Abaye et al. compared forage quality and quantity between pastures grazed by sheep and cattle alone and together (multi-species grazing). More forage was available and forage use tended to be more consistent throughout the grazing season in multi-species pastures than in pastures where sheep or cattle were grazed alone. Forage quality was affected by environmental variables and by grazing treatment: lowest in pastures where sheep grazed alone, intermediate in multi-species grazed pastures, and highest in pastures where cattle grazed alone. Based on these results, and other measurements taken during the study, the authors suggest multi-species grazing can be a good grazing management practice in Virginia pastures.
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