Grazing Studies on Native Range, Crested Wheatgrass, and Russian Wildrye Pastures

Abstract

Weight gains per acre of yearling ewes on continuously grazed crested wheatgrass and Russian wildrye pastures averaged 21.7 and 26.3 lb, or 2.6 and 3.2 times the gain of yearling ewes on native range (8.3 lb). On rotation and free-choice systems of grazing the gains per acre averaged 16.5 and 18.5 lb, or 2.0 and 2.2 times those on native range. Over the 10-year period the seeded pastures were stocked three times as heavily as the native range. Ewes rotated themselves on the various pastures under a free-choice system, going first to crested wheatgrass, then to native range and lastly to Russian wildrye.