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Liveweight gain of weaned lambs grazing swards increasing, decreasing or at constant surface heights.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2017

J.M. Doney ,
J. A. Milne ,
I.R. White  and
Mary Lloyd
J.M. Doney
Affiliation:
Patricia Colgrove, Hill Farming Research Organisation, Bush Estate, Penicuik , Midlothian, EH26 OPY
J. A. Milne
Affiliation:
Patricia Colgrove, Hill Farming Research Organisation, Bush Estate, Penicuik , Midlothian, EH26 OPY
I.R. White
Affiliation:
Patricia Colgrove, Hill Farming Research Organisation, Bush Estate, Penicuik , Midlothian, EH26 OPY
Mary Lloyd
Affiliation:
East of Scotland College of Agriculture, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian
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Extract

During the early grazing season, when a high proportion of the lambs nutrient requirements are supplied by milk, high rates of growth can be achieved by sward management which maintains a constant surface height (3-5.5 cm) (Maxwell, Lloyd and Dickson, 1985). In late lactation, increasing herbage Intake rarely compensates for reduced milk supply and lamb growth rates are commonly lower than could be achieved with concentrate diets (Doney et al, 1984; Lloyd et al 1987). Lamb growth in this period may be related to increase or decrease of sward height (Alcock, Clark and Harvey, 1986; Maxwell, Lloyd and Dickson, 1985) or to changes in herbage growth rate (Doney, Smith, Sim and White, 1986). The present study investigated the effect on daily live-weight gain (DLWG) in weaned lambs of herbage growth rate (HGR) and pattern of sward height (SH) change when varied independently.

Type
Sheep Production
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) , Volume 1987 , March 1987 , pp. 39
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1987

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References

Alcock, M.B., Clark, H., and Harvey, A. 1986. The implications of sward height for envial and herbage production from perennial ryegrass swards. In Grazing, (ed. Frame, J.) Occasional Symposium 19, British Grassland Society, Hurley, Berks. P 105–113.Google Scholar
Doney, J. M., Smith, A.D.M., Sim, D. A. and Zygoyannls, D. 1984. Milk and herbage Intake of suckled and artifically recued lambs at pasture as Influenced by lactation pattern. Anim. Prod. 38: 191–199.Google Scholar
Doney, J. M., Smith, A.D.M., and Sim, D. A. and White, I.R. 1986. Breed of ewe effects on the utilisation of pasture maintained at two sward heights Anim. Prod. 42: 455 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Lloyd, M.D., Swift, G. Hunter, A., Swanston, S. and Doney, J. 1987. Lamb growth performance and rate of finishing in relation to sward height and herbage mass on set-stocked swards. Anim.Prod.(Winter Meeting, 1987, paper 38). CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maxwell, T. J. Lloyd, Mary D. and Dickson, I.A. 1985. Upland sheep production systems. In Hill and Upland Livestock Production, (ed. Maxwell, T.J. and Gunn, R. G.). Occ. Publ. 10, BSAP, Edinburgh.Google Scholar