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Stocking rate effects on metabolizable energy intake and grazing behaviour of Tan sheep in steppe grassland on the Loess Plateau of Northwest China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 July 2010

X. J. CHEN ,
F. J. HOU ,
C. MATTHEW  and
X. Z. HE
X. J. CHEN
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
F. J. HOU*
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
C. MATTHEW
Affiliation:
Institute of Natural Resources PN433, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
X. Z. HE
Affiliation:
Institute of Natural Resources PN433, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
*
*To whom all correspondence should be addressed. Email: cyhoufj@lzu.edu.cn
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Summary

A simulated grazing system was set up in Huanxian County, Gansu province, on the Loess Plateau of Northwest China, involving the purchase of 18-month-old wether lambs in June of each year at c. 20 kg body weight (BW) and sale 6 months later at c. 35 kg BW. Three stocking rate (SR) treatments of 2·7, 5·3 and 8·7 wether lambs/ha were evaluated on geographically separated warm season (WS) and cold season (CS) paddocks c. 1 km apart; 3 years' data are reported (2004–2006). The metabolizable energy (ME) yield of the grazing system, calculated from the weight of animals fed and their weight gain, averaged 1·7, 3·3 and 4·7 GJ/ha/year for 2004, 2005 and 2006, respectively, in the WS and 0·9, 1·9, and 2·7 GJ/ha/year, respectively, in the CS for SR of 2·7, 5·3 and 8·7 animals/ha. Detailed grazing behaviour records were kept in order to elucidate intake dynamics. In these grazing systems, bite weight was typically c. 0·04 g/bite, lower than for temperate grazing systems at comparable herbage mass. A hypothesis for further study is proposed that this may relate to the distribution of a similar herbage mass over a greater sward height range in steppe vegetation than in temperate grass pasture. Sheep increased their bite rate (bites/min) and the number of steps/min at higher SR to compensate, such that intake/animal was reduced by not more than 10% with a threefold increase in SR. At higher SR, herbage ground cover on grazed plots was still lower than on ungrazed plots, 1 year after a 90-day summer grazing period or a 48-day winter grazing period. The significance of the findings for management of these systems is briefly discussed.

Type
Animals
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 148 , Issue 6 , December 2010 , pp. 709 - 721
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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