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Lolium perenne L. (Lp) is the main pasture species in New Zealand, but climate change increases the likelihood of drought during summer and consequently lowers its growth rates. Bromus valdivianus Phil. (Bv) tolerates better the summer soil water restriction, but its competitiveness in a diverse pasture relates to the defoliation management and soil moisture levels. The performance of both species in terms of production, persistence and feed quality across seasons under different defoliation regimens was evaluated when the species were mixed and in monoculture. The treatments were applied in a randomised complete block design with three blocks. Bromus valdivianus and Lp monocultures and the 50/50 mixture (Mx) were grazed at low and high defoliation frequencies (i.e. based on Bv and Lp optimal leaf regrowth stage [LS], respectively). Herbage mass production was 15% higher in the Mx, mainly due to an increase in production in spring and summer. In spring, there was complementarity growth between the species, while during summer/early autumn, the Mx production relayed in the higher participation of Bv. Root biomass at depth (31–70 cm) was 38% greater for Bv monoculture and the Mx compared with Lp monoculture, which demonstrated the contribution of Bv to a better production of the mixture during and following the dry periods. In addition, the maintenance of the Bv tiller population and the higher growth rate during dry periods demonstrated its better fitness to low soil water availabilities than Lp. Although herbage mass was not modified by the defoliation frequency, forage quality of Bv showed values at low defoliation frequency that could compromise animal production during spring. However, there was an increase in root biomass under low defoliation frequencies, which suggested that a flexible grazing management across seasons would increase the niche utilisation between species in the mixture. The defoliation frequency of the mixture could be based on Lp LS during spring and winter, and slowed down, following Bv criteria, during summer and autumn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of alternative herbage types such as herb-clover mixes and lucerne can improve the weaning weight of twin and triplet lambs born to mature ewes and single lambs born to ewe hoggets. The aim of this study was to compare the live weights of twin bearing ewe hoggets and their progeny grazed on either ad libitum permanent pasture (ryegrass white clover), lucerne or plantain-clover during lactation over two years. In both years of the study, twin bearing hoggets and their lambs grazed on lucerne or plantain-clover were heavier at weaning than those on pasture. Lambs grazed on lucerne had greater live weights at weaning than plantain-clover, however, among ewe hoggets differences were seen only in the first year of the study. In conclusion, both lucerne and the plantain-clover resulted in increased mean live weights of ewe hoggets and their lambs at weaning compared with those on pasture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment investigated the feasibility of using herb-clover mixes to enable early weaning of lambs at ∼60 days of age. Over two years, twin lambs weighing more than 16 kg were allocated to three treatments: ryegrass pastures until 90 days-of-age, herb-clover mix until 90 days-of-age or weaned at ∼60 days of age onto herb-clover mix. In 2014, lambs offered the herb-clover mix, weaned at 60 or 90 days, were heavier at 90 days than lambs grazing on pasture with their dams. In 2015, lambs that weaned early onto the herb-clover mix were lighter at the same age as lambs that remained with their dam, but they still achieved a commercial weight. Ewes weaned early were heavier at weaning than ewes suckling lambs on ryegrass pasture in both years. Under some conditions, early weaning of lambs onto a herb-clover mix can be an effective alternative to conventional weaning on ryegrass pasture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lamb growth to weaning has important implications for the profitability of farms producing lambs for meat. Alternative forage crops such as chicory, plantain, red clover and white clover have the potential to increase lamb growth rates to weaning percentage sold to slaughter at weaning. A study was conducted over two years to examine the growth of single-born lambs offered either pasture or herb-mix (chicory, plantain, white clover and red clover) from birth to weaning. Each year, 80 single-bearing ewes were allocated to either a pasture or herb-clover mix. In 2014, ewes and lambs that were offered the herb-clover mix had greater live weights at weaning than those grazed on ryegrass pasture. In 2015, however, no differences in lamb weaning weight was observed. In both years of the study, lambs reared on the herb clover mix had growth rates in excess of 400 g/day, from birth to weaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]