Investigation on the mineral content of pasture grass and its effect on herbivora: III. Report on the chemical analyses of samples of pasture from various areas in the British Isles

Abstract

(1) The herbage of the hill pastures in Great Britain is, in general, markedly poorer than that of the cultivated pastures in respect to silica-free ash, and each of the individual ash constituents, with the exception of sodium. It is also poorer, but to a less extent, in nitrogen.(2) The percentage of silica-free ash in the “not eaten” grass from the hill pastures is only approximately 50 percent of that in the “eaten” grass. This deficiency is fairly uniformly distributed over the ash constituents with the possible exception of sodium.(3) Despite these marked differences in the mineral content of the different types of pasture, there is very little difference in their caloric value as calculated by the method indicated.(4) Wherever sheep have a free choice in grazing they appear to eat, by preference, that herbage which contains the higher percentage of mineral ingredients.