Liveweight gain per head and per ha throughout the year of lambs grazing conventional pastures and those that switch from grass to clover
Liveweight gain per head and per ha throughout the year of lambs grazing conventional pastures and those that switch from grass to clover
Nicol, Alastair M. ; Bryant, Racheal H. ; Ridgway, Martin J. ; Edwards, Grant
Nicol, Alastair M.
Bryant, Racheal H.
Ridgway, Martin J.
Edwards, Grant
Date
2010
Type
Conference Contribution - published
Collections
Fields of Research
Abstract
Intensive lamb finishing requires a consistent supply
of high quality forage throughout the year to regularly
finish lambs. Per head and per ha liveweight gain of
weaned lambs was compared in 13 batches of lambs
on replicated irrigated farmlets for 2.5 years from
conventional mixed tetraploid perennial ryegrasswhite
clover pastures (Conv) and pastures that were
pure white clover for spring and summer and switched
to overdrilled Italian ryegrass for the winter (Switch).
Seasonal differences in stocking rate (lambs/ha),
liveweight gain per head and per ha were significant
(P<0.05). Average daily liveweight gain/ha was
significantly higher (6.01 versus 5.66 kg/ha/day for
Switch and Conv, respectively, but the total grazing
days were slightly lower on the Switch farmlets
resulting in similar annualised liveweight gain per ha
(1 800 kg) and net carcass weight (800 kg/ha) on both
pasture treatments. The farmlets apparently utilised
10 000 kg DM/ha/yr of the 16 000 kg DM accumulated.
Permalink
Source DOI
Rights
Copyright © The Authors and New Zealand Grassland Association.