The effect of herbage availability on animal performance off Kikuyu and Coastcross II.

Abstract

Under continuous grazing animal performance on Coastcross II was superior to that on Kikuyu at all levels of pasture availability. Superiority however depended on availability under rotational grazing. On Coastcross animal performance was better under continuous grazing than under rotational grazing at all levels of pasture availability but for Kikuyu superiority again depended on the level of availability. Large seasonal changes in animal performance occurred for both species in a season in which good early rains were followed by a relatively dry autumn but little change occurred in a season of generally low rainfall.

Keywords: animal performance; coastcross ii; continuous grazing; grazing; herbage availability; kikuyu; natal; pennisetum clandestinum; rotational grazing; seasonal changes; south africa; ukulinga research station