Influence of different proportions of Lotus corniculatus in the diet of
lambs on dags, flystrike and animal performance
D.M. Leathwick and D.S. Atkinson
AgResearch, Grasslands Research Centre, Private Bag 11008,
Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, 1996,
56: 99-102
The relationship was investigated between the number of days each
fortnight spent grazing Lotus corniculatus (lotus) or ryegrass/white clover
and dags, flystrike and growth rates in lambs. Lambs which grazed lotus for
7 or more days each fortnight had significantly fewer dags (86-113g) and
significantly higher live-weight gains (160-104 g/day) than lambs grazed on
ryegrass/white clover (154g, P<0.01 and 73g/day, P<0.05 for dags and live-
weight gain respectively). Lambs which grazed lotus continuously had
significantly higher live-weight gains than lambs which grazed lotus for 7 or
less days each fortnight. Flystrike was positively correlated with dags
although this was less obvious over time-period 1 when the incidence of
flystrike was low. The incidence of flystrike differed significantly between
treatment groups ((2 P<0.001), ranging from 36% of lambs struck in the all
ryegrass/white clover groups to 7% in the all lotus groups. Wool growth,
faecal dry matter content and faecal nematode egg count (FEC) did not
differ between treatments. These results confirm the potential of lotus as a
tool in the management of dags and flystrike but indicate that lambs will
need to be grazed on lotus for 7 or more days each fortnight in order to
realise significant benefits.
Keywords: NZSAPAB;
flystrike; dags; lambs; nematodes; Lotus corniculatus.
Download abstract in text format
Last Updated 18-03-1997
