Grazing management and sheep production on improved pastures

TL;DRAbstract

This thesis emphasizes the need to use a systems approach when examining the effects of management on the efficiency of animal production from grazed pastures. The three experiments that are described were designed to increase the understanding and precision of some of the relationships that are used in the simulation of grazing systems. Conventional tests of farm management systems are usually of small scale and involve considerable handling of stock. Extrapolation of results to normal farm practice is therefore uncertain. An experiment carried out over 12 months with sheep in flocks of various sizes and managed under various grazing systems was analysed by estimation of the variance components of a non-orthogonal linear model. No effect on liveweight gains or wool production was detected in weaner sheep whether they were in flocks of 3, 9, 27 or 135 or whether they were set-stocked, rotated around three subdivisions of a pasture which was continuously grazed. Theses results indicate

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