The Development of a Grazing Rating Index to Identify the Biomass Removed and the Plant Species and Parts Eaten by Grazing Sheep

The Development of a Grazing Rating Index to Identify the Biomass Removed and the Plant Species and Parts Eaten by Grazing Sheep

Determining the diet selection of grazing animals is inherently difficult and a trade-off exists between obtaining accurate information and interfering with the normal grazing behaviour of an animal. The botanical composition of a grazing animal’s diet may be estimated using one or a number of techniques in combination. A six-point grazing rating index was developed to identify the plant species consumed by sheep grazing within a heterogeneous native grassland and the extent to which each species within a quadrat was grazed. The method was developed to remove error from visual estimates that prevents detection of significant reductions in biomass for minor species from grazing between two samplings and to determine animal preference.