@conference {40566,
	title = {Herbage intake, ingestive behaviour and diet selection in sheep grazing Holcus lanatus and perennial ryegrass swards},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {54},
	year = {1994},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {71-74},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	abstract = {Grazing behaviour, diet selection, and herbage intake of ewes in mid- 
pregnancy were studied on perennial ryegrass/white clover and <I>Holcus  
lanatus</I>/white clover swards rotationally grazed at medium and high 
allowances (6\% and 12\% of liveweight as herbage dry matter respectively) 
during late autumn.  Estimates of herbage mass and sward height before 
grazing were similar for the two pasture types. 
 
Animals on both pasture types concentrated grass rather than clover in the diet,  
and extrusa samples from both showed evidence of limited concentrations of  
condensed tannins.  Herbage intake was 28\% higher from ryegrass than from  
Yorkshire fog swards (1410 vs 1100 {\textpm} 29 g DM/day) and 19\% greater at high  
allowance (1370 vs 1150 {\textpm} 50 g OM/day).  Bite weight was 61\% greater for  
Yorkshire fog than for ryegrass (139 vs 86 {\textpm} 7.0 g OM/bite) and 30\% lower for  
medium allowance than for high allowance (90 vs 130 {\textpm} 7.0 mg OM/bite).   
Grazing time was higher on ryegrass swards and for medium allowance (610 vs  
500 {\textpm} 34 mins and 620 vs 495 {\textpm} 27 mins) whereas differences in rate of biting  
were small.  There was a small advantage in the organic matter digestibility of  
the herbage selected in favour of ryegrass swards (85.7 vs 82.2 {\textpm} 0.3\%), while  
no differences were found between herbage allowances. 
 
It is concluded that herbage intake was influenced more by nutritional than by  
behavioural constraints, but that these effects need to be investigated in 
animals of higher production potential and nutrient demand. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Montossi FM and Hu Y and Hodgson J and Morris ST}
}
