Pasture Grazing Research Articles

Sustainability of beef production from brigalow lands after cultivation and mining. 3. Pasture rundown, climate and grazing pressure effects

Context The Acland Land System overlying the Walloon sandstone coal deposits in southern Queensland is generally marginal for cropping but well suited to grazing, and thus cultivated land is commonly returned to pasture. Rehabilitation of these lands after open-cut coal mining seeks to be safe, stable and self-sustaining to satisfy requirements for ecologically sustainable development. Aims The present paper evaluates the sustainability and economic viability of beef production on (a) lands retired from cultivation and then rehabilitated with sown pastures after open-cut coal mining at the New Acland mine site, and (b) similar nearby pasture lands that were not mined but were also retired from cultivation. Methods The GRASP grazing systems model was modified and calibrated with short-term (5-year) grazing trial data (soil, pasture and cattle observations), and then used with long-term (60-year) weather data to estimate effects of land type, pasture rundown, climate and grazing pressure on productivity and economic returns. The productivity of three rehabilitated sites and 15 unmined sites were evaluated, including pastures on six commercial properties. Key results Estimates of long-term mean annual growth of pastures on unmined lands retired from cultivation on three land types (Mountain Coolibah, Brigalow Uplands and Poplar Box) were 3398, 2817 and 2325 kg/ha respectively. Pasture growth was greater on rehabilitated lands; 3736 kg/ha on the site most typical of rehabilitated lands and a mean of 4959 kg/ha across three sites. Seasonal conditions had large effects on cattle liveweight gain (133–213 kg/head per year during the trial); however, pasture growth was the main driver of beef production and economic returns per hectare. In GRASP, potential nitrogen uptake was used to influence key pasture growth processes and accounted for 64% of variation in observed annual growth. The short-term lift and subsequent rundown in productivity typically associated with sown pastures was estimated to have increased mean annual pasture and cattle productivity during the 2014–2018 trial period by up to 17% and 25% respectively. Estimates of long-term mean annual beef production and economic returns for the unmined lands were less than estimated for rehabilitated lands and were 139 kg/head.year (45 kg/ha.year) and AU$154/adult equivalent. Conclusions Rehabilitated lands were found to be sustainable for beef production at grazing pressures up to 30% utilisation of annual pasture growth, and comparable with grazing systems on native and sown pastures in good condition. Pastures on unmined lands retired from cultivation had reduced productivity. Implications Overgrazing is a significant and on-going residual risk to sustainable production. Grazing regimes need to continually adjust for changes in novel landscapes, pasture condition and climate. The methods used in the present study could be applied more generally.

Management accounting of agricultural land fertility in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation

In the conditions of competition and limited resources, sources of income, lean production has recently been developing and, at the same time, lean management accounting is developing. Agriculture in the Russian Federation is characterized by a slow movement of capital, high dependence on natural and climatic conditions, low economic manoeuvrability, and the predominance of collective and shared ownership of land. Agricultural production uses natural factors for the cultivation of biological assets and the production of agricultural products free of charge: the natural fertility of agricultural land, natural pastures for grazing, solar and wind energy, etc. Chernozem lands are the most important fertile lands in the world. 40% of the most fertile chernozem lands are concentrated in Russia, in five regions, one of which is the Kursk region. The processes of land degradation are mainly inherent in agricultural land, or rather arable land. The economic state of agriculture in Russia does not allow for the full implementation of measures to preserve soil fertility, and even more so to take them into account. The purpose of the study is to study the state of agricultural land fertility from the point of view of management accounting. In accordance with the set goal, the following tasks were identified: fertility was identified as an object of management accounting for agricultural land, and the indicators that should be taken into account were determined. The novelty of the research conducted by the authors consists in the development of management accounting that is appropriate for long-term planning of measures for the effective use of agricultural land. In the course of the study, general scientific and special research methods were used on the basis of systematization of theoretical and practical material. The natural fertility of agricultural land is not taken into account anywhere in the costs of agricultural production, as well as its cost price, is not reflected in the accounting. Currently, there is no data collection system that covers all aspects of agricultural land and should serve as a basis for improving the agricultural sector. Results: the analysis of land resources in Russia, in the Kursk region is presented; the comparative characteristics of land in accordance with IAS and AR 6/01 are shown. It is proposed to keep records of soil fertility, to allocate "agricultural land" in the reporting, to distribute subsidies depending on changes in the level of fertility, but taking into account zoning.

Fatty acid profile in milk of cows fed triticale silage in small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of central Mexico

ABSTRACT Milk contains fatty acids (FA) beneficial to human health, so there is interest in the effect of feeding strategies on the FA content of milk. Small-scale dairy systems require conserved forages in the dry season. Cow diets of silages and concentrates yield a lower content of beneficial FA in milk. The objective was to determine the FA profile of feeds and milk from dairy cows on daytime grazing of pastures fed two levels of triticale silage and concentrate. Eight Holstein cows grazed pastures of perennial ryegrass or tall fescue. Triticale silage was offered at two levels (7.5 and 5.0 kg DM/d), in addition to 4.65 kg DM/d of concentrate. The experimental design was a 2 × 2 factorial with two pastures and two levels of silage in a repeated 4 × 4 Latin Square. Linolenic, linoleic, and palmitic acids comprised over 85% of FA in forages, and linoleic acid constituted 50% of FA in the concentrate. There were no differences in the milk composition, or the FA content of milk among treatments or periods (P>0.05). A higher inclusion of triticale silage did not change the fatty acid profile of milk. The content of beneficial FA in milk was similar to that of grazing cows.

Long-term monitoring of the vegetation cover of mountain territories in the GIS for soil and landscape study of territories

Rational use of natural resources and preservation of the environment in good conditions is the basis of the stable state of the ecosystem. Mountain soil erosion is the most common process of degradation. Soil protection from erosion is becoming a global problem in the world, and in Uzbekistan, in particular. Natural conditions of the region create a potential danger of soil erosion. The reason for its manifestation is the misuse of land, non-compliance with necessary requirements for soil protection. In most cases, it is due to the location of homesteads and crops on erosion-prone soils that poorly protect soil from erosion, improper cultivation of soils on arable land, unregulated grazing of pastures, and damage to soil protective plantations. The climate, topography and soils can in some way create a potential danger of erosion, while the vegetation cover reduces the possibility of erosion or completely prevents it. V.V.Dokuchaev [6] has given great importance to vegetation in the problems of soil protection from erosion and a decrease in the flow of atmospheric precipitation. He wrote: “… in the early spring, and after heavy rains in the virgin steppe there are no large streams, while on old-growth fields they run in all directions, storm and foam.” A good vegetation cover sharply reduces the danger of erosion when a great amount of precipitation falls out. With high intensity of rains on slopes with a good vegetation cover, the danger of erosion may be much less than in the case of rainfalls with a small amount of precipitation and with less intensity on slopes with poor plantation or without any.

Influence of pasture feeding on milk and meat products in terms of human health and product quality

Cows are fed either indoors on a diet of mixed ration or in areas with temperate climates, such as Ireland and New Zealand, the feeding regime of dairy and beef herds is almost entirely pasture-based. Animal feeding regimes and herd management practices are linked to differences in organoleptic and nutritional quality attributes of milk, dairy and meat/beef products, with pasture-based feeding systems being associated with superior quality produce. Consumers generally perceive that milk and meat products produced from outdoor grazing pastures are “healthier” than produce derived from indoor feeding systems, based on animals fed typical indoor rations and concentrates. However, while research has demonstrated differences in milk and meat quality, especially in terms of fatty acids, based on different feeding systems, data are limited on the impact of dairy and meat products produced from different feeding systems on human health.

Yearling Cattle Grazing Pastures Burned During Summer Perform Similarly to Cattle Grazing Pastures Burned in Early Spring: Year 2 of 6

Yearling Cattle Grazing Pastures Burned During Summer Perform Similarly to Cattle Grazing Pastures Burned in Early Spring: Year 2 of 6

Progressive inclusion of pearl millet herbage as a supplement for dairy cows fed mixed rations: Effects on methane emissions, dry matter intake, and milk production

The inclusion of grazing in dairy feeding systems can improve animal welfare and reduce feed costs and labor for animal care and manure management. This work aimed to evaluate the effects of including pearl millet herbage (Pennisetum glaucum 'Campeiro') as a supplement for dairy cows fed total mixed rations (TMR). The treatments included 100% TMR offered ad libitum (control, TMR100), 75% TMR ad libitum intake + access to grazing of a pearl millet pasture between the morning and afternoon milkings (7 h/d; pTMR75), and 50% TMR ad libitum intake + access to grazing of a pearl millet pasture between the morning and afternoon milkings (7 h/d; pTMR50). Nine multiparous Holstein and F1 Jersey × Holstein cows were distributed in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design with 3 periods of 21 d (a 16-d adaptation period and a 5-d measurement period). Cows in the TMR75 and TMR50 groups strip-grazed a pearl millet pasture with pre- and postgrazing sward height targets of 60 and 30 cm, respectively. The herbage dry matter intake (DMI) increased with decreasing mixed ration supplies, and the total DMI decreased linearly from 19.0 kg/d in the TMR100 group to 18.0 kg/d in the pTMR50 group. Milk production decreased linearly from 24.0 kg/d in the TMR100 group to 22.4 kg/d in the pTMR50 group, and energy-corrected milk (ECM) production decreased linearly from 26.0 kg/d to 23.6 kg/d. Enteric methane (CH4) emissions decreased linearly from 540 g/d in the TMR100 group to 436 g/d in the pTMR50 group, and CH4 yields (g/kg of DMI) tended to decrease linearly. The CH4 intensity was similar between treatments, averaging 20 g of CH4/kg of ECM. The inclusion of pearl millet herbage in the dairy cow diets decreased the total DMI and milk production to a small extent without affecting CH4 intensity (g/kg of ECM).

Shrub cover impacts on yak growth performance and herbaceous forage quality on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

Shrub cover in alpine meadows around the world has experienced significant changes during the past 20 yr. An increase in shrub cover has often been associated with large influences in ecosystem functions. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the impact of shrub cover on herbaceous forage quality and yak grazing efficiency on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. Forty-eight yak steers were randomly assigned to four grazing pastures with different shrub cover rates (control, low, middle, and high). The whole grazing period was categorized as vegetative stage (June to July), bloom stage (August to October), and senescent stage (November to December). Herbaceous forage chemical composition and body weight of yaks were measured, and serum and rumen samples were analyzed. Although shrub cover had no effect on herbaceous forage chemical composition and serum biochemical parameters of yaks, total herbaceous forage production in pastures and crude protein intake of yaks decreased with increasing shrub cover. Such changes decreased average daily gain of yaks. As expected, increasing the herbaceous forage maturation significantly decreased crude protein content while increased dry matter, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber contents, consequently, reduced herbaceous forage crude protein and organic matter intakes and average daily gain of yaks. The rumen of yaks has higher ammonia nitrogen and total volatile fatty acid concentrations and butyrate proportion in the bloom stage of forage compared with those of the senescent stage. The results indicate that shrub cover on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau needs a certain level of control for the sustainable grazing yak production, although it has little negative effect on blood health and rumen fermentation. Additionally, it is vital to select the optimum time to market livestock or supplement feed with yaks during the cold season on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Grazing exclosures reveal divergent patterns of change in bunchgrass grasslands of Western Canada

Thirty-six long-term (14–83 years) cattle grazing exclosures and adjacent grazed pastures spanning a climatic gradient from cooler–wetter to warmer–drier growing seasons in south-central British Columbia were compared for temporal vegetation change. Trajectories of temporal vegetation change from non-metric multidimensional scaling were mostly scattered for the grazed areas, but more directed toward the dominant grasses, primarily rough fescue (Festuca campestris) or Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), for the exclosures. Plant community differences, detected only after 10 years of grazing exclusion, were primarily due to structural shifts in overall species cover related to growth increases of the dominant grasses inside exclosures. Species richness remained unchanged between the first and last sampling dates in both grazed areas and exclosures, with both treatments showing moderate degrees (15%–30%) of turnover in species composition. Shannon diversity declined in both treatments as a result of the structural changes in species cover. The results highlight the value of repeated monitoring of long-term exclosures for assessment of grassland resiliency to grazing. Further studies of the interaction of grazing and climate are needed for a more complete understanding of the ongoing vegetation change.

Livestock Feed Resources and Feeding Practices in Bonke and Geresse Districts, Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia

The study was conducted at Bonke-Geresse District of Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia with the objectives of assessing the availability of feed resources in terms of quantity and quality and feeding practices of livestock. The district was stratified into three distinct agro-ecologies. A total of 138 farmers were randomly selected based on the probability of proportional sampling by means of a structured questionnaire. Direct field observation was also used in the collection of data. The major feed types used by farmers were identified and categorized into five classes: natural pasture grazing, green feeds, hay, concentrate (commercial mix and agro-industrial by-products) and non-conventional feed resources. The total Data were analyzed using statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. Chemical analysis on crop residues indicated that they have low crude protein (2.66 to 6.7) and are composed of high lignin content ranging from 8.42 to 16.83. The major constraints related to livestock feed were shortage of feed, shortage of grazing land, poor market access, lack of sample awareness on forage cultivation and poor feeding system. Overall feed balance in terms of DM yield per year to a total TLU value of 7,068.8 was found to be 12,947.51 tons of DM per annum with negative feed balance of 5,878.71tons. Based on the findings of the present study, low productive and reproductive performances of livestock at Bonke are clearly associated with meager availability of feed resources. Therefore, introduction and adaptation of alternative feed production technologies such as development of improved forages, feed processing and conservation technologies, skill improving training and efficient feed utilization strategies would be taken as important steps to overcome the prevailing feed supply problem.

PSV-26 Effect of feeding regime on meat quality of elk deer (venison) loin during aging

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of feeding regimes on chemical composition, meat quality, and fatty acids composition of elk deer loin (EDL) during aging at 4°C. Sixteen 3-year-old elk hinds were randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments, grazing pasture (GR) and barn feeding (BF). Eight elks were grazed on pasture with supplementary feed of 1.0% of body weight and the other eight elks were fed 1.0% of concentrate with ad libitum hay for 5 months. After slaughtering, EDL was dissected and aged for 56 days at 4°C in vacuum packaging. Proximate composition, physicochemical characteristics, and fatty acid composition of EDL were determined. Proximate composition of EDL showed no significant difference between feeding regimen and aging period. The pH values of EDL increased with increase of storage days (P < 0.05). Drip loss increased by day 14 compared to initial day and shear force was decreased during aging (P < 0.05). Water holding capacity (WHC) and cooking loss were not significantly affected by feeding regimen or aging period. Lightness (L*) and redness (a*) were decreased on day 56 compared to initial day. Yellowness (b*) of EDL decreased with increase of aging time (P < 0.05). The α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid were higher in GR treatment and increased with aging duration (P < 0.05). The feeding regimens and aging affected on meat quality and fatty acids profiles.

Societal Recognition of Ecosystem Service Flows From Red Panda Habitats in Western Nepal

The biologically and culturally diverse mountain habitats of the red panda (Ailurus fulgens) produce numerous ecosystem goods and services of global significance and satisfy the daily sustenance requirements and wellbeing of poor and vulnerable local communities. Most studies of ecosystem services conducted in Nepal have investigated community forest management and protected areas, largely in the lower hills and plains of the country. However, to conserve red pandas and associated biodiversity, knowledge is needed of the services instrumental to the livelihoods and wellbeing of people living in and around their Himalayan mountain habitats. Using case studies of 6 remote villages nearest to known red panda habitats inside and outside a protected area in western Nepal, this study reports on key informant interviews, focus group discussions, informal interactions, and participant observations to identify and categorize the goods and services provided by these habitats. Among the provisioning and cultural ecosystem goods and services obtained from red panda habitats, local people prioritized seasonal grazing in high-altitude pastures, plant materials for medicines and food, wild plants for energy, transhumance culture, and religious interaction with nature. Their dependence on these services varied with season and location, with greater reliance on the services outside the protected areas. Some services used for valuing ecosystems, such as carbon storage and improved air and water quality and biodiversity, were only ever mentioned in a manner that would characterize them as cultural services provided by mountain deities. They only appear to be acknowledged as services with a use value by people from outside the region. This study suggests that understanding the value of the services provided to local communities could allow development of a policy that would also help conserve red pandas, particularly if income can be obtained for providing services to outsiders who have no perceived local economic benefit.

PSVIII-26 Extending the grazing season for grass-fed beef production into the spring transition period

Abstract In the Gulf Coast region, the spring transition period is a 45–60 d period between late April and mid-June. Red and white clovers’ growth pattern is delayed compared to winter grasses making them suitable for this transition period; however, an appropriate rest period allowing stockpiling is needed. Three treatments were evaluated on pastures planted in September of three consecutive years: 1) grazed until mid-February (MF); 2) grazed until first week of March (EM); and 3) grazed until last week of March (LM). Grazing re-started on May 1. Pasture was a mixed of annual ryegrass, red, white and berseem clover. Each year, 24 crossbred steers (330 ± 11 kg) were blocked by BW, allotted to 1 of 6 groups (2 replicates/treatment), and continuously stocked at 995 kg BW/ha. Forage mass at the beginning of the grazing period was greater (P < 0.05) in MF, followed by EM and LM. This represented a forage allowance of 2.0, 1.6, and 1.1 kg DM/kg BW. On d0, the proportion of annual ryegrass was greater (P < 0.05) in MF than in EM and the smallest in LM. Proportion of clovers was greater (P = 0.04) in EM in Year 2 while MF and LM were similar but greater for MF in Year 1. Berseem clover represented 59% of the clover biomass in MF while red clover was 72% of the clover biomass in LM. Proportion of clovers decreased with time while annual ryegrass became mature affecting its palatability. Steers that grazed on MF and EM had greater ADG (1.83 and 1.71 kg) than those on LM (1.41 kg). Grazing season was longer (P = 0.03) for MF (66 days) than for LM (39 days) while EM was intermediate (50 days). A rest period from early March to late April would allow grazing of high-quality pastures during the spring transition period.

Behavioral patterns of yaks (Bos grunniens) grazing on alpine shrub meadows of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Proliferation of shrubs at the expense of native forage in pastures has been associated with large changes in biomass and spatial distribution of forage for grazing livestock, and such changes influence the grazing behavior of ruminants. However, little information is available concerning the effect of pastoral shrub coverage on grazing pattern. To better understand the grazing behavior of yaks and their response to increased shrub coverage in alpine meadows, 48 yak steers were randomly assigned to four pastures with shrub coverage of 0, 5.4 %, 11.3 %, and 20.1 % (referred to as control, low, middle, and high, respectively) on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The primary behavioral patterns (grazing, walking, and ruminating/resting) of three focus animals per experimental group were recorded repeatedly in scan sampling every 10 min from 07:00 to 19:00 h in three observation periods (the first 10 days of each month) from July through September. Furthermore, the secondary behavioral patterns (bites per minute, steps per minute, and bites per step) were observed 15 times per focus yak on each observation day. Behavioral observations showed that yaks had similar diurnal behavioral patterns with two main grazing bouts—in the morning and afternoon—and a ruminating/resting peak at midday when grazing in pastures with different shrub coverage. However, yaks significantly enhanced the time allocated to walking (P = 0.029) and decreased ruminating/resting time (P = 0.045) with increasing shrub coverage, although the grazing time was not significantly different (P = 0.663). Compared with the control and low shrub-coverage groups, yaks in the middle and high groups had more bites per minute (P = 0.036) and steps per minute (P = 0.029), whereas the number of bites per step was not influenced (P = 0.877) by shrub coverage. The increased time allocated to walking at the expense of ruminating/resting as well as the high number of feeding stations may be an adaptive strategy for searching and obtaining sufficient forage resources. Increased walking time and step rate for the yaks grazing in the high shrub-coverage pasture could increase the energy expenditure and consequently reduce the energy available for growth and production. Our findings provide evidence for the influence of shrub coverage on grazing behavior of yaks grazing in alpine meadows as well as insights into the sustainable production of grazing yaks on lands with increasing shrub coverage on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The Effect of Frequency of Fresh Pasture Allocation on Pasture Utilisation and the Performance of High Yielding Dairy Cows.

Simple SummaryPasture remains a large component of the diet in many dairy systems across temperate regions. However, animal performance in pasture-based systems is often limited due to the lower dry matter intake (DMI) achieved within these systems, meaning animals fail to perform to their genetic potential. Providing a high herbage allowance can improve DMI and subsequently animal performance at pasture, however such methods result in reduced pasture utilisation rates, decreasing the cost-effectiveness of the pasture-based system. Methods that support high levels of animal performance whilst maintaining high pasture utilisation efficiency are required to support efficient and sustainable pasture-based systems. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of different frequencies of pasture allocation (12, 24 and 36 h (h)) on pasture utilisation and the performance of high-yielding dairy cows. The results from this study indicated that 36 h allocations best supported the performance of primiparous animals. The 36 h allocations were also associated with significantly higher pasture utilisation efficiency than 12 h allocations during the first study period, but this was not replicated in the second period, where utilisation was similar across all treatments.Pasture allocation frequency (PAF) can influence pasture availability and grazing behaviour, which subsequently may impact on animal performance. Limited research to-date has investigated grazing management methods to improve the performance of high production dairy cows whilst also achieving high grass utilisation rates. This study evaluated the effect of three different PAF’s (12, 24 and 36 h) on pasture utilisation, the performance of high yielding dairy cows and the interaction with parity. The experiment included two 60-day periods, 90 spring calving dairy cows (27 primiparous animals) in period one and 87 (24 primiparous animals) in period two. The average pre-grazing sward height (11.4 cm) was similar for all treatments in both periods. In period one, pasture utilisation rate was significantly higher (8%) in the 36 h compared to the 12 h treatment. In period two, milk energy output was significantly greater for primiparous animals in the 36 h treatment relative to the other treatments.

Factors Affecting The Participation of Tammekkawatang Grazing Pasture Regency of Pinrang, South Sulawesi

Participation is an important component in the process of empowering a community, especially farmers. In this process, the community is supported to improve prosperity independently. The role of institutions as facilitators who accompany the empowerment process. In principle, the community is the perpetrator and the subject of development. it requires Information related factors that influence the participation of breeders in the Empowerment program so that the preparation of empowerment strategy can be more directional and the result will be more optimal. This research aims to determine the factors affecting the participation of farmers in the grazing Empowerment program as a reference to create a more interesting empowerment program. The research was conducted in the Pinrang district of Suppa and Mattirobulu sub-districts with samples of 147 breeders. The collection of research data is done using questionnaires and then carried out data using the SmartPLS statistics tool. The result of this research is known that the factors affecting the participation of farmers are the motivation and stakeholder role.

Quantifying intraherd cattle movement metrics: Implications for disease transmission risk

There are a paucity of data quantifying on-farm management practices such as the frequency of intraherd cattle movements, use of consolidated or spatially fragmented grazing pastures, and duration of time cattle spend at grass with respect to biosecurity and disease transmission. Such movement dynamics are important when attempting to understand the maintenance of chronic infectious disease, such as bovine tuberculosis (bTB). We captured empirical data on daily cattle movements for a sample of eighteen farms throughout one complete grazing season (n = 18,988 grazing days) and assessed these attributes in relation to herd bTB risk.Dairy herds were stocked at significantly higher densities compared to beef production systems (6.6 animals/ha, 95 % confidence intervals (CI) 6.5–6.7 and 4.1 animals/ha, 95 %CI 4.1 – 4.1 respectively, p < 0.001). Most notably milking cows, were grazed at higher densities than other life stages (e.g. calves, heifers and bullocks) (p < 0.001) and experienced four times the number of movements between pastures. Beef cattle were more likely to be grazed across multiple (rather than single) fields (p < 0.001), with greater time spent on fragmented land away from the main/home farm (p < 0.001). None of the farm or herd attributes analysed (e.g. stocking density, frequency of movement, movement distances or land fragmentation) were associated with herd bovine tuberculosis (bTB) breakdowns during this study. However, there was a weak positive association between bTB breakdowns during the 3 years prior to the study and cattle movement distances (p = 0.05) and time spent on fragmented land (p = 0.08). After a bTB breakdown occurs, restrictions on animals moving out of these herds are implemented to control disease spread, yet we argue that more attention is needed on the role of intraherd grazing patterns in modelling disease transmission risk between herds.

CƏNUBİ MUĞANDA KƏNDƏTRAFI ÖRÜŞLƏRDƏ TORPAQLARIN AQROFİZİKİ XASSALƏRİNİN OPTİMALLAŞDIRILMASI

The article analyzes the agro-physical properties of soil in south Mughan’s rural pastures. According to the results of the research, it is recommended to regulate grazing in pastures and graze by kuz method, apply irrigation during the dry season, and take measures to restore vegetation. Key words: soil, agrophysical properties, soil moisture, water-physical regime, heat-air regime, porosity, pasture.

Commercial practice of out-wintering dairy heifers in Great Britain

The majority of dairy cattle in Great Britain (GB) are housed during winter but replacement heifers are out-wintered on some farms, a practice that may reduce the need for high capital-cost housing and facilitate herd expansion. Dairy farmers that were out-wintering replacement heifers in GB in 2012 were surveyed to determine current practice and attitudes. A typical system involved heifers strip grazing pasture or a crop, with baled grass silage as supplementary feed; strongly resembling outdoor wintering systems in New Zealand. Many used more than one grazed forage; predominantly, pasture on 68%, kale on 53% and fodder beet on 33% of farms. Supplementary feed was 44% of the diet in younger, and 35% in older heifers. Although farms were approximately three times larger than the national average and 60% were expanding, expanding herd size was not the primary reason for out-wintering, with the main reasons being to reduce cost and improve animal health and welfare. Farmers that out-wintered heifers typically reported good animal average dairy gain of 0.6 kg/d and high body condition, however, this contrasts with some measured performance in GB. Farmers may benefit from accurate feed allocation and monitoring heifer live weight during winter to ensure high performance.&#x0D;

Innovative use and efficiency test of subcutaneous transponders for electronic identification of water buffaloes.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the viability of using transponders for the electronic identification of water buffaloes and compare their efficiency when used in animals of different age groups. Electronic transponders with RFID technology (2.1 × 12.2mm) were implanted subcutaneously (D0) in the scutiform cartilage. The animals consisted of four groups: CLF-I (17 calves; 2.1 ± 1.9months), CLF-II (20 calves; 5.1 ± 3.2months), HFR (20 heifers; 22 ± 4.7months) and STR (19 steers; 26.6 ± 6.7months). The animals were kept under pasture grazing, a part of the year in the dryland and a part in the floodplain, and were monitored for up to 350days. The average time required for individual transponder implant was 49.46s, while the time required for reading the code was 3.76s. The older calves required higher time for individual implant (P = 0.0001) and closer approximation of the reader in the D150 (P = 0.0001). The mean read distance was 2.98cm in D0 and 1.94cm in D150. The magnitude of the subcutaneous transponder migration was minimal, and was within an area of 17.2mm2. A slight bleeding was observed in 15.79% of the animals during the implant. A decreasing incidence of edema was observed until D21, with the heifers being more sensitive until that time (P = 0.0099). Considering the results, it is preferred to implant electronic transponders in calves up to two months of age. The physical rate of transponder loss was 1.3% and the loss of functionality was 9.2%. High reading rate was achieved when animals were raised both in dryland (93.9%) and floodplain (97.2%). Thus, the electronic identification of water buffaloes is a technique capable of replacing traditional and rudimentary methods to identify buffaloes and can provide safe identification of animals.