Abstract

Groups of between 12 and 39 mixed age alpaca females with young at foot, and similar numbers of non-lactating Wiltshire Horn sheep, were grazed in three sets of paired plots of mixed perennial ryegrass/white clover/Yorkshire fog/cocksfoot pastures. Each pair of plots was grazed twice over a period of four months (January-June) in order to compare patterns of grazing behaviour and diet selection. All pastures contained substantial proportions of dead material. Grazing behaviour was recorded manually over 24 hours in each period, and diet selection assessed from marked grass tillers and clover nodes set out on long transects in each plot. Alpacas and sheep spent similar time grazing (8.7 vs 8.5

SC, Champion, GE Robards, AR Lindsay, and MA Friend

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 55, , 130-132, 1995