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Comparison of autumn/winter with spring pasture for growing beef cattle
Reid TC
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 46, pp 145-148, Jan 1986
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 46, pp 145-148, Jan 1986
Article class: Conference Presentation
Subject Terms: Animal production/wastage, Bodyweight/liveweight/condition score, Breed/breeding, Diet/rations/food, Environment, Farm/farm management, Grazing, Growth/development, Management, Meat, Nutrition/metabolism, Pasture/crop, Seasonality/photoperiod
Animal Type: Cattle, Cattle - beef, Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant
Publisher: New Zealand Society of Animal ProductionAbstract
A series of 4 herbage allowance trials was conducted over 2 years with beef cattle on a well-drained site in Northland. Two trials were conducted in autumn/winter (April-July) and 2 in spring (October and November). Analysis of the data, for each seasonal period combined over the 2 years, showed large differences in the relationships between daily live-weight gain and herbage allowance between the 2 seasons. At the same allowance, beef cattle grew faster in spring than in autumn/winter. Relationships between allowance and daily live-weight gain were: Autumn/winter: LWG = 0.48-1.37* 0.65 allowance and Spring: LWG = 1.09-2.82* 0.45 allowanceThese differences were not associated with differences in in vitro digestibility (70 to 78% in all trials) or N concentrations. Allowances required for maintenance were lower in spring than in autumn/winter and potential growth rates in spring approximately double those in autumn.
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