New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Evaluation of the feeding value of Aries HD perennial ryegrass (Lolium
perenne). I. Performance of lactating ewes in spring
S. J. BLUETT
J. HODGSON
P. D. KEMP
Institute of Natural Resources
Massey University
Private Bag 11222
Palmerston North, New Zealand
T. N. BARRY
Institute of Food Nutrition and Human Health
Massey University
Private Bag 11222
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Abstract The feeding value of Aries HD perennial ryegrass
(Lolium perenne) was evaluated over spring (3 Sep to 1 Dec 1996) using
Romney ewes suckling single lambs, with Yatsyn 1 perennial ryegrass as the
control cultivar. There were three replicate plots of each cultivar of 0.33 ha
continuously stocked with 6 ewes per plot after lambing to maintain a mean
sward surface height of 6 cm. Ewes were removed from the area on 5 November at
weaning. Ewe liveweight gain tended to be higher on Aries HD than Yatsyn 1 over
September (94 versus 56 +/- 14.5 g day-1, P < 0.07) which
coincided with a significantly higher herbage intake (1.78 versus 1.37 +/-
0.038 kg DM day-1, P < 0.04). The percentage of ryegrass
leaf was higher in Aries HD pasture, as were ewe bite rate and calculated bite
weight. The time spent grazing on these ryegrass cultivars was between 11.0 and
11.3 hours per 24-h period. There was no significant difference in growth rates
of suckling lambs between cultivars. Information on herbage nutritive value,
herbage intake, and grazing behaviour are discussed in relation to the
differences in ewe performance.
Keywords Aries HD; perennial ryegrass; Lolium perenne;
endophyte; Neotyphodium lolii; feeding value; digestibility; sheep
performance; nutritive value
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 1999, Vol. 42: 441-448
0028-8233/99/4204-0441 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
1999
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