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Selection by Lambs Grazing Plantain ( Plantago lanceolata L.), Chicory ( Cichorium intybus L.), White Clover ( Trifolium repens L.), Red Clover ( Trifolium pratense L.) and Perennial Ryegrass ( Lolium perenne L.) across Seasons. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10122292. [PMID: 33287456 PMCID: PMC7761778 DOI: 10.3390/ani10122292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) and chicory (Cichorium intybus) are now widely used in combination with clover species to provide greater annual lamb live weight gains than perennial ryegrass and white clover pasture. Reported selective grazing of the species in herb-clover mixes could potentially detrimentally change the relative abundance of species and decrease lamb production. Lambs were offered three herbage treatments: Pasture (perennial ryegrass and white clover) mix, plantain (plantain, red clover and white clover) mix and a chicory (chicory, plantain, red clover and white clover) mix in each of four seasons for two years. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with three replicates with 18-30 lambs per treatment replicate depending on the season. Lambs were rotationally grazed and fed ad libitum. Selection by the lambs of individually tagged plants within the pasture treatments was observed for three days on two occasions per season. Red clover was the most selected species on day 1, but by day 3 there was no difference in the selection of the species (p < 0.05). Plantain and chicory in the plantain and chicory mixes were selected less on day 1 in autumn relative to the other seasons (p < 0.05). It was concluded that three days of grazing before moving lambs maintained the relative abundance of species in the herb-clover mixes.
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de Moura RL, de Oliveira ME, de Carvalho WF, Rodrigues MM, Dos Santos MS, Edvan RL, Abdalla AL, Moreira MZ, da Silva EM. Goat performance on pure Andropogon gayanus pastures or associated with legumes. Trop Anim Health Prod 2020; 53:21. [PMID: 33216229 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-020-02434-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the grazing of goats in a grass monoculture system and in intercropping systems of grass + legumes. A randomized block design was adopted, with the treatments arranged in a split-plots scheme. The plots consisted of three cropping systems: monoculture-Andropogon gayanus cv. Planaltina; mixture I-A. gayanus cv. Planaltina + Stylosanthes cv. Campo Grande; and mixture II-A. gayanus cv. Planaltina + Calopogonium mucunoides. The subplots consisted of two grazing cycles. The highest (P = 0.04) total forage mass (TFM) was recorded in the mixture I (A. gayanus cv. Planaltina + Stylosanthes. cv. Campo Grande), which was 2.6 ± 0.1 tons DM/ha. The crude protein (CP) was lower in the monoculture which also showed the highest content of neutral detergent fiber (NDF). The grazing time in the monoculture was the longest (8.23 ± 1.14 h). The goats used a longer time for rumination (P < 0.01) in the mixture I. The lowest (P < 0.01) bite rate was found in mixture II in comparison to the other cropping systems. The bite rate was higher (P < 0.01) in grazing cycle II than in all the other cropping systems. In mixture I, the Stylosanthes cv. Campo Grande, and in mixture II, the C. mucunoides presented the lowest (P < 0.01) δ13C value in the forage. The highest forage intake occurred in the mixture systems (P < 0.01) in comparison to the monoculture. The mixture pastures presented better results for forage mass, nutritive value, and intake in comparison to the monoculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raniel Lustosa de Moura
- Animal Science, Multiple Higher Education Institute, IESM, São Francisco, Timón, Maranhão, 65631-430, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Ricardo Loiola Edvan
- Agriculture Science Center, Federal University of Piauí, UFPI, Ininga, Teresina, Piauí, 64049-550, Brazil.
| | - Adibe Luiz Abdalla
- Animal Science, State University of São Paulo, USP, Centenário, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13400-970, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Zacharias Moreira
- Animal Science, State University of São Paulo, USP, Centenário, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13400-970, Brazil
| | - Edson Mendes da Silva
- Animal Science, Multiple Higher Education Institute, IESM, São Francisco, Timón, Maranhão, 65631-430, Brazil
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Murney R, Burggraaf V, Mapp N, Ganche E, King W. The effect of cultivated mixed-species green fodder on intake, milk production and milk composition of housed dairy goats. Animal 2019; 13:2802-2810. [PMID: 31113503 DOI: 10.1017/s1751731119000867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of New Zealand dairy goat farmers utilise cultivated green-fed fodder dominated by perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.), but evidence from other ruminant species suggests that milk production may be improved when using a more diverse array of species within the green fodder. The aim of this experiment was to determine whether feeding lactating dairy goats a mixed-species green fodder (MF, consisting of perennial ryegrass, timothy (Phleum pratense L.), prairie grass (Bromus willdenowii Kunth), white clover, red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) and plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) improves dietary intake, milk yield and composition compared with a standard ryegrass and white clover green fodder (SF). Thirty-six mid-lactation goats were housed indoors in pairs and split into two groups (A and B). The trial was split into three periods - firstly a uniformity period of 6 days, in which all goats were fed a combination of both green fodder types, followed by two treatment periods (P1 and P2) of 12 days, respectively. For P1, group A was fed MF and group B was fed SF, and then the group diets were switched for P2. Goats fed MF had 13% greater dry matter intake and 7% greater milk yield than goats fed SF. In addition, the milk protein and fat concentration of goats fed MF were 4% greater than for those fed SF, whereas there was no effect on milk lactose concentration. There was no treatment effect on the levels of protein, glucose, urea or non-esterified fatty acids in the blood of the goats. An effect of green fodder type on milk fat profile was demonstrated, with proportions of pentadecylic acid (C15:0), cis-vaccenic acid (C18:1 c11), linoleic acid (C18:2 n6) and α-linolenic acid (C18:3 n3) being increased in response to MF consumption. In contrast, iso-C15 and iso-C17 proportions were lesser. In summary, this study demonstrated that goats fed MF increased green fodder intake and milk production compared with goats fed SF. The green fodder type affected the fatty acid profile of goat's milk, with MF increasing the levels of beneficial polyunsaturated omega fatty acids (linoleic and α-linolenic acids).
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Affiliation(s)
- R Murney
- AgResearch Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre, Ruakura Road, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - V Burggraaf
- AgResearch Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre, Ruakura Road, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - N Mapp
- AgResearch Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre, Ruakura Road, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - E Ganche
- AgResearch Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre, Ruakura Road, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - W King
- AgResearch Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre, Ruakura Road, Hamilton, New Zealand
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