Theme 22: Grazing Management
Description
This work deals with the comparison of the productivity of intensive grazing systems (IGS) in the French West Indies, used for meat production with cattle, goat and sheep. IGS are based upon the use of irrigated, fertilized, and high stocked (1.8 to 1.4 t live weight/ha/year) and rotational grazing Digitaria decumbens pastures. They lie upon good performance levels of local breeds, Creole cattle and Creole goats of Guadeloupe and Martinik ewes, and upon improved general husbandry. Both sheep and goat in IGS exhibit high levels of productivity. They reached up to 1000 kg LW of weaned offsprings and 1400 kg LW of fattened offsprings per ha and per year. Results for cattle were 522 and 1061 kg LW, respectively. The relative interests of species are presented with the aim of increasing meat production in the tropical zone and in limited land resource conditions.
Citation
Alexandre, G.; Mahieu, M.; Aumont, G.; and Naves, M., "Productivity of Intensive Grazing Systems Based upon Irrigated Pangola Pastures in the French West Indies" (2021). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 1.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/19/22/1
Included in
Productivity of Intensive Grazing Systems Based upon Irrigated Pangola Pastures in the French West Indies
This work deals with the comparison of the productivity of intensive grazing systems (IGS) in the French West Indies, used for meat production with cattle, goat and sheep. IGS are based upon the use of irrigated, fertilized, and high stocked (1.8 to 1.4 t live weight/ha/year) and rotational grazing Digitaria decumbens pastures. They lie upon good performance levels of local breeds, Creole cattle and Creole goats of Guadeloupe and Martinik ewes, and upon improved general husbandry. Both sheep and goat in IGS exhibit high levels of productivity. They reached up to 1000 kg LW of weaned offsprings and 1400 kg LW of fattened offsprings per ha and per year. Results for cattle were 522 and 1061 kg LW, respectively. The relative interests of species are presented with the aim of increasing meat production in the tropical zone and in limited land resource conditions.
