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THE USE OF CATTLE AND SHEEP FOR EVALUATING GRASS AND LEGUME SWARDS, A COMPARISON OF METHODS
Author(s) -
Calder F. W.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
grass and forage science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1365-2494
pISSN - 0142-5242
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2494.1970.tb01100.x
Subject(s) - grazing , bromus inermis , forage , agronomy , biology , trifolium repens , medicago sativa , cattle grazing , red clover , phleum , legume , bromus , fodder , poaceae
A comparison was made of the effects of grazing with cattie and sheep separateiy hy two methods, continuous and rotationai on two forage mixtures. The two mixtures were timothy ( Phleum pratense L.) with iadino white ciover ( Trifolium repens L.); and brome grass ( Bromus inermis Leyss) witii aifalfa ( Medicago sativa L.). The rotationai system of grazing created different effects on sward composition from those caused hy the continuous grazing system. The legumes survived hetter under rotational than continuous grazing. Sheep, under both grazing systems, grazed more severeiy than cattie; they defoliated the ieaf portion of the plants and ieft more stem standing than did the cattle. Protein of the sward increased with the leaf portion, but in vitro digestibility was not altered as leaf to stem ratios changed. Although the gross effects of sheep and cattle were similar, there were differences in detail in the effect on these swards.