The summer nutrition of weaner sheep: The deficiencies of the mature herbage of sown pasture as a feed for young sheep

Abstract

Two field studies conducted in the Mediterranean type environment of Adelaide, South Australia, are described. The first experiment was designed to assess the effects of defective summer grazing by young sheep upon current and lifetime productivity, while the second sought to define the nature of the nutritional deficiencies of the mature herbage of sown pastures in terms of energy and protein respectively. The results show that the mature herbage of the sown pastures under study was deficient in both protein and energy. However, the retarded growth resulting from grazing this herbage appeared to be of no permanent significance in average to well-grown wether weaners; summer periods of defective nutrition did not affect ultimate size nor influence subsequent productivity.