Sheep dietary preferences in targeted grazing: demographic, management, and weather effects in northern mixed-grass prairie

Autor: Aaron J. Kersh, Hannah M. Fraley, J. Derek Scasta, Justin D. Derner, Paulo de Mello Taveres Lima, Whit C. Stewart
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Frontiers in Veterinary Science, Vol 11 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2297-1769
DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1502948
Popis: Diet selection and composition of sheep target grazing plains larkspur (Delphinium geyeri Greene) in northern mixed-grass prairie were evaluated during a drought year (2022). Thirteen Rambouillet ewes (3-to 6-year-old, body weight (BW) 76 kg ± 2.9), 14 Dorper ewes (3-to 6-year-old, BW 47 kg ± 1.8), and 123 Dorper ram lambs ( 0.05). Stock density did influence focal bite count observations, with higher forb intake (p = 0.0004) and lower grass intake (p = 0.009) observed at the moderate density compared to the high density. In phase two, grass and larkspur intake decreased while forb intake increased according to f.DNA (p
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