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Economic Trade-Offs Of Novel Forage Use In Livestock Production Systems: Insights From Australia, Marta Monjardino, Neil D. Macleod, Dean K. Revell

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Globally, livestock are a major component of agricultural systems and natural resource management, as well as an important contributor to nutrition and livelihoods, but are often undervalued (Herrero et al., 2009). In Australia, livestock production systems occupy half of the available land and contribute to ~50% of gross agricultural production. The main livestock systems are beef cattle grazing at low intensity in the arid and semi-arid regions of northern and central Australia; and sheep flocks integrated in crop-livestock systems in the temperate zone of southern Australia (Bell et al., 2014). Despite increased physical productivity (changes in outputs relative …

Ethical Use Of Cereal Legume Intercrop Forages For Feeding Of Sheep And Pasture Development, S. B. Maity, K. K. Singh, G. Prabhu, N. Das

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Cereal forages are important in the feeding of livestock for their high energy and dry matter content. However, they are low in protein content and inferior in other nutritional quality than the legume forages. Ruminants required protein as well as energy to maintain their production. Supplementation of protein through concentrates is cost effective in livestock production. Besides, ruminant is unique in having the potential for cycling forage materials, poor quality protein and non protein nitrogen sources into human food supply as meat and milk (Eskandary et al., 2009). Thus, management of forages for livestock feeding either in feedlot or in …

Plant And Animal Responses To Different Grazing Regimes On A Meadow Steppe In Northeast China, Deli Wang, Zhiming Yang, Ling Wang

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Grazing by domestic herbivores is often considered to be an essential factor governing grassland vegetation and animal production (Hodgson and Illius 1996). During recent decades, there is increasing interest as a fundamental interaction between plant-animal interface, especially for the simultaneous or interactive responses of plants and animals to grassland grazing regimes (Liu et al., 2015), which benefits on improving the efficiency of grazing or grassland resource management. To achieve sustainable animal productivity and maintain the stability of grasslands, farmers or stakeholders need to employ optimal grazing strategies or regimes based on practical grassland vegetation and environments. Unfortunately, up to date …

Effect Of Mineral Supplementation On Rumen Metabolites And Enzymes In Sheep Fed Sorghum Stover Based Diets, Shweta Singh, S. K. Mahanta, Rishi Saxena

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Supplementation of area specific mineral mixture (ASMM) containing Ca, P, Na, Cu, and Zn to producing animals showed noticeable improvement in growth, milk production and reproductive performances. However, there was paucity of information on rumen metabolites and enzymes in animals supplemented with ASMM. Therefore, the present investigation was conducted to study the effect of mineral supplementation (ASMM) on rumen metabolites and enzymes in sheep fed sorghum stover based diets.

A Comparison Of Fermentation Kinetics In The Rumen Of Grazing Sheep On A Dwarf Bamboo Pasture And A Grass Pasture, Masato Yayota, Noriya Tanaka, Kazuya Doi, Shigeru Ohtani

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Native grasses grown as forest understory are important forage resources for grazing ruminants and in agroforestry. Dwarf bamboo is one such typical grass and has traditionally been used in Japan. The name “dwarf bamboo” refers to a group of native grasses from certain genera (e.g., Sasa spp. and Pleioblastus spp.). These grasses are generally rhizomatous, perennial, and semi-woody (Usui, 1961). The results of an earlier study suggested that the in sacco ruminal degradation of the dwarf bamboo was inferior to that of a common tropical grass (Yayota et al. 2009), and cattle grazing on a forest …

Dry Matter, Protein And Fibre Digestibility By West African Dwarf Sheep Fed Varying Levels Of Vernonia Amygdalina Meal In Cassava Starch Residue-Based Diets, O. B. Omotoso, Adebowale N. Fajemisin, J. A. Alokan, Y. A. Shuiabu

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

It is imperative to find alternative source(s) of feed for livestock in lieu of the limited availability of conventional concentrates and the competition for this resource by man. One plant with great potential for the livestock is bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina). It is wide spread with about 200 species, is edible, drought tolerant, nutritious and has been found to have medicinal qualities (John 1994). V. amygdalina has an astringent taste which affects its intake. Bitter leaf meal contains 20-34% crude protein (CP) and can be used as protein supplement (Aregheore et al. 1998). With the recent introduction …

Does Targeted Short-Term Grazing Of Lucerne Increase Twinning Rates In Unsynchronised Merino Ewes?, Jessica M. Rummery, Susan M. Robertson, Belinda J. King, Michael A. Friend

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Reproduction is one of the key profit drivers in the sheep industry and increased reproductive output is needed to address the decline in sheep numbers in Australia to maintain supply to export markets (Curtis 2009). Increased nutrition around mating, or ‘flushing’, is a well-known means of increasing twinning rates. Studies using synchronisation methods have shown that short-term (acute) supplementation can increase prolificacy if targeted at days 9-14 of the oestrous cycle (Stewart and Oldham 1986). However, synchronisation involves increased chemical and labour costs, so may not suit extensive production systems. This study aimed to test whether an increase in twinning …

Performance, Carcass Characteristics And Meat Quality Of Grazing Lambs Finished On Tropical Grasses, Cesar H. E. C. Poli, Samuel Carnesella, Fernando M. Souza, Concepta Mcmanus, Zélia M. S. Castilhos, Liris Kindlein, Jaime U. Tarouco

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Brazil is a country of continental size, and more than seven million ha are occupied with tropical pasture. Worldwide animal production from tropical pastures is also very significant where Cynodon, Panicum and Paspalum are important genus. These grasses are widely used in the production of cattle, and are growing in importance for sheep production, but their potential for producing quality lamb is not fully known.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of two tropical grasses for finishing lambs in autumn to reduce the seasonality of production of lamb for meat.

Introducing Perennials Into Grasslands In South West Australia Increases Gross Margins For Dual Purpose Merino Enterprises, Paul Sanford

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Dual purpose Merino enterprises on the south coast of Western Australia (WA) typically utilise agricultural grasslands that comprise entirely of annual plant species. These grasslands face a range of challenges including a variable Mediterranean climate coupled with mostly infertile fragile sandy soils. As a consequence livestock producers have to manage potentially high supple-mentary feeding costs particularly in summer and autumn while running sufficient livestock to remain profitable. Sowing summer-active perennial species into these grasslands has been shown through short-term livestock trials to allow an increase in stocking rates and reduce the amount of supplement fed. The objective of this investigation …

Plantain (Plantago Lanceolata) In Herb And Legume Pastures Increases Lamb Growth Relative To Perennial Ryegrass And White Clover Pasture, Peter D. Kemp, Paul R. Kenyon, Stephen T. Morris, Sharini C. Somasiri

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Increased use of plantain (Plantago lanceolata) by New Zealand farmers has created a demand for a more complete understanding of the performance and manage-ment of plantain by itself and in various combinations with chicory (Cichorium intybus) and legumes such as white clover (Trifolium repens) and red clover (T. pratense). The objective of this study was to evaluate lamb finishing on plantain by itself and combined with chicory, white and red clover as part of a research programme to develop a temperate perennial pasture superior in animal performance to perennial ryegrass and white …

Effects Of Two Intake Levels Of Leucaena Leucocephala On Rumen Function Of Sheep, Marcos Barros-Rodríguez, Javier Solorio-Sánchez, Carlos Sandoval-Castro, Athol V. Klieve, Eduardo Briceño-Poot, Luis Ramírez-Avilés, Rafael Rojas-Herrera

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Ruminant production systems based on grass pastures often produce poor animal performance as expressed by growth or reproductive rates. The nutrient imbalance affecting rumen function is due to their low energy and protein intake. The incorporation of leguminous forages such as Leucaena leucocephala, in the diet of ruminants, can stimulate rumen function by providing protein-rich forage (Barros-Rodriguez et al. 2012). This increases the availability of compounds such as ammonia, amino acids and peptides as well as branched short-chain fatty acids, which are produced as a result of degradation of proteins. These substances promote fibre breakdown by acting as ruminal …