Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T10:25:59.109Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Grazing multispecies swards improves ewe and lamb performance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 December 2018

C. Grace Open the ORCID record for C. Grace [Opens in a new window] ,
M. B. Lynch ,
H. Sheridan ,
S. Lott ,
R. Fritch  and
T. M. Boland
C. Grace
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin-4 D04 V1W8, Ireland University College Dublin Lyons Farm, Lyons Estate, Celbridge, Naas, Co. Kildare W23 ENY2, Ireland
M. B. Lynch*
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin-4 D04 V1W8, Ireland University College Dublin Lyons Farm, Lyons Estate, Celbridge, Naas, Co. Kildare W23 ENY2, Ireland
H. Sheridan
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin-4 D04 V1W8, Ireland University College Dublin Lyons Farm, Lyons Estate, Celbridge, Naas, Co. Kildare W23 ENY2, Ireland
S. Lott
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin-4 D04 V1W8, Ireland University College Dublin Lyons Farm, Lyons Estate, Celbridge, Naas, Co. Kildare W23 ENY2, Ireland
R. Fritch
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin-4 D04 V1W8, Ireland University College Dublin Lyons Farm, Lyons Estate, Celbridge, Naas, Co. Kildare W23 ENY2, Ireland
T. M. Boland
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin-4 D04 V1W8, Ireland University College Dublin Lyons Farm, Lyons Estate, Celbridge, Naas, Co. Kildare W23 ENY2, Ireland
*
†E-mail: bridget.lynch@ucd.ie
Get access

Abstract

A two-year (2015 and 2016) grazing study was established to compare ewe and lamb performance when grazed on a perennial ryegrass only sward compared to more diverse sward types. In that study four sward types were investigated: a perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) only sward receiving 163 kg nitrogen per hectare per year (N/ha/yr) (PRG); a perennial ryegrass and white clover (Trifolium repens) sward receiving 90 kg N/ha/yr (PRGWC); a six species sward (two grasses (perennial ryegrass and timothy (Phleum pratense)), two legumes (white and red clover (Trifolium pratense)) and two herbs (ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata) and chicory (Cichorium intybus)) receiving 90 kg N/ha/yr (6S); and a nine species sward containing cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata), greater birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus) and yarrow (Achillea millefolium) in addition to the six species listed above, receiving 90 kg N/ha/yr (9S). Each sward type was managed as a separate farmlet and stocked with 30 twin-rearing ewes at a stocking rate of 12.5 ewes/ha under rotational grazing management from turnout post-lambing until housing. Lamb live weight was recorded fortnightly and lambs were drafted for slaughter at 45 kg. Ewe live weight and body condition score (BCS) were recorded on five occasions annually. Lamb faecal egg count (FEC) was recorded fortnightly and lambs were treated with anthelmintics when mean lamb FEC per sward type was above 400 eggs per gram. Ewes grazing the 6S and 9S swards had heavier (P < 0.01) live weights and BCS throughout the study than the ewes grazing the PRG sward. Lambs grazing the 6S sward were heavier than lambs grazing all other sward types of 14 weeks old (P < 0.05). Lambs grazing the PRG sward required more days to reach slaughter weight than lambs grazing all other sward types (P < 0.001). Lambs grazing the 6S and 9S swards required fewer anthelmintic treatments than lambs grazing the PRG or PRGWC swards. In conclusion, grazing multispecies swards improved ewe and lamb performance and reduced the requirement for chemical anthelmintics.

Keywords

grass legume and herb swardssheepfaecal egg countsperennial ryegrassaverage daily gain
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 13 , Issue 8 , August 2019 , pp. 1721 - 1729
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Barry, T 1998. The feeding value of chicory (Cichorium intybus) for ruminant livestock. The Journal of Agricultural Science 131, 251–257.Google Scholar
Bohan, A, Shalloo, L, Creighton, P, Earle, E, Boland, T and McHugh, N 2018. Investigating the role of stocking rate and prolificacy potential on profitability of grass based sheep production systems. Livestock Science 210, 118–124.Google Scholar
Campion, FP, McGovern, FM, Lott, S, Fahey, AG, Creighton, P and Boland, TM 2016. Comparison of energy rationing systems for late gestation ewes: impacts on ewe and lamb performance. Journal of Animal Science 94, 3441–3456.Google Scholar
Coop, I, Clark, V and Claro, D 1972. Nutrition of the ewe in early lactation: lamb growth rate. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 15, 203–208.Google Scholar
Corner-Thomas, R, Kemp, P, Morris, S and Kenyon, P 2014. Grazing alternative forages in lactation increases the live weight of both ewe lambs and their progeny at weaning. Animal Production Science 54, 1741–1746.Google Scholar
Danso, A, Morel, P, Kenyon, P and Blair, H 2016. Relationships between prenatal ewe traits, milk production and preweaning performance of twin lambs. Journal of Animal Science 94, 3527–3539.Google Scholar
Davies, A and Penning, P 1996. Prospects for improving the efficiency of sheep production from grass. Irish Grassland Association Proceedings 50th Anniversary Programme Sheep Conference 1996 11–25.Google Scholar
Earle, E, McHugh, N, Boland, TM and Creighton, P 2017. Effect of ewe prolificacy potential and stocking rate on ewe and lamb performance in a grass-based lamb production system. Journal of Animal Science 95, 154–164.Google Scholar
Fulkerson, W, Neal, J, Clark, C, Horadagoda, A, Nandra, K and Barchia, I 2007. Nutritive value of forage species grown in the warm temperate climate of Australia for dairy cows: grasses and legumes. Livestock Science 107, 253–264.Google Scholar
Galvani, DB, Pires, CC, Hübner, CH, Carvalho, S and Wommer, TP 2014. Growth performance and carcass traits of early-weaned lambs as affected by the nutritional regimen of lactating ewes. Small Ruminant Research 120, 1–5.Google Scholar
Golding, K, Wilson, E, Kemp, P, Pain, S, Kenyon, P, Morris, S and Hutton, P 2011. Mixed herb and legume pasture improves the growth of lambs post-weaning. Animal Production Science 51, 717–723.Google Scholar
Grace, C, Boland, TM, Fritch, R, Sheridan, H and Lynch, MB 2016. The effect of grazing multispecies swards on lamb performance and herbage production. Paper presented at the multiple roles of grassland in the European bioeconomy. Proceedings of the 26th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation, Trondheim, Norway, 4-8 September 2016.Google Scholar
Grace, C, Boland, TM, Sheridan, H, Lott, S, Brennan, E, Fritch, R and Lynch, MB 2018. The effect of intensive sheep grazing on the herbage production and utilisation, chemical and botanical composition of a perennial ryegrass monoculture and multispecies swards. Grass and Forage Science 73, 1–13.Google Scholar
Hanrahan, J 1999. Genetic and non-genetic factors affecting lamb growth and carcass quality. Retrieved on 10 October 2017, from https://t-stor.teagasc.ie/handle/11019/1451.Google Scholar
Hutton, P, Kenyon, P, Bedi, M, Kemp, P, Stafford, K, West, D and Morris, S 2011. A herb and legume sward mix increased ewe milk production and ewe and lamb live weight gain to weaning compared to a ryegrass dominant sward. Animal Feed Science and Technology 164, 1–7.Google Scholar
Jing, J, Soegaard, K, Cong, WF and Eriksen, J 2017. Species diversity effects on productivity, persistence and quality of multispecies swards in a four-year experiment. PLoS One 12, 169–208.Google Scholar
Judson, HG, McAnulty, RW and Sedcole, R 2009. Evaluation of ‘Ceres Tonic’ plantain (Plantago lanceolata) as a lactation feed for twin-bearing ewes. Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association 71, 201–205.Google Scholar
Kelly, P, Good, B, Hanrahan, JP, Fitzpatrick, R and DeWaal, T 2009. Screening for the presence of nematophagous fungi collected from Irish sheep pastures. Veterinary Parasitology 165, 345–349.Google Scholar
Kemp, PD, Kenyon, PR and Morris, ST 2010. The use of legume and herb forage species to create high performance pastures for sheep and cattle grazing systems. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia 39, 169–174.Google Scholar
Kenyon, P, Kemp, P, Stafford, K, West, D and Morris, S 2010. Can a herb and white clover mix improve the performance of multiple-bearing ewes and their lambs to weaning? Animal Production Science 50, 513–521.Google Scholar
Marley, C, Cook, R, Kearinge, R, Barrett, J and Lampkin, N 2003. The effect of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and chicory (Cichorium intybus) on parasite intensities and performance of lambs naturally infected with helminth parasites. Veterinary Parasitology 112, 147–155.Google Scholar
McRae, KM, Stear, MJ, Good, B and Keane, OM 2015. The host immune response to gastrointestinal nematode infection in sheep. Parasite Immunology 37, 605–613.Google Scholar
O’Donovan, M 2000. The relationship between the performance of dairy cows and grassland management on intensive dairy farms in Ireland. PhD thesis, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.Google Scholar
O’Donovan, M, Lewis, E and O’Kiely, P 2011. Requirements of future grass-based ruminant production systems in Ireland. Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research 50, 1–21.Google Scholar
Pain, SJ, Corkran, JR, Kenyon, PR, Morris, ST and Kemp, PD 2015. The influence of season on lambs’ feeding preference for plantain, chicory and red clover. Animal Production Science 55, 1241–1249.Google Scholar
Pena-Espinoza, M, Thamsborg, SM, Desrues, O, Hansen, TV and Enemark, HL 2016. Anthelmintic effects of forage chicory (Cichorium intybus) against gastrointestinal nematode parasites in experimentally infected cattle. Parasitology 143, 1279–1293.Google Scholar
Pirhofer-Walz, K, Soegaard, K, Hogh‐Jensen, H, Eriksen, J, Sanderson, M and Rasmussen, J 2011. Forage herbs improve mineral composition of grassland herbage. Grass and Forage Science 66, 415–423.Google Scholar
Roca-Fernandez, A, Peyraud, JL, Delaby, L and Delagarde, R 2016. Pasture intake and milk production of dairy cows rotationally grazing on multi-species swards. Animal 10, 1448–1456.Google Scholar
Russel, A, Doney, J and Gunn, R 1969. Subjective assessment of body fat in live sheep. The Journal of Agricultural Science 72, 451–454.Google Scholar
Somasiri, S 2014. Effect of herb-clover mixes on weaned lamb growth. PhD Thesis, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Tilley, JMA and Terry, RA 1963. A two-stage technique for the in vitro digestion of forage crops. Grass and Forage Science 18, 104–111.Google Scholar
Van der Linden, D, Kenyon, P, Blair, H, Lopez-Villalobos, N, Jenkinson, C, Peterson, S and MacKensie, D 2009. Effects of ewe size and nutrition on fetal mammary gland development and lactational performance of offspring at their first lactation. Journal of Animal Science 87, 3944–3954.Google Scholar
Waghorn, G, Charleston, W, Niezen, J and Robertson, H 1995. Effects of condensed tannins on parasitism in lambs. In: Novel approaches to the control of helminth parasites of livestock, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia, 56pp.Google Scholar
Waghorn, G and Clark, DA 2004. Feeding value of pastures for ruminants. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 52, 320–331.Google Scholar
Waghorn, G, Tavendale, M and Woodfield, D 2002. Methanogenesis from forages fed to sheep. Proceedings New Zealand Grasslands Association 64, 161–171.Google Scholar