Forage Standing Crop and Animal Diets Under Rotational vs. Continuous Grazing

Abstract

Effects of 5-paddock rotational grazing and continuous grazing were monitored in 1977 and 1978 on an annual grass-subclover (Trifolium subterraneum) pasture. More forage was available to livestock under rotational grazing than under continuous grazing during the midspring through late spring period. However, grazing management had little effect upon forage intake by Romney ewes and their lambs during this period. Live weight gains of ewes and lambs were higher under rotational compared with continuous grazing in the spring, perhaps due to an observed increase in subclover, a highly nutritious feed, in diets of sheep grazing rotationally. In contrast to the spring green-feed period, live weight gains of ewes under rotational grazing were lower than those under continuous grazing during the summer dry-feed period. Poor ewe performance on rotationally grazed pasture during the summer period apparently reflects reduced opportunity for dietary selectivity and, therefore, a lower quality diet compared with that available to ewes on continuously grazed pasture.