Diet selection and herbage intake by cattle and sheep grazing two contrasting heathland communities

Mariecia D. Fraser; Vince J. Theobald; S. Michael Morris; Jon M. Moorby

Diet selection and herbage intake by cattle and sheep grazing two contrasting heathland communities

Mariecia D. Fraser, Vince J. Theobald, S. Michael Morris, Jon M. Moorby

Department of Life Sciences

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Proceeding (Non-Journal item)

Abstract

Heather moorland is recognized as having international importance, yet there has been a decline in the extent and condition of this habitat as a result of inappropriate management. In this experiment the diet composition and herbage intake of cattle and sheep grazing heathland swards with Low (8%) and High (61%) percentages of cover of Calluna vulgaris were estimated from faeces profiles of n-alkanes and long-chain fatty alcohols. Two breeds of sheep (Welsh Mountain, Scottish Blackface) and two breeds of cattle (Welsh Black, Continental cross) grazed each experimental site during two separate sampling sessions in July and September. On each site both cattle and sheep were selective feeders, consuming grasses in preference to dwarf shrub. The quantities of C. vulgaris consumed were small, even on the High site, reflecting the biomass of the graminoid species present, and hence availability of preferred items. There were several significant differences in the proportions of different plant groups consumed by the cattle and sheep. There were also significant differences in the composition of the diets selected by the different breeds of sheep, whereas the diets of the two cattle breeds were generally similar.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 22nd General meeting of the European Grassland Federation, 'Biodiversity and animal feed - future challenges for grassland production', Uppsala, Sweden, 9-12 June, 2008
Editors	Alan Hopkins
Publisher	European Grassland Federation
Pages	105-107
Number of pages	3
Publication status	Published - 2008
Event	22nd General meeting of the European Grassland Federation, 'Biodiversity and animal feed - future challenges for grassland production' - Uppsala, Sweden Duration: 09 Jun 2008 → 12 Jun 2008

Conference

Conference	22nd General meeting of the European Grassland Federation, 'Biodiversity and animal feed - future challenges for grassland production'
Country/Territory	Sweden
City	Uppsala
Period	09 Jun 2008 → 12 Jun 2008

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http://hdl.handle.net/2160/2493

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Fraser, M. D., Theobald, V. J., Morris, S. M., & Moorby, J. M. (2008). Diet selection and herbage intake by cattle and sheep grazing two contrasting heathland communities. In A. Hopkins (Ed.), Proceedings of the 22nd General meeting of the European Grassland Federation, 'Biodiversity and animal feed - future challenges for grassland production', Uppsala, Sweden, 9-12 June, 2008 (pp. 105-107). European Grassland Federation. http://hdl.handle.net/2160/2493

Fraser, Mariecia D. ; Theobald, Vince J. ; Morris, S. Michael et al. / Diet selection and herbage intake by cattle and sheep grazing two contrasting heathland communities. Proceedings of the 22nd General meeting of the European Grassland Federation, 'Biodiversity and animal feed - future challenges for grassland production', Uppsala, Sweden, 9-12 June, 2008. editor / Alan Hopkins. European Grassland Federation, 2008. pp. 105-107

@inproceedings{d597f20d065d4ddfaaf89735f56b8b62,

title = "Diet selection and herbage intake by cattle and sheep grazing two contrasting heathland communities",

abstract = "Heather moorland is recognized as having international importance, yet there has been a decline in the extent and condition of this habitat as a result of inappropriate management. In this experiment the diet composition and herbage intake of cattle and sheep grazing heathland swards with Low (8%) and High (61%) percentages of cover of Calluna vulgaris were estimated from faeces profiles of n-alkanes and long-chain fatty alcohols. Two breeds of sheep (Welsh Mountain, Scottish Blackface) and two breeds of cattle (Welsh Black, Continental cross) grazed each experimental site during two separate sampling sessions in July and September. On each site both cattle and sheep were selective feeders, consuming grasses in preference to dwarf shrub. The quantities of C. vulgaris consumed were small, even on the High site, reflecting the biomass of the graminoid species present, and hence availability of preferred items. There were several significant differences in the proportions of different plant groups consumed by the cattle and sheep. There were also significant differences in the composition of the diets selected by the different breeds of sheep, whereas the diets of the two cattle breeds were generally similar.",

author = "Fraser, {Mariecia D.} and Theobald, {Vince J.} and Morris, {S. Michael} and Moorby, {Jon M.}",

note = "Fraser, M. D., Theobald, V. J., Morris, S. M., Moorby, J. M. (2008). Diet selection and herbage intake by cattle and sheep grazing two contrasting heathland communities. Pp. 105-107 in: Grassland Science in Europe 13. Hopkins, A., Gustafsson, T., Bertilsson, J. et al. (Eds). Proceedings of the 22nd General meeting of the European Grassland Federation, 'Biodiversity and animal feed - future challenges for grassland production', Uppsala, Sweden, 9-12 June, 2008. RONO: 1930 5195 p 19, Biodiversity and Animal Feed, Future Challenges for Grassland Production, Edited by A. Hopkins, et al ; 22nd General meeting of the European Grassland Federation, 'Biodiversity and animal feed - future challenges for grassland production' ; Conference date: 09-06-2008 Through 12-06-2008",

year = "2008",

language = "English",

pages = "105--107",

editor = "Alan Hopkins",

booktitle = "Proceedings of the 22nd General meeting of the European Grassland Federation, 'Biodiversity and animal feed - future challenges for grassland production', Uppsala, Sweden, 9-12 June, 2008",

publisher = "European Grassland Federation",

}

Fraser, MD, Theobald, VJ, Morris, SM & Moorby, JM 2008, Diet selection and herbage intake by cattle and sheep grazing two contrasting heathland communities. in A Hopkins (ed.), Proceedings of the 22nd General meeting of the European Grassland Federation, 'Biodiversity and animal feed - future challenges for grassland production', Uppsala, Sweden, 9-12 June, 2008. European Grassland Federation, pp. 105-107, 22nd General meeting of the European Grassland Federation, 'Biodiversity and animal feed - future challenges for grassland production', Uppsala, Sweden, 09 Jun 2008. <http://hdl.handle.net/2160/2493>

Diet selection and herbage intake by cattle and sheep grazing two contrasting heathland communities. / Fraser, Mariecia D.; Theobald, Vince J.; Morris, S. Michael et al.

Proceedings of the 22nd General meeting of the European Grassland Federation, 'Biodiversity and animal feed - future challenges for grassland production', Uppsala, Sweden, 9-12 June, 2008. ed. / Alan Hopkins. European Grassland Federation, 2008. p. 105-107.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Proceeding (Non-Journal item)

TY - GEN

T1 - Diet selection and herbage intake by cattle and sheep grazing two contrasting heathland communities

AU - Fraser, Mariecia D.

AU - Theobald, Vince J.

AU - Morris, S. Michael

AU - Moorby, Jon M.

N1 - Fraser, M. D., Theobald, V. J., Morris, S. M., Moorby, J. M. (2008). Diet selection and herbage intake by cattle and sheep grazing two contrasting heathland communities. Pp. 105-107 in: Grassland Science in Europe 13. Hopkins, A., Gustafsson, T., Bertilsson, J. et al. (Eds). Proceedings of the 22nd General meeting of the European Grassland Federation, 'Biodiversity and animal feed - future challenges for grassland production', Uppsala, Sweden, 9-12 June, 2008. RONO: 1930 5195 p 19, Biodiversity and Animal Feed, Future Challenges for Grassland Production, Edited by A. Hopkins, et al

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - Heather moorland is recognized as having international importance, yet there has been a decline in the extent and condition of this habitat as a result of inappropriate management. In this experiment the diet composition and herbage intake of cattle and sheep grazing heathland swards with Low (8%) and High (61%) percentages of cover of Calluna vulgaris were estimated from faeces profiles of n-alkanes and long-chain fatty alcohols. Two breeds of sheep (Welsh Mountain, Scottish Blackface) and two breeds of cattle (Welsh Black, Continental cross) grazed each experimental site during two separate sampling sessions in July and September. On each site both cattle and sheep were selective feeders, consuming grasses in preference to dwarf shrub. The quantities of C. vulgaris consumed were small, even on the High site, reflecting the biomass of the graminoid species present, and hence availability of preferred items. There were several significant differences in the proportions of different plant groups consumed by the cattle and sheep. There were also significant differences in the composition of the diets selected by the different breeds of sheep, whereas the diets of the two cattle breeds were generally similar.

AB - Heather moorland is recognized as having international importance, yet there has been a decline in the extent and condition of this habitat as a result of inappropriate management. In this experiment the diet composition and herbage intake of cattle and sheep grazing heathland swards with Low (8%) and High (61%) percentages of cover of Calluna vulgaris were estimated from faeces profiles of n-alkanes and long-chain fatty alcohols. Two breeds of sheep (Welsh Mountain, Scottish Blackface) and two breeds of cattle (Welsh Black, Continental cross) grazed each experimental site during two separate sampling sessions in July and September. On each site both cattle and sheep were selective feeders, consuming grasses in preference to dwarf shrub. The quantities of C. vulgaris consumed were small, even on the High site, reflecting the biomass of the graminoid species present, and hence availability of preferred items. There were several significant differences in the proportions of different plant groups consumed by the cattle and sheep. There were also significant differences in the composition of the diets selected by the different breeds of sheep, whereas the diets of the two cattle breeds were generally similar.

M3 - Conference Proceeding (Non-Journal item)

SP - 105

EP - 107

BT - Proceedings of the 22nd General meeting of the European Grassland Federation, 'Biodiversity and animal feed - future challenges for grassland production', Uppsala, Sweden, 9-12 June, 2008

A2 - Hopkins, Alan

PB - European Grassland Federation

T2 - 22nd General meeting of the European Grassland Federation, 'Biodiversity and animal feed - future challenges for grassland production'

Y2 - 9 June 2008 through 12 June 2008

ER -

Fraser MD, Theobald VJ, Morris SM, Moorby JM. Diet selection and herbage intake by cattle and sheep grazing two contrasting heathland communities. In Hopkins A, editor, Proceedings of the 22nd General meeting of the European Grassland Federation, 'Biodiversity and animal feed - future challenges for grassland production', Uppsala, Sweden, 9-12 June, 2008. European Grassland Federation. 2008. p. 105-107

Diet selection and herbage intake by cattle and sheep grazing two contrasting heathland communities

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