Mixed grazing systems of sheep and cattle to improve liveweight gain: a quantitative review

d'Alexis, Séverine; Sauvant, Daniel; Boval, Maryline

doi:10.1017/s0021859613000622

Cited by 48 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…d'Alexis et al. () also suggested that interactions between grazers (cattle and sheep) and plant biomass availability led to a balance between grazing preferences and digestive ingestion capacities. Thus, the sharper choices executed by sheep compared to cattle changed their overall selectivity of swards to balance forage quantity and quality.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some authors have pointed out the benefits of co‐grazing, for example effective recycling of nutrients by urine and manure deposition, weeds and parasites control, animal performance. (d'Alexis et al., ; Anderson et al., ; Ferreira et al., ; Rao et al., ; Smith, Wells, Marion, Swain, & Hutchings, ; Wrage et al., ). Furthermore, a more homogeneous forage intake of plant species by mixed herds may bring benefits for plant diversity in both diverse and grass‐dominated swards as suggested by Liu et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Forage selectivity by cattle and sheep co‐grazing swards differing in plant species diversity

Cuchillo-Hilario

Wrage‐Mönnig

Isselstein

2017

Grass and Forage Science

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Interactions between sward diversity and forage selectivity of cattle and sheep managed within mixed grazing systems are not fully understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of either mono‐ or co‐grazing of sheep and cattle on swards differing in botanical composition (either diverse or grass‐dominated) on the intake choices of six target forage species. Jacobs' selection index (JSI) was employed to quantify the preference for single target species in relation to their proportion in the sward. Results revealed distinct intake preferences of sheep and cattle; as expected, sheep were more selective than cattle. To a lesser extent, the sward composition had an effect on intake preferences: cattle responded to botanical composition by changing their intake preferences, but to a lesser extent than sheep. Phleum pratense was the most preferred target forage species (JSI = 0.62). Lolium perenne, Taraxacum sect. Ruderale and Trifolium repens were also highly preferred regardless of sward composition or type of grazing (JSI = 0.47, 0.32 and 0.27 respectively). Dactylis glomerata and Festuca pratensis tended to increase in abundance after grazing events in both diverse and grass‐dominated swards. Co‐grazing of cattle and sheep facilitated a more homogeneous consumption of the target forage species evaluated.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forage selectivity by cattle and sheep co‐grazing swards differing in plant species diversity

Cuchillo-Hilario

Wrage‐Mönnig

Isselstein

2017

Grass and Forage Science

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“…This finding supports our fourth hypothesis. Many authors have reported positive responses in sheep live weight gain to mixed-grazing (Abaye et al, 1994;Marley et al, 2006;Wright et al, 2006;Fraser et al, 2007Fraser et al, , 2013Fraser et al, , 2014d'Alexis et al, 2013).…”

Section: Consequences For Livestock Growthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diverse Swards and Mixed-Grazing of Cattle and Sheep for Improved Productivity

Jerrentrup¹,

Komainda²,

Seither³

et al. 2020

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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Increasing sward phytodiversity has been suggested as having potential to increase primary production of grasslands, but whether any such gains are converted into secondary production, through improved performance of grazing livestock, remains uncertain. Animal production by cattle and sheep can also be enhanced by mixed-grazing. To our knowledge, this effect has never been studied in relation to differences in sward phytodiversity. Therefore, a rotational grazing experiment was conducted over 5 years (2007-2011) on permanent grassland in Germany using sheep and cattle in mono-(single-species) or mixed-grazing of swards differing in plant species richness. Herbicides against dicotyledonous plant species were used to create different sward types: species-poor, grass-dominated swards in contrast to untreated "diverse" control swards. We found no differences in herbage production between the sward types. However, compared to the grass-dominated sward, the diverse sward showed greater concentrations of crude protein and lower contents of acid detergent fiber in the herbage dry-matter. Lamb live weight gains were slightly greater on the diverse-swards (P < 0.05), but calf performance was unaffected by sward type. Mixed-grazing increased daily average live weight gains of suckler cows (g cow −1 d −1) (P < 0.05) as well as area-related daily live weight gains (kg ha −1 d −1) and total live weight gains (kg ha −1) during the complete grazing season (P < 0.001). This indicates advantages of combining livestock species, attributed to complementary pasture use. We suggest that mixed-grazing of cattle and sheep on phytodiverse swards is an effective and sustainable means to enhance ecological and agronomic traits such as livestock production and plant species conservation. Lamb production especially showed benefits under mixed-grazing, with a 17% increase in live weight gain. Compared to the grass-dominated sward, diverse swards resulted in an average 12% increase of live weight gains (across grazing systems and livestock species).

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“…Mixed grazing of sheep and cattle has most often been studied in tropical areas (Zeeman et al, 1983;Marshall et al, 2012;d'Alexis et al, 2013). These studies met various principles established for the design of agroecological systems of animal production (Altieri et al, 2012;Dumont et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The goals of management strategies are to improve animal health, decrease pollution, enhance the diversity of species within animal production systems and preserve the biological diversity of the agroecosystem. Some studies utilizing intensive systems have shown that mixed grazing of cattle and sheep leads to an increase in meat production per hectare and reduce parasitic infestations (d'Alexis et al, 2013). However, few studies have investigated mixed systems involving goats even though over 90% of goats are used for meat in developing countries, which is affected mainly by gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN), a major pathology in the tropics (Over et al, 1992;Hoste and TorresAcosta, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mixed grazing systems of goats with cattle in tropical conditions: an alternative to improving animal production in the pastureq

d'Alexis¹,

Périacarpin²,

Jackson

et al. 2014

Animal

Self Cite

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Mixed grazing systems combining sheep and cattle have shown better growth performance for one or both species. This observation has been attributed to their complementary feeding behaviour and the reduced host infection by gastrointestinal nematodes. Less attention has been paid to mixed grazing systems combining goats and cattle. Here, continuously grazing goats mixed with cattle (M) were compared with control goats reared alone (C) under tropical conditions. The comparison was conducted with gastrointestinal nematode-infected (I) and non-infected (nI) goats. Thus, the four treatments were cattle with gastrointestinal nematode-infected goats (MI), gastrointestinal nematode-infected goats alone (CI), cattle with non-infected goats (MnI) and non-infected goats (CnI). Average daily gain (ADG, g/day) and grass production were measured for the four groups of animals (six goats and two heifers treated with MI or MnI) grazing for 3 months on 4 subplots. Monthly measurements were performed over 5-day periods. This pattern was replicated in space for a second set of four subplots and in time for six successive cohorts of animals (bands 1 to 6). The ADG of goats in mixed grazing conditions was higher than controls irrespective of the infection status (32.6 v. 18.4 g/day for MI v. CI; 44.2 v. 33.5 g/day for MnI v. CnI). Concomitantly, the average biomass was lower for mixed grazing animals compared with controls (174 v. 170 for MI and MnI; 235 v. 208 for CI and CnI, respectively), suggesting better use of the sward. For daily BW gain (g/kg DM), mixed grazing also yielded better results than the control (1.88 v. 0.52 g BW/kg DM per day for MI v. CI; 2.08 v. 1.47 g BW/kg DM per day for MnI and CnI). Mixed grazing of goats and heifers offers a promising alternative for increasing goat and overall animal production as well as improving the management of pastures.Keywords: mixed grazing, BW, goat, agro-ecological management, tropical ImplicationsThis study conducted over 2 years showed a higher average daily gain of grazing goats pastured together with cattle compared with goats reared alone, considering either the individual gain or gain per hectare. This increased gain occurred irrespective of the infection status of the goats. Moreover, the biomass was lower in mixed grazing conditions, likely due to improved use of the pasture by goats that were mixed with cattle. These results suggest that integrated grazing could be employed as an alternative agroecological strategy to increase performance per hectare and control residual biomass. In addition, this strategy represents an important alternative to reduce the use of anthelmintics.

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Mixed grazing systems of sheep and cattle to improve liveweight gain: a quantitative review

Cited by 48 publications

References 34 publications

Forage selectivity by cattle and sheep co‐grazing swards differing in plant species diversity

Forage selectivity by cattle and sheep co‐grazing swards differing in plant species diversity

Diverse Swards and Mixed-Grazing of Cattle and Sheep for Improved Productivity

Mixed grazing systems of goats with cattle in tropical conditions: an alternative to improving animal production in the pastureq

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