New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Effect of cattle grazing strategies and pasture species on internal parasites
of sheep
R. A. MOSS
R. N. BURTON
AgResearch
Winchmore Research Station
Private Bag 803
Ashburton, New Zealand
G. H. SCALES
Te Awa
Private Bag
Rangiora, New Zealand
D. J. SAVILLE
AgResearch
Canterbury Agricultural and Science Centre
P. O. Box 60
Lincoln, New Zealand
Abstract The results of a three-year study in New Zealand
undertaken to compare the effect of alternating sheep and cattle grazing and of
different pasture species on internal parasitism in lambs is reported. Despite
the commonly held belief that the use of cattle in sheep production systems
improves sheep health by reducing nematode burdens, this did not occur. Cattle
substantially reduced pasture larval numbers. However, this failed to reduce
parasite burdens in lambs as those managed in the absence of cattle apparently
developed increased immunity to parasites in response to the greater larval
availability. Varying the number of successive grazings by sheep or cattle from
1 to 4 did not change this result. Lamb carcass weights were improved by the
presence of cattle, primarily because of improvements in pasture quality.
Substituting 30% of the ryegrass area with lucerne or replacing ryegrass with a
multi-species mix consisting predominantly of bromes, tall fescue, phalaris,
timothy, and red and white clover, had no effect on lamb faecal egg counts or
worm burdens. Lamb liveweight was not affected by herbage species. Both lucerne
and the multi-species mix increased the requirement for conserved feed during
winter compared with ryegrass-based systems.
Keywords ryegrass; lucerne; mixed pasture species; lambs;
cattle; nematodes; Trichostrongylus; Ostertagia; grazing
management
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 1998, Vol. 41: 533-544
0028-8233/98/4104-0533 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
1998
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (837K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
This year's abstracts |
Journal home page |
All abstracts |
Publishing home page
