Premium
The effect of short‐term grazing of red clover on ewes at mating
Author(s) -
DICKSON I. A.,
FRAME J.,
MACLEOD N. S. M.,
KELLY MORAG
Publication year - 1977
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.1365-2494.1977.tb01425.x
Subject(s) - biology , red clover , mating , agronomy , grazing , perennial plant , zoology , ovulation , pregnancy , genetics
Four groups of ewes grazed swards of red clover ( Trifolium pratense cv. Hungaropoly) for 28‐day periods ending 28, 14 or 0 (two groups) days before mating. One of the groups on red clover for the period immediately before mating continued on red clover during mating. At all other times before mating and for 7–8 weeks after mating commenced these ewes were grazed on a predominantly perennial ryegrass‐white clover sward. A fifth (control) group was on the ryegrass sward throughout. There was no apparent adverse effect of red clover on ovulation rate, conception rate or embryo mortality.