Abstract

Eleven rising 2 year old red deer stags (127 kg LW) and five yearling steer (297 kgLW) were used to examine and compare pasture dry matter and water intake when grazing a rapidly decreasing pasture mass. The two groups grazed separately on adjoining 0.024 ha paddock breaks (12 per group) for 3 day periods. Mean pre and post-grazing pasture mass for both groups was 3400 (+/-80) and 1100 (+/-40) kg DM/ha. Pasture intake (g DM/kg LW0.75/d) for stags and steer respectively was 65, 93 (day 1) 44, 45 (day 2) 28, 25 (day 3). Results indicate that at pasture allowances greater than 4.0 kg DM/100 kg LW comparatively higher intake was achieved by steers. Daily pasture intake, expressed as a proportion of initial pasture intake (day 1), of stags was less affected by decreasing pasture mass (days 2 and 3) than steers. Voluntary water intake by stags was approximately one sixth that of steers (3.6 vs. 23.2 1/hd/d). When compared on the basis of 1/kg LW0.75/d, steers consumed 3.4 times more water than stags. Faecal dry matter content (%DM) differed between species, being 25.6% for stags and 14.7% for steers. These results indicate faecal water loss may be a major factor contributing to higher water consumption by steers.

KE, Jury

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 50, , 1-6, 1990