TY - JOUR

T1 - Herbal leys increase forage macro- and micronutrient content, spring lamb nutrition, liveweight gain, and reduce gastrointestinal parasites compared to a grass-clover ley

AU - Cooledge, Emily

AU - Kendall, Nigel

AU - Leake, Jonathan

AU - Chadwick, Dave

AU - Jones, Davey L.

PY - 2024/3/21

Y1 - 2024/3/21

N2 - Commercial herbal leys (multispecies swards) are rapidly gaining popularity due to their potential to deliver an enhanced suite of ecosystem services. However, little is known about their impact on lamb production. A 2-ha split-field experiment using an herbal and grass-clover ley (0.33 ha paddock−1, n = 3 per sward) aimed to evaluate the effect of sward-type on forage quality and lamb productivity. Lambs (n = 40 per sward) were rotationally grazed over two experimental seasons: autumn 2020 (males) and spring 2021 (females). Sward quality was measured at the start of each grazing season. Liveweight gain and faecal egg counts (FEC) were measured at week 0, 4 and 6 in autumn and week 0, 4, 9 and 11 in spring. Blood samples were analysed after 11-weeks in spring to assess mineral status. General sward nutritional quality (e.g., crude protein) did not improve under the herbal ley, however, higher sward macro- and micronutrient concentrations were observed in both seasons. Spring liveweight gain was significantly greater in lambs grazing the herbal (172 ± 7 g d−1) vs. grass-clover ley (144 ± 7 g d−1), while autumn liveweight gain showed no difference. Spring lambs grazing the herbal ley compared to the grass-clover ley had elevated plasma cobalt (2.0 ± 0.1 nmol l−1 vs. 1.6 ± 0.1 nmol l−1) and selenium (0.7 ± 0.04 µmol l−1 vs. 0.5 ± 0.01 µmol l−1), with lower blood urea (7.7 ± 0.3 nmol l−1 vs. 10.4 ± 0.4 nmol l−1). Spring FEC scores were reduced by 78 % in herbal grazed lambs; there were no significant differences in autumn FEC from either sward. In conclusion, the herbal ley resulted in seasonal improvements in sward micronutrient content and lamb parasite burden, mineral status, and productivity.

AB - Commercial herbal leys (multispecies swards) are rapidly gaining popularity due to their potential to deliver an enhanced suite of ecosystem services. However, little is known about their impact on lamb production. A 2-ha split-field experiment using an herbal and grass-clover ley (0.33 ha paddock−1, n = 3 per sward) aimed to evaluate the effect of sward-type on forage quality and lamb productivity. Lambs (n = 40 per sward) were rotationally grazed over two experimental seasons: autumn 2020 (males) and spring 2021 (females). Sward quality was measured at the start of each grazing season. Liveweight gain and faecal egg counts (FEC) were measured at week 0, 4 and 6 in autumn and week 0, 4, 9 and 11 in spring. Blood samples were analysed after 11-weeks in spring to assess mineral status. General sward nutritional quality (e.g., crude protein) did not improve under the herbal ley, however, higher sward macro- and micronutrient concentrations were observed in both seasons. Spring liveweight gain was significantly greater in lambs grazing the herbal (172 ± 7 g d−1) vs. grass-clover ley (144 ± 7 g d−1), while autumn liveweight gain showed no difference. Spring lambs grazing the herbal ley compared to the grass-clover ley had elevated plasma cobalt (2.0 ± 0.1 nmol l−1 vs. 1.6 ± 0.1 nmol l−1) and selenium (0.7 ± 0.04 µmol l−1 vs. 0.5 ± 0.01 µmol l−1), with lower blood urea (7.7 ± 0.3 nmol l−1 vs. 10.4 ± 0.4 nmol l−1). Spring FEC scores were reduced by 78 % in herbal grazed lambs; there were no significant differences in autumn FEC from either sward. In conclusion, the herbal ley resulted in seasonal improvements in sward micronutrient content and lamb parasite burden, mineral status, and productivity.

KW - Sheep

KW - Trace elements

KW - Multispecies sward

KW - Gastrointestinal parasite burden

KW - Grass quality

U2 - 10.1016/j.agee.2024.108991

DO - 10.1016/j.agee.2024.108991

M3 - Article

VL - 367

JO - Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment

JF - Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment

SN - 0167-8809

M1 - 108991

ER -