Sheep Carrying Capacity of Native Pasture in the Highlands
1993
Ameha Sebsibe | Fletcher, Ian (IAR, Addis Abeba (Ethiopia))
The grazing capacity of natural pasture for local male highland sheep was undertaken at Sheno in 1988/89 and 1989/90. In the first year stocking rates of 4, 6, 8, and 10 sheep ha-1 were used. Accordingly, average body weight gains for the year were: 15.2 kg head-1 and 60.9 kg ha-1 for a stocking rate of 4 sheep ha-1, 9.7 kg head-1 and 57.9 kg ha-1, for a rate of 6 sheep ha-1, 12.0 kg head-1 and 96.4 kg ha-1 for 8 sheep ha-1, and 8.7 kg head-1 and 86.8 kg ha-1 for 10 sheep ha-1. The optimum stocking rate for body weight gain was 8 sheep ha-1 though there were no significant differences between the two highest stocking rates. Stocking rates, therefore, were increased in the second year to ensure that the optimum levels was included within the range found. At a stocking rate of 6 sheep ha-1 the average body weight gains in the second year were 8.7 kg head-1 and 52.4 kg ha-1 for a rate of 6 sheep ha-1, 4.1 kg head-1 and 36.5 kg ha-1 for a rate of 9 sheep ha-1, 0.6 kg head-1 and and 6.8 kg ha-1 for a rate of 12 sheep ha-1, and -1.1 kg ha-1 and -16.7 kg ha-1 for a rate of 15 sheep ha-1. From the results of the two years, the optimum stocking rate for growth was found to be between 6 and 9 sheep ha-1. During the last three months of the second year, young rams were replaced by the animals that were used first to get a more sensitive measure of growth responses during the period of maximum pasture availability and quality in the year. Average weight gains for these young rams during a restricted grazing period were 5.8 kg head-1 and 34 kg ha-1 at a stocking rate of 6 sheep ha-1, 3.3 kg head-1 and 30.1 kg ha-1 at 9 sheep ha-1, 2.8 kg head-1 and 34.1 kg ha-1 at 12 sheep ha-1, and 3.9 kg head-1 and 45 sheep kg ha-1 at 15 sheep ha-1. Thus short-term grazing programs, integrated with seasonal patterns of pasture production, are likely to be more efficient and have higher optimum stocking rates than a year-round grazing.
Показать больше [+] Меньше [-]Ключевые слова АГРОВОК
Библиографическая информация
Эту запись предоставил Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research