This study considered the feasibility of supplementing crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum Fisch.) forage with some common rangeland shrubs. The necessary proportions of shrub and grass in the diet to meet protein and energy requirements were calculated for gestating sheep during the late fall and early winter grazing season. Shrubs studied included fourwing saltbush Atriplex canescens Pursh. Nutt.), winterfat (Ceratoides lanata (Pursh Howell), rubber rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. albicaulis, (Nutt) Rydb.), and big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana Nutt.). The shrubs were consistently higher in both total and digestible protein than crested wheatgrass over the period of study. Fourwing saltbush and winterfat with 8.24 and 6.31% digestible protein, respectively, were found to be the most promising shrubs to be used to supplement the low protein content of crested wheatgrass for late fall grazing. To meet dietary requirements for gestating sheep would require a minimum of 56 to 69% of fourwing saltbush and winterfat respectively, in the diet. Sagebrush and rabbitbrush were lower in digestible protein content, 4.04 and 4.43%, respectively, and therefore could not be used alone with crested wheatgrass. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020
Scholarly peer-reviewed articles published by the Society for Range Management. Access articles on a rolling-window basis from vol. 1, 1948 up to 5 years from the current year. Formerly Journal of Range Management (JRM). More recent content is available by subscription from SRM.