@conference {3678,
	title = {Preference for different pasture grasses by horses in New Zealand},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {74},
	year = {2014},
	month = {06/2014},
	pages = {79-84},
	address = {Napier},
	abstract = {In New Zealand, grazed pasture is the primary nutrient source for equines, but little is known about equine grass preferences. A study to identify preferred grass species and/or cultivars (here on referred to as grasses) by horses was conducted in a 0.62 ha paddock containing 22 different test grasses. The grasses tested were planted in 6 x 3 m plots with four replicates of each species/cultivar. Four mature mares 527{\textpm} 38 kg, mean age 9 {\textpm} 3 years, were grazed on the trial plots for a total of five days during May 2007. Grass preference was quantified by; direct DM utilisation (pre- vs post-grazing dry matter cuts), pasture-probe measurement and visual assessment through photographs. Grass preference was similar for each method used to quantify utilisation (r2=0.73 {\textendash} 0.76 P<0.0001). The six grasses most preferred by horses were all tetraploid ryegrasses (DM utilisation 74\% (inter quartile range 67-81\%). Least-preferred grasses were Yorkshire fog and Cocksfoot (DM utilisation down -0.9 to -14\%). Hot water soluble carbohydrate and digestible organic matter in the dry matterwere the best predictors of grass preference. There was no significant effect of endophyte status (High, AR1, and Nil) on pasture preference during late autumn.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Randall L and Rogers CW and Hoskin SO and Swainson NM}
}
@conference {42043,
	title = {Comparative methane emissions from cattle, red deer and sheep},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {68},
	year = {2008},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {59-62},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Brisbane, Australia},
	abstract = {Methane (CH4) production (g CH4/d) and yields (g CH4/kg dry matter intake (DMI)) from groups of 11 non-lactating dairy cattle, sheep and red deer were compared in January and June of 2007. During each period, methane emissions measured using the SF6 tracer technique, were measured over four days following 10 days of acclimatisation. All animals were individually housed in metabolism cages and fed ensiled lucerne chaff at a rate of 1.2 times estimated energy requirements according to Australian feeding standards. Total daily methane production from cattle (140.4 g CH4/day) was greater than deer (31.5 g CH4/day) which was greater than sheep (18.3 g CH4/day) (P<0.001) and methane yield from cattle (20.6 g CH4/kg DMI) was greater than sheep (18.4 g CH4/kg DMI) which was greater than deer (16.5 g CH4/kg DMI) (P<0.001). A significant interaction of species by season was driven by the higher methane production and yield of cattle in winter compared with summer (P<0.001). The findings of this experiment show that methane emissions can differ between ruminant species at the same time on the same diet. Reasons for these differences are yet to be elucidated. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Swainson NM and Hoskin SO and Clark H and Pinares-Patino CS and Brookes IM}
}
@conference {41993,
	title = {Effect of age on methane emissions of red deer stags from weaning until one year of age grazing perennial ryegrass-based pasture : Brief Communication},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {67},
	year = {2007},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {276-279},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Wanaka},
	abstract = {The emission of greenhouse gases is a current global issue as global warming and climate change appear a reality. The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement, which New Zealand (NZ) has signed and under obligations of the agreement, New Zealand must reduce its greenhouse gases (GHG) to the emission levels of the baseline year (1990), by the first ratification of the Protocol in 2008. Methane emissions from ruminant livestock in NZ represent 31.3\% of New Zealand{\textquoteright}s total greenhouse gas emissions; therefore accurate inventories of methane production for all farmed livestock classes are required.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Swainson NM and Hoskin SO and Clark H and Lopez-Villalobos N}
}
@conference {41616,
	title = {Apparent digestibility and rumen fermentation of fresh plantain (Plantago lanceolata cv Ceres Tonic) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv Nui) - based pasture fed to red deer (Cervus elaphus)},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {66},
	year = {2006},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {64-69},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Napier},
	abstract = {The aim of this study was to compare the apparent digestibility and rumen fermentation products in deer fed plantain (Plantago lanceolata) and perennial ryegrass-based pasture (Lolium perenne) during spring. Forages were cut and fed fresh in a cross-over design to seven castrated, rumen fistulated red deer (Cervus elaphus) housed individually indoors in metabolism crates. Plantain contained greater levels of organic matter and lignin and had a greater ratio of readily fermentable to structural carbohydrates and lower levels of crude protein (P < 0.01), compared with ryegrass-based pasture. The apparent digestibility of organic matter for both forages was high, but less for plantain (74.9\%) compared with ryegrass-based pasture (81.5\%) (P < 0.01). The ammonia concentration of rumen fluid from deer fed plantain (4.6 mmol/L) was less compared with fluid from deer fed ryegrass-based pasture (20.9 mmol/L) (P < 0.01). The apparent reduction in degradation of protein to ammonia in the rumen of deer fed plantain may have implications for increasing the efficiency of use of dietary protein in grazing ruminants. Further research is required to investigate the effect of feeding plantain, and its secondary compounds, on the rumen microbial ecosystem and rumen fermentation. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Swainson NM and Hoskin SO}
}
@conference {41531,
	title = {Validation of the double ?-alkane technique to estimate the dry matter intake of red deer fed fresh ryegrass-based pasture or plantain},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {65},
	year = {2005},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {23-28},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Christchurch},
	abstract = {  The accuracy of the double η-alkane technique to estimate dry matter intake (DMI) of red deer (Cervus elaphus)  fed fresh cut perennial ryegrass-based pasture (Lolium perenne  cv Nui) and narrow-leaved plantain (Plantago  lanceolata  cv Ceres Tonic) was determined in a cross-over experiment involving five adult castrated stags housed in  metabolism cages. A strong positive linear relationship between actual and estimated DMI was obtained for pasture  when using both C31  and C33 (C31  R2  = 0.94; P < 0.01; C33 R2  = 0.92; P < 0.01) and plantain for C31 (R2  = 0.80; P <  0.04), but not for C33 (R2  = 0.49; P < 0.19). However, the predicted DMI of deer using the  η-alkane technique was  underestimated up to 27.6\% for deer fed ryegrass-based pasture and overestimated up to 17.2\% for deer fed plantain  when compared with actual DMI.  The discrepancies between actual and predicted DMI could have been partly due to a  difference of 26\% between faecal recovery rates of odd and even-chain alkanes with pasture feeding and 12\% with  plantain feeding.  This suggests that the  η-alkane technique may not be appropriate for estimating DMI of ruminants  grazing New Zealand fresh forages, especially when comparisons between forage species are required.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Swainson NM and Hoskin SO and Clark H and Krause M}
}
