grassland and forage management

rangeland or extensive grazing

• eg moorland, steppes, savannah

• never sown

• herbaceous as well as grass species

• usually poor nutrtional quality

• liver fluke risk in wetland

permanent grassland

• includes uplands and wetlands

• rarely re sown

• mixed sward

• usually fair nutritional qualit

• moderate o high endoparasite risk- higher stocking density, continuous grazing

leys

• mainly in lowlands

• regularly resown and grass crop alternatives with cereal or other crops. intensively managed

• short term- land supports grass for up to 3 years followed by an arable crop

• long term ley grows grass for about 9 years before an arable crop

• lower endoarasite risk than permanent pasture

• a common seed mixture used inshort ter leys is erenneial ryrgrass and white clover

• a short term ley in the uk can produce over 10 tonnes of edible dry matter per year

nutritional composition of pasture grass

1. when grasses produce flowering stems and set seed they divert energy fro their leaves to the stems and seed. soluble sugar content can decline from apprx 20-7 percent of dry matter. the stems are fibrous, crude fibre and dry matter increase

2. the fibre consists of lignin and it coats the cellulose rendering it less digestible so the energy content decreases

3. both protien content and digestibility of the protein decreases

4. inflorescennce and seed set are indicators of deteriorating nutritional quality in the sward

set stocking

• grassland that is continuously stocked

• high risk of endoparapsite

• palatable grass specices quickly dissapear

• often supplemented with hay leading to weed

• no adjustment of feed availiablity according to its quality

rotational or paddock grazing

• pasture grazed on a cycle

• stocking rate can be adjusted according to the nutritional quality of the grass

• the hihger the stocking rae the higher utilisation of the available grass

• wastage from trampling if allowed to grow too tall

• surplus grass is cut for silage and haylage, may to july

strip graxing

• form of rotational

• sections divided, lasts ½ to 2 days

• when grazed another section is divide off

• efficient use of available pasture

• prone to soil compaction

• prone to poaching

• size of strips is often deided from the amount of pasture left uneaten in the previous strip

zero grzing

• fresh grass is cut and carried to the yard and building housed cows

• efficient use of available pasture

• machnery and labour costs are high

• effluent management important

• cows prone to feet disorders- concrete

• considered by some to be factory farming

folding

• used for sheep or cattle on forage crops

• form of strip grazing where animals are penned within the field - fortable electric fencing

• allows efficient use of hte forage crop without having to harvest

• can lead to contaminaition of the animals and the forage crop with soil

• prone to causing tooth wear- soil contamination

• demanding on labour for moving fences and preparing the crop

cattle grazing behaciour

• prefer long lush

• tongue used to draw the grass to the mouth and tear it off with a sweeping movement of the head while holding it against the upper palate with the tongue

• can rip whole plant out of the ground on newly sown astures on light soils

• usually graze for between 8-13hrs a day. time spend grazing dependent on hunger

• beyond 13rs usually stop feeding and rest even if below maintenance of lactation requirements

• the cows perception of pasture quality can be asessed from movement in paddock whilst grazing. more movement when quality is poor

• avoid grazing around dung

• exctable behabior when gibrn cnc in the parlour can be a sign of underfeeding at pasture

sheep grazing

• prefer short grasses (sheep fescue, red fescue and creeping bent) nip out the leaves near the ground- bottom grazers

• grasp short grass between the incirosrs and denal pad and pluck the grass using head movement

• 8-13hrs a day

• under extensive conditions they rest at night on higher ground and graze as they move downwards to lwoer ground during day

• in semi arid area were feed is sparse soe trot between grazing bouts

• good memory

pigs

• feed on grass roots as well as leaves

• undermine pasture to reach roots leading to poaching

• cna be controlled with nose rings

deer

bottom grazers, prefer pasture alongside woodland

young animals

• copy adults

• in absence calves are exploratory and can take poisonous

• juvenile ostriches prone to eating soil which can lead to impaction

spring pasture

• high leaf to stem

• as the season advances it produces unfluoreence stems and becomes fibrous. less palatable and lower digestibility. repeated bouts of hard grazing will delay stem formation and promote leaf production

intensive pastures

• perrenial ryegrass

• aim is to crop prg swards frequently as thi delay the emergence of the infloresennce stems and maintains palatabolity and a high digestibility for longer

conserved forage

palatability can be improved by adding flavouring agents suhc as molasse or caramel conc

wild

many synthesie bitter tasting alkaloids to deter being eaten.

when plants are cut and wilt, more palatable

overgrazing

1. in mixed swards the more paltable species are selctively eagten and disappear from the swar. when this happens the asture wil need to be plowed and resown

2. repeated grazing rpomotes tillering which helps maintain a hihg leaf to stem ratio in the sward. this gives optimum yield of highly digestibe grass. but if too freauent can exhaust the plants. prg only starts to store sugas in root system once it has reached the 2 leaf stage. if it is grazed repetedly before the stage it will not have the enrgy to regrow

problems with set stocking

• selective eating out of palatb#

• too frequent repeat grazing prg 2 leaf sgage

• in hill regions heathe is being overgrzed and replaced with unpalatabe grass spcies such as mat grass and pruple moor grass.

forgage crops

mineral deficinecyes

pasture/ forage borne fungal pathogens

rotting grass can cause a heifer with facal eczema. this is a form of hotosensitsation, caused by spores of pithomyces chartrum

when is the risk of plant poising greates

• only accessible plant

• when they ae cut but not removed- become mroe paalable when dry

• meadow containing is mown for hay or silage

• around 100 species

bracken

• poisoning is the most frequent when land is being reclaimed

• if cattle are put onto bracken land after ploughing or burning the fern they may eat the new shoots which are particularly toxic if there is no alternative feed

water hemlock

• poisoning occasionally occurs when waterways are cleared to improve drainae

• the cut plants left on the banks are accessible to stock

ragwort

• single most important poisonous plant present in pasture in the british isles

• particularly common in permanet pasture

• some landowners protect ragwort and refuse herbice

• some countries ther are eradicaion campagins

poching- cleanliness

if pasture becoe poached the stock are prone to getting dirty including their udder

spring time diarrhoea

• cattle sheep that feed on very lush spring grass develop diarrhoea. in cattle the faeces can be liquid 7 percent dm. sending stock for slaughter in a dirty condition makes hygienic dressing of the carcass very difficult. allowing them access to straw or a higher fibre grass whilst grazing can reduce the proble,

sacrifice paddocks

where stock are out wintered some farmers hand feed the stock which are held in paddocks that are allowed to become poached. this avoids spoiling a large area of dormant grass but it means the stock gets dirty