Grasses grazed by springbok and sheep

Abstract

Grazing habits were determined by analysis of rumina from slaughtered springbok and sheep where springbok grazed together with Merino sheep in False Upper Karoo and together with Dorper sheep in Kalahari Thornveld. Results show that in both veld types, grass constituted about 39 percent of the dry mass intake of springbok, the balance being obtained from bushes. Dorper sheep took 65 percent and Merino sheep 75 percent grass in their feed. Both species of animal took a great variety of grasses. In 47 samples from sheep and 105 from springbok collected over three years, no seasonal variation of feeding samples was detectable.

Keywords: grazing|grasses|springbok|sheep|sheep grazing|rumina analyses|Karoo|thornveld|veld types|dry mass intakes|bushes|animals|competition|farms|species lists