Theme 22: Grazing Management
Residual Forage and Animal Performance from a Kikuyo Pasture under Mixed Grazing and Supplementation
Description
Five grazing strategies were compared: grazing by ewes only and mixed grazing (ewes + heifers), in mixed grazing heifers received no supplement or one of three supplements. Ruminal undegradable protein (RUP) varied among supplement: 4.25, 9.11 and 9.13%, the supplement with the highest RUP included protected methionine. All supplements were 21% crude protein and 3.0 Mcal/kg of metabolizable energy. Grazing was on kikuyu, ratio was 30 kg of ewe per 100 kg of heifer in the mixed grazing treatments. Experimental grazing lasted 84 days. Variables measured were residual forage, proline content in residual forage and liveweight gains per animal and per hectare. Experimental design was a completely random with two replicates. Residual forage was the highest (P< 0.05) in mixed grazing and RUP in supplement was above 4.25%. The highest (P< 0.05) proline content was found in grazing by ewes only, 52% above the proline content found in mixed grazing without supplement, when heifers received supplement proline content decreased (P< 0.05) further. Grazing by ewes only and mixed grazing with heifers
receiving the highest RUP in supplement showed the highest (P< 0.05) daily liveweight gain per ewe of 134 g. Mixed grazing in which heifers received no supplement gave a 100% increase (P< 0.05) in liveweight gain per hectare compared to grazing by ewes only. In mixed grazing offering a supplement with 9.13% RUP and protected methionine gave both the highest liveweight gains per animal and per hectare. It was concluded that mixed grazing allowed a lower stress level on kikuyu due to defoliation and a higher liveweight gain per hectare than grazing by ewes only.
Included in
Residual Forage and Animal Performance from a Kikuyo Pasture under Mixed Grazing and Supplementation
Five grazing strategies were compared: grazing by ewes only and mixed grazing (ewes + heifers), in mixed grazing heifers received no supplement or one of three supplements. Ruminal undegradable protein (RUP) varied among supplement: 4.25, 9.11 and 9.13%, the supplement with the highest RUP included protected methionine. All supplements were 21% crude protein and 3.0 Mcal/kg of metabolizable energy. Grazing was on kikuyu, ratio was 30 kg of ewe per 100 kg of heifer in the mixed grazing treatments. Experimental grazing lasted 84 days. Variables measured were residual forage, proline content in residual forage and liveweight gains per animal and per hectare. Experimental design was a completely random with two replicates. Residual forage was the highest (P< 0.05) in mixed grazing and RUP in supplement was above 4.25%. The highest (P< 0.05) proline content was found in grazing by ewes only, 52% above the proline content found in mixed grazing without supplement, when heifers received supplement proline content decreased (P< 0.05) further. Grazing by ewes only and mixed grazing with heifers
receiving the highest RUP in supplement showed the highest (P< 0.05) daily liveweight gain per ewe of 134 g. Mixed grazing in which heifers received no supplement gave a 100% increase (P< 0.05) in liveweight gain per hectare compared to grazing by ewes only. In mixed grazing offering a supplement with 9.13% RUP and protected methionine gave both the highest liveweight gains per animal and per hectare. It was concluded that mixed grazing allowed a lower stress level on kikuyu due to defoliation and a higher liveweight gain per hectare than grazing by ewes only.
