage ( ad libitum ) plus a total of 19 kg concentrate. Increasing herbage allowance improved ewe body condition score (P 0.05) forage intake or utilization, or ewe or subsequent lamb performance. In Experiment 2, the effects of herbage allowance (1.0 or 1.8 kg DM per ewe), frequency of allocation (daily, twice weekly) and grazing date (28 Nov. to 4 Dec., 12 to 18 Dec., 2 to 8 Jan. and 23 to 29 Jan.) during deferred grazing on herbage yield and composition at four subsequent harvest dates (4, 18 and 25 Apr., and 25 May) were evaluated in a split-plot design consisting of 128 plots. Delaying grazing date reduced herbage yield (P 0.05) subsequent herbage yield. There was a significant interaction (P
