Rangeland Ecology & Management

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DOES THE NUTRITIONAL CONTEXT ENHANCE INTAKE OF AND PREFERENCE FOR MEDUSAHEAD BY SHEEP
Author
Hamilton, Tyler
Burritt, Beth
Villalba, Juan J.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2014
Body

Medusahead is an invasive weed, which negatively impacts whole ecosystems. Grazing represents a sustainable and low-cost alternative for its control. However, utilization of medusahead by livestock is low. We explored whether supplements create an appropriate nutritional context that enhances use of medusahead by sheep, and if medusahead causes food aversions. Groups of lambs were individually penned and randomly assigned to 4 supplementation treatments (8 lambs/treatment): Beet pulp:barley (70:30) (high energy; HiE), alfalfa:soybean meal (60:40; high protein; HP), a choice of HiE and HP (CHOICE), or no supplement (CON). All animals had then ad libitum access to fresh-cut medusahead (5 h/d) and subsequently a basal diet of tall fescue hay (TF). After 10d, all animals were offered choices between medusahead and TF. Studies were conducted with different sets of animals during three medusahead stages (vegetative, seed head emergence, and thatch). A group of lambs (n=10) was offered beet pulp and then infused in the rumen with the greatest amount of medusahead (vegetative stage) ingested (4 g/KgBW). Control groups (n=10) received infusions of LiCl (1.5 mg/Kg BW) or TF (4 g/KgBW). Lambs ingested thatch > vegetative > seed emergence stages (P < 0.05). Supplementation with HiE led to the greatest amounts of medusahead intake during the vegetative (P < 0.10) and seed emergence stages (P < 0.05). During choice tests, lambs in CON ate the least amount of thatch (P < 0.05), and showed lower preferences for the vegetative (P < 0.13) and seed emergence stages (P < 0.05) than lambs in HiE. Medusahead infusions did not reduce intake relative to controls (P > 0.10). Thus, intake of medusahead decreased with plant maturity but it was the greatest for the thatch stage. Supplements can modify preference for and intake of medusahead, a weed that did not induce a food aversion in sheep.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Orlando, FL