Ewe lamb diet selection on plantain (Plantago lanceolata) and on a herb and legume mix, including plantain, chicory (Cichorium intybus), red clover (Trifolium pratense) and white clover (Trifolium repens)

Abstract

The objective of Experiment 1 was to examine the diet selection and grazing preference of ewe lambs for plantain (Plantago lanceolata), chicory (Cichorium intybus), red clover (Trifolium pratense) and white clover (Trifolium repens). This was examined in a herb and legume sward mix containing plantain, chicory, red clover and white clover between seasons under both hard- and lax-grazing. During early spring, the sward predominately comprised plantain (63%) and chicory (21%) and ewe lambs grazed a greater proportion (P < 0.05) of these species and displayed greater (P < 0.05) grazing preference for plantain and chicory ahead of red and white clover. From late spring onward, ewe lambs had a greater (P < 0.05) defoliation rate and a greater (P < 0.05) grazing preference for red clover than for all other species. This greater selection of red clover was particularly evident in summer and autumn when red clover made a greater (P < 0.05) contribution to the sward composition (8–9%) and the overall sward nutritive value dropped. This supports previous evidence, suggesting that diet selection is intrinsically affected by availability, access and palatability. The objective of Experiment 2 was to determine whether ewe lamb grazing behaviour during late summer was affected by time since a pure plantain sward was previously grazed. Ewe lambs were observed while grazing plantain of varying weeks since previous grazing (3, 6,10 or 16 weeks). Experiment 2 found no difference (P > 0.05) in the average number of ewe lambs grazing each sward of varying weeks since previous grazing. However, ewe lambs grazed the 3-week-old plantain growth to a lower (P < 0.05) post-grazing sward height than the height of the swards of greater number of weeks since previous grazing. Organic matter digestibility and metabolisable energy content did not differ (P > 0.05) among all swards, regardless of weeks since previous grazing. This suggests that the palatability of plantain is not affected by the time since it was last grazed.