Effect of stocking rate on pasture and sheep production in winter and spring lambing systems

Serkan Ateş,Şaban Işik,Mesut Kirbaş,Gazi Özcan,Harun Çi̇çek,Gürhan Keleş

doi:10.3906/vet-1511-79

Serkan Ateş, Şaban Işik + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3906/vet-1511-79

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Abstract

A 2-year study was conducted to quantify the effect of stocking rate on pasture and sheep production in winter and spring lambing systems. Pastures were set-stocked with ewes and their winter-born single lambs at low (20 ewes + lamb ha?1), medium (28 ewes + lamb ha?1), and high (36 ewes + lamb ha?1) stocking rates in spring 2012 and by ewes and their spring-born lambs at low (16 ewes + lamb ha?1), medium (24 ewes + lamb ha?1), and high (32 ewes + lamb ha?1) stocking rates in spring 2013. Annual pasture dry matter production ranged from 8.9 to 10.2 t ha?1 but was not affected by the spring stocking rates. The average live weight gains of the winter-born lambs were 73 and 10 g head?1 day?1 for low and medium stocking rates, respectively, while the lambs at the high stocking rate lost 10 g head?1 day?1 in spring 2012. The spring-born lambs grew at 245, 189, and 133 g head?1 day?1 for low, medium, and high stocking rates, respectively, in spring 2013. High stocking rates did not have any negative effects on the pasture production or botanical composition but they resulted in poor sheep performance, particularly in the winter lambing system.

Highlights

One of the most important management issues for complex pastures is the optimization of animal and herbage production with specific attention to the equilibrium of the composition of the pasture and high animal productivity [1]
Botanical composition Spring stocking rates did not have any impact on any components of the pastures over the course of the study (P > 0.05)
Effect of stocking rate on pasture production and botanical composition At the spring stocking rates tested in this study, there was an inconsequential effect of sheep grazing on the pasture dynamics

Summary

Introduction

One of the most important management issues for complex pastures is the optimization of animal and herbage production with specific attention to the equilibrium of the composition of the pasture and high animal productivity [1]. Grazing management adds a layer of complexity to the productivity and persistence of species in mixtures by primarily affecting their competitiveness. The stocking rate and system of grazing management are the key determinants for the pasture production and the level of animal productivity [3,4]. In pasture-based sheep production, achieving high live weight gains is crucial to bring the lambs to slaughter weights before drought or hot temperatures halt pasture growth. Stocking rate is the key management variable and Lambing and weaning dates need to be in conformity with the grazing management, pasture growth rates, and production pattern for successfully matching the requirements of animals at varying physiological stages with forage supply and quality.

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