Effect of herb-clover mixes of plantain and chicory on lamb production in the early spring period

Abstract

Lamb production was evaluated in three herbage treatments (Pasture mix, Plantain mix and Chicory mix) in two consecutive early spring periods. The hypothesis was that the Plantain and Chicory mixes would produce greater weaned lamb liveweight gains than the Pasture mix. The lambs were rotationally grazed weekly in the herbage treatments and weighed fortnightly and carcass data collected at slaughter. Both Plantain and Chicory mixes produced heavier (P < 0.05) carcasses at slaughter (21.1 ± 0.11, 21.8 ± 0.11 and 22.3 ± 0.38 in Experiment 1 followed by 18.1 ± 0.17, 20.3 ± 0.17 and 19.7 ± 0.17 in Experiment 2 for the Pasture, Plantain and Chicory mixes, respectively). Lambs had greater (P < 0.05) liveweight gains and dressing-out percentages in Experiment 2 (39.5 ± 0.29, 41.4 ± 0.29 and 41.3 ± 0.29 for the Pasture, Plantain and Chicory mixes, respectively), than the Pasture mix in the early spring period. Therefore, these herb-clover mixes could be an alternative feed source in the early spring period compared with ryegrass/white clover pastures for finishing lambs.