The growth of young cattle and sheep managed on a preference and follower herd basis within a rotational grazing system on veld

Abstract

The trial was carried out at the Kokstad Research Station in the summer rainfall area on the Eastern sea board of South Africa. Growing cattle and sheep in the first season and cattle only in the second were run on a preference and follower herd basis within a rotational grazing system on veld. This resulted in better mass gains in the preference cattle which reached statistical significance in both seasons. The cattle and sheep in the preference herd selected a diet higher in crude protein than the follower herd. The sheep selected samples which were higher in crude protein than those selected by the cattle.

Keywords: growth|cattle|sheep|preference herd basis|follower herd basis|rotational grazing systems|grazing regimes|Kokstad|grasslands|veld|mass gain rates|crude proteins|diets|holistic approaches|KwaZulu Natal Province|veld management