EVALUATION OF THE QUALITY OF TWO DIFFERENT ARTIFICIAL PASTURES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF GRAZING BEEF ANIMALS

Authors : Mevlut TURK, Sebahattin ALBAYRAK, Yalcin BOZKURT

Pages : 24-30

Doi:10.17557/.73894

View : 31 | Download : 8

Publication Date : 2015-05-18

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This research was conducted to determine the feeding quality of different artificial pastures and their effects on animal performance from the years 2010 to 2012. For this purpose, two different artificial pastures were established, each one covered 1.5 ha area during the first year of the research. The mixtures of the pastures used were as follows: Pasture 1 insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(P1);: Medicago sativa L. insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(20%); + Bromus inermis L. insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(40%); + Agropyron cristatum L. insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(30%); + Poteriumsanguisorba   insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(10%);; Pasture 2 insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(P2);: Medicago sativa L. insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(15%); + Onobrychis sativa Lam. insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(15%); + Agropyron cristatum L. insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(35%); + Bromus inermis L. insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(35%);. The grazing was conducted in the second and the third years of the research. Twenty Holstein male calves with 6 months old were assigned to the experimental areas randomly, each pasture containing 10 animals. Forage samples were collected from grazing and non-grazing areas once every 15 days during the grazing seasons. Concurrently with forage sampling, liveweight gains of animals were also obtained.  The dry matter insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(DM); yield, crude protein insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(CP);, acid detergent fibre insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(ADF);, neutral detergent fibre insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(NDF); contents, in vitro dry matter digestibility insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(IVDMD); were determined on the forage samples collected from grazing and non-grazing areas. The results showed that as grazing season advanced forage quality was declined in both pastures. The CP content and IVDMD were decreased with advancing growth stages in grazing and non-grazing areas of two pastures. The ADF and NDF contents were increased with advancing growth stages. There were no significant differences in the animal performances grazed on both pastures in terms of final weights, total weight gains and daily live weight gains.
Keywords : Animal performance, dry matter yield, forage quality, grazing, liveweight gain