BEEF PRODUCTION ON PASTURE AND LUCERNE

Authors

  • B.G. Croy
  • W.C. Weeda

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33584/jnzg.1974.36.1412

Abstract

In 1971-3 and 1972-4 two successive generations of Friesian male weaners were carried to slaughter on two self-contained farmlets, one all pasture, the other with half its area in pasture and half in lucerne. The pasture farmlet produced slightly less herbage dry matter than the pasture/lucerne farmlet. Average net hot carcass production was 922 and 829 kg/ha/yr respectively. The stocking rate was 4.85 animals/ha with an overlap of two generations from November to February. Herbage yields and animal intakes were estimated by before and after grazing cuts. The lucerne was grazed at a 40-day rotation in its growing season. To obtain high cattle growth rates, much stalk was left ungrazed, being 15 to 20% of the total dry matter standing before grazing above a height of 3 to 4 cm. Overall conversion efficiency of ingested forage was lower on the lucerne/pasture farmlet than on the pasture farmlet and it was also more variable on the former. With the grazing rotation and pressure adopted in this trial, bloat was no serious problem.

Downloads

Published

1974-01-01

Issue

Section

Articles