Publication Date
1993
Description
Response patterns in bite weight and bite dimensions of sheep and goats were evaluated using 3 grasses and 3 clovers sampled at 2 stages of maturity offered as prepared turves to animals confined in metabolism crates. Average bite weight across 12 sward types (6 forages x 2- stages) was similar for sheep and goats, but goats had greater bile weight per unit LW0•75 tlian sheep, Despite being shorter, the much denser clover swards resulted in larger bite weight than did grass swards. The taller reproductive swards enabled animals to harvest greater bite weights than did vegetative swards. Sheep obtained heavier bites than goats on clover and vegetative grass pastures, but goats had substantially heavier bites on reproductive grass pastures. Sheep penetrated the sward canopies re deeply than goats, whereas goats were shallow grazers and grazed from the top downwards. The two animal species displayed a contrast in the manner of handling the reproductive grasses; goats showed a greater ability to deal with these tall swards, whereas sheep pushed into the wards; to grate leafy components and left seedhead and stalk components ungrazed within the defined bite area. There was substantially greater variation in bite depth than in bite area across forage categories and stages of maturity, and bite depth had a dominant effect on bite volume and hence bite weight. Variation in sward height had a substantially greater impact upon bite dimensions through its influence on bite depth and therefore bite weight than did variation in bulk density for both animal species.
Citation
Gong, Y; Hodgson, J; Lambert, M G.; Chu, A.C P.; and Gordon, I L., "Comparison of Bite Weight and Bite Dimensions of Sheep and Goats Grazing a Range of Grasses and Clovers" (2024). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 7.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1993/session18/7
Included in
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Comparison of Bite Weight and Bite Dimensions of Sheep and Goats Grazing a Range of Grasses and Clovers
Response patterns in bite weight and bite dimensions of sheep and goats were evaluated using 3 grasses and 3 clovers sampled at 2 stages of maturity offered as prepared turves to animals confined in metabolism crates. Average bite weight across 12 sward types (6 forages x 2- stages) was similar for sheep and goats, but goats had greater bile weight per unit LW0•75 tlian sheep, Despite being shorter, the much denser clover swards resulted in larger bite weight than did grass swards. The taller reproductive swards enabled animals to harvest greater bite weights than did vegetative swards. Sheep obtained heavier bites than goats on clover and vegetative grass pastures, but goats had substantially heavier bites on reproductive grass pastures. Sheep penetrated the sward canopies re deeply than goats, whereas goats were shallow grazers and grazed from the top downwards. The two animal species displayed a contrast in the manner of handling the reproductive grasses; goats showed a greater ability to deal with these tall swards, whereas sheep pushed into the wards; to grate leafy components and left seedhead and stalk components ungrazed within the defined bite area. There was substantially greater variation in bite depth than in bite area across forage categories and stages of maturity, and bite depth had a dominant effect on bite volume and hence bite weight. Variation in sward height had a substantially greater impact upon bite dimensions through its influence on bite depth and therefore bite weight than did variation in bulk density for both animal species.
