Nutrition of Sheep Grazing Foothill Big Game Range in Spring

• Main Author: Kotter, Kurt J.
• Format: Others
• Published: DigitalCommons@USU 1974
• Subjects: nutrition; sheep grazing; game range; forage digestibility; Environmental Sciences; Plant Sciences; Sheep and Goat Science
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/6296; https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7378&context=etd

Sheep with esophageal fistulas were used to determine the daily intake, nutritive content and digestibility of forage at three periods and two stocking intensities during the spring of 1972 on a typical foothill range in northern Utah. Heavy grazing under a season-long regime did not influence the concentrations of dietary chemical components when compared to moderate grazing; however, it did depress the digestibility of cellulose and organic matter. There was a significant decline in the dietary chemical components due to forage maturation. Digestibility of organic matter and cellulose were significantly higher in the early spring as compared to late spring. Daily intake was depressed as a result of the heavy grazing only in early spring. Heavy grazing intensities on short-term pastures influenced the content of lignin, cellulose and protein in the diet. Digestibility of cellulose and organic matter was depressed during early and late spring as a result of the heavy grazing intensities while protein digestibility was depressed throughout the season. Intake was significantly lower under heavy grazing in the intermediate period than it was under moderate grazing.