Liveweight gain of young sheep grazing tall fescue or perennial ryegrass
swards of different white clover content
M.G. Hyslop, T.J. Fraser, D.R. Smith, T.L. Knight, M.W.A. Slay and
C.A. Moffat
AgResearch, Poukawa Research Station, P.O. Box 8144, Havelock
North, New Zealand
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production.
2000 60: 51-54
It is not clear whether the inherent qualities of tall fescue or
the legumes grown with it are responsible for the wide range of
liveweight gains in young sheep grazing these swards. The objective of
this experiment was to determine the value of the white clover content
in tall fescue swards relative to perennial ryegrass/white clover swards
in respect to liveweight gain in young sheep. Nine trials (ranging from
41 to 190 days) were conducted at AgResearch Poukawa and AgResearch
Lincoln from spring 1995 to autumn 1997 using 15 animals as replicates
in 19 treatments. Overall, liveweight gains ranged from –87 to 366
g/head/day. Even small increases in clover content had large positive
effects on liveweight gain of young sheep grazing both perennial
ryegrass and tall fescue. At the same pasture mass and composition, all
spring grazing liveweight gains were significantly greater than those in
autumn (P<0.001). Tall fescue swards appear to sometimes produce higher
liveweight gains than perennial ryegrass-based swards, but this is by
virtue of growing more white clover, particularly in spring.
Keywords: NZSAPAB;
liveweight gain; perennial ryegrass; tall fescue; white clover
content; young sheep.
Last Updated 12-07-2000
