• Title/Summary/Keyword: Grazing pasture

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A Study on the Dry Matter Intake, Body Weight Gain and Required Animal Unit of Grazing Dairy Goats (Saanen) in Mixture (혼파초지에 방목한 유 산양(Saanen)의 건물섭취량, 증체량 및 방목지 소요면적 산출에 관한 연구)

  • Lee, In-Duk;Lee, Hyung-Suk
    • Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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    • v.29 no.4
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    • pp.383-388
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    • 2009
  • This study was conducted to investigate the dry matter intake, weight gain and the required area of grazing pasture for dairy goats. The experimental trials were conducted from April, 2007 to June, 2008 at the animal experimental station in Chungnam National University. The seed mixtures of grazing pasture were composed of orchardgrass (40%) + tall fescue (20%) + perennial ryegrass (10%) + alfalfa (15%) + red clover (15%). The grazing area was $5,000\;m^2$ which was composed of 4 paddocks (average $1,250\;m^2$/plot) and the goats were grazed twelve times by a rotational grazing system. The dairy goats (Saanen) were selected which had nearly the same body weight (average 31.1kg). The average chemical composition of herbage of mixture in grazing periods was crude protein (20.4%), NDF (65.3%) and ADF (31.1%) respectively and the in vitro dry matter digestibility was 68.9%. The average dry matter intake amount per head was 1.253 kg, and the intake amount per body weight was 3.01%. The average body weight gain during the grazing periods (184 days) was 17.4 kg, and the daily gain was 98 g. The required area of grazing pasture was calculated at $467.7\;m^2$ a dairy goat (weight 50 kg basis). This figure, being converted into animal unit (AU), corresponded to approximately 2.14 AU/ha.

Ecological Studies on the Improvement of Natural Pasture by Fertilization and Grazing (시비 및 방목에 의한 자연초지의 개량에 대한 생태학적 연구)

  • ;G. Spatz
    • Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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    • v.6 no.3
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    • pp.138-144
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    • 1986
  • This trial was carried out to find out the methods of improvement of natural pasture by PK-fertilization and sheep grazing. The experimental area covered with the community of Carex ferruginea-dominated and located at the Bavarian Alps in the southern part of Germany. As measuring the changes of the vegetation, the Releve-method, the Point-Intercept-method and the Quadrat-Charting-method were applied. Changes in the ecological evidence of the vegetation were studied during the period from April 1980 to the end of growing season in 1983. 1. The fodder value at the oversown pasture we slightly increased by PK-fertilization with sheep grazing, byt that gradually decreased by grazing without fertilization. 2. The pasture quality at the secondary vegetation was greatly improved as well as that of the oversown pasture in Autumn of the second experimental year by sheep grazing with PK-fertilization, but the fodder value was not like that by grazing without fertilization at the natural pasture. 3. The influence of phosphorus/ potassium-fertilization was much more serious than that of sheep grazing. Sedges almost disappeared due to fertilization, on the other hand grasses and legumes increased distinctly. Sheep grazing without fertilization led to a gradual decrease of legumes. The enormous biomass difference in sedges between the June and October analyses was due to a lack of regenerative capacity. 4. The plant community of Carex ferruginea-dominated before the experiment was successived into Alchemillo-Cynosuretum by PK-fertilization with sheep grazing.

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The Use of Herbage N-alkanes as Markers to Estimate the Diet Composition of Yaks on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

  • Ding, L.M.;Long, Ruijun
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.23 no.1
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    • pp.61-67
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    • 2010
  • The chemical components in plant cuticular wax can be used as markers to estimate the species composition of the diet of grazing animals. In this experiment, composition of the diet of yak on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau was estimated using n-alkane analysis. During the grazing period, samples of whole plants of the species present, plus fecal samples voided by the yak, were collected, air-dried and ground prior to the extraction of cuticular wax n-alkanes. The species composition of the yak diets was estimated by relating fecal alkane contents to those of the plant species, using the 'ATWHAT'software package. The results showed that the n-alkane technique can detect the main dietary components selected by yak. The diet consumed by yak contained 33% Kobresia humilis, 67% Stipa aliena in summer pasture; 26% Potentilla anserine, 74% Carex qinghaiensis in autumn pasture; 52% Carex qinghaiensis, 32% Heteropappus bowerii and 16% Saussurea semifasciata in winter pasture and 5% Carex qinghaiensis, 95% Achnatherum splendens in spring pasture. The apparent selection for forbs is likely to be a reason for nutritional constraint of yak inhabiting alpine environments.

Evaluation of Macro Mineral Contents of Forages: Influence of Pasture and Seasonal Variation

  • Khan, Zafar Iqbal;Ashraf, M.;Hussian, Altaf
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.20 no.6
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    • pp.908-913
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    • 2007
  • Concentrations of major elements in forages were determined in relation to ruminant requirements at a livestock experimental station in Leiah district, Punjab-Pakistan using mapping techniques. The study investigated the influence of sampling periods and pasture types on the concentrations of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium in forages. The implications of these forages for nutrition of ruminants were assessed for the livestock population at that particular experimental station, which are supported by the farm pastures. Within the farm, variations in the element status of the forages were related to soil pasture types. A tentative assessment of the mineral status of available forages at this farm for different pastures using guidelines developed for domestic animals indicated deficiencies of only Na, but forages contained adequate Ca, Mg, and K levels required for grazing ruminants. The concentrations of Na in the forage reserves indicated that the potential supply of this element to plants was limited from the soil to plants and from plants to the animals grazing them. Soil minerals were not measured in this study. The potential use of fertilizers, as pasture amendment as well as supplementation of ruminants, with a specifically tailored mineral mixture is important to livestock producers and environmentalists as well, because their use may improve forage nutritive value and in turn meet requirements of animals.

A Farm management System Using Drone (무인비행체를 이용한 방목형 목장관리 시스템)

  • Jung, Nyum;Kim, Sang-Hoon
    • Journal of Digital Contents Society
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    • v.18 no.5
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    • pp.889-894
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    • 2017
  • The purpose of this paper is to implement smart farm using automatic navigation, short - range wireless communication network technology, and automatic take - off and landing system using unmanned aerial vehicle to maximize the efficiency of grazing farm management. The grazing pasture management system that integrates ICT fusion technology for the activation of the mountain ecological livestock production is expected to contribute to the improvement of the productivity of the grazing livestock, the infrastructure to produce the excellent quality, and the competitiveness of the livestock industry in response to the FTA. And it will contribute to the improvement of career force through the supply to the farmhouse.

Influence of Restricted Grazing Time Systems on Productive Performance and Fatty Acid Composition of Longissimus dorsi in Growing Lambs

  • Wang, Zhenzhen;Chen, Yong;Luo, Hailing;Liu, Xueliang;Liu, Kun
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.28 no.8
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    • pp.1105-1115
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    • 2015
  • Fifty 3-month-old male Tan lambs (similar in body weight) were divided into 5 groups to investigate the effects of different restricted pasture grazing times and indoor supplementation on the productive performances and fatty acid composition of the intramuscular fat in growing lambs. The lambs grazed for different periods of time (12 h/d, 8 h/d, 4 h/d, 2 h/d, and 0 h) and received various amounts of supplementary feedings during the 120-day trial. Pasture dry matter intake (DMI), total DMI, average daily gains and the live body weights of the lambs were measured during the experiment. The animals were slaughtered at the end of the study, their carcass traits were measured, and their longissimus dorsi muscles were sampled to analyze the intramuscular fat (IMF) content and fatty acid profiles. The results indicated that the different durations of grazing and supplementary feedings affected the animal performances and the composition of fatty acids. Grazing for 8 h/d or 2 h/d with the corresponding supplementary concentrate resulted in lambs with higher body weights, carcass weights and IMF contents. Lambs with longer grazing times and less concentrate accumulated more healthy fatty acids such as conjugated linoleic acid and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid and had higher n-3/n-6 ratios. Overall, a grazing allowance of 8 h/d and the corresponding concentrate was recommended to maintain a high quantity and quality of lamb meat.

EFFECTS OF ADDITIONAL FEEDING REGIMEN FOR THE OFF-THE PASTURE LAMBS ON CARCASS TRAITS AND MEAT QUALITY

  • Lee, Y.B.;Demment, M.W.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.8 no.2
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    • pp.139-143
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    • 1995
  • Two hundred eighty weaned Targhee lambs were grazed on annual grass-subclover pastures for 84 d under continuous and rotational defoliation grazing system. At the end of the grazing season, twenty lambs weighing 44 kg were slaughtered directly off the pasture, whereas two groups of 20 lambs each were fed either a alfalfa pellet or a 50% alfalfa/50 concentrate pellet for additional 6 wk until they reached an average live weight of 50 kg. Carcass traits and loin chop palatability were compared. Lambs slaughtered directly off the pasture were lighter than desirable market weight and some lambs had less than adequate fat cover and approximately half of them were graded U.S. Good in quality. Overall conformation and leg muscling was inferior and loin chops were less tender, less juicy and less flavorful. The lambs on alfalfa pellets for 6 wk appeared to be ideal in terms of carcass quality (all Choice except one), fat cover and yield grade. They had better taste panel scores in all palatability traits than off-the-pasture lambs, and most loin chops were acceptable. The lambs on a 50% concentrate diet for 6 wk had a higher conformation score and a greater muscling in the legs. Loin chops had more marbling and better palatability than other groups. However, some lambs had an excessive fat cover and lower yield of retail cuts. It was concluded that additional feeding for 6 wk on alfalfa pellets until the live weight reached 50 kg(for Targhee lambs) was the best way of finishing lambs at the end of grazing season in the California rangeland.

Seasonal Changes in Voluntary Intake and Digestibility by Sheep Grazing Introduced Leymus chinensis Pasture

  • Sun, H.X.;Zhou, D.W.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.20 no.6
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    • pp.872-879
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    • 2007
  • A study was conducted to investigate the seasonal changes in nutrient composition of pasture, voluntary intake and digestibility of sheep grazing an introduced Leymus chinensis pasture located in western Jilin Province, China. The whole-plant of L. chinensis and the samples simulating ingestion by sheep (simulating sample) were collected in spring (May, 2004), summer (July, 2004), autumn (September, 2004) and the end of winter (April, 2005). The contents of gross energy (GE), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and alkanes were determined. Voluntary intake and apparent digestibility of the nutrients in each season were also examined using 6 mature Chinese Northeast Merino ewes (differed among the seasons) grazing on a paddock of 1 ha size. The apparent digestibilities of GE, dry matter (DM), OM, CP, NDF and ADF of L. chinensis were significantly greater (p<0.05) in spring and summer than in autumn and winter. Metabolizable energy (ME) content was 12.13, 11.62, 8.66 and 10.40 MJ/kg DM for L. chinensis in spring, summer, autumn and winter respectively, and the corresponding voluntary feed intakes were 91, 119, 59 and 58 g/d per kg metabolic weight ($LW^{0.75}$). The ME contents and DM intakes in autumn and winter were significantly lower than in spring and summer (p<0.05). The intake of L. chinensis pasture was sufficient to provide ME requirements for maintenance by the dry ewes in all the seasons, but inadequate for maintenance protein requirement in winter. (Supported by funds from National Basic Research Program of China, Grant No. 2007CB106800).

Ingestive Behavior of Heifers Supplemented with Glycerin in Substitution of Corn on Brachiaria brizantha Pasture

  • Facuri, L.M.A.M.;Silva, Roberio Rodrigues;da Silva, F.F.;de Carvalho, G.G.P.;Sampaio, C.B.;Mendes, F.B.L.;Lisboa, M.M.;Barroso, D.S.;Carvalho, V.M.;Pereira, M.M.S.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.27 no.11
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    • pp.1584-1592
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    • 2014
  • The objective was to evaluate the ingestive behavior of crossbred heifers finished on a Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu pasture receiving four levels of glycerin in their supplementation. Thirty-six crossbred heifers with average initial weight of $264.83{\pm}3.83kg$ and 20 months of age were distributed into a completely randomized design with four treatments and nine replications: control (0%), 4.82%, 10.12%, and 15.56% glycerin in the dry matter. The grazing time reduced linearly (p<0.05), whereas the time spent on activities like rumination, idleness, trough and total chewing time were quadratically affected (p<0.05). Bite rate and number of bites/day were quadratically influenced (p<0.05). The number of bites/swallowed cud and the number of bites/minute, however, increased linearly (p<0.05). Although the time spent on each cud and number of chews per cud were not affected (p>0.05).The number of rumination periods reduced linearly (p<0.05), whereas the number of grazing, idle and trough periods, and the times per grazing, idle, rumination and trough periods were quadratically affected (p<0.05). The feed and rumination efficiencies of the dry matter, non-fibrous carbohydrates, pasture dry matter and concentrate were quadratically affected (p>0.05) whereas the feed efficiency of neutral detergent fiber reduced linearly (p<0.05). Addition of glycerin in substitution of corn in supplements for animals managed on pastures does not influenced feed intake, but reduces the grazing time and increases the idle time. The supplementation also improves feed and rumination efficiencies.