The effect of grazing cattle and sheep together

Abstract

The performance of sheep and cattle grazing together was compared with that of sheep grazing only with sheep and of cattle grazing only with cattle. Comparisons were made at five stocking rates over three years at the Ginninderra Experiment Station, near Canberra, A.C.T. The cattle, Aberdeen Angus steers, gained less weight in autumn and winter if grazing with sheep (Merino ewes) than did cattle grazing only with cattle. During spring, however, they grew faster and, by late spring, differences between the groups were small and not significant. Sheep grazing with cattle grew more wool, and produced more lambs with higher weaner weights, than sheep grazing only with sheep. The effect of stocking rate on animal performance varied greatly through the year. In spring and summer, gains of young cattle were not greatly affected by stocking rate, and were sometimes highest at highest stocking rates. In autumn, winter, and early spring an additional one-eighth steers per acre decreased daily gains by 0.2 kg, or even more. Older steers at highest stocking rates gained much more in spring than did those on lowest stocking rates. Stocking rate affected all attributes of sheep when grazing alone, but had little effect on sheep grazing with cattle. This study indicates that there could be substantial advantages from running cattle with sheep. The performance of sheep would be improved, and that of cattle reduced only slightly, compared with systems running the species separately. Compensatory gains in spring offer considerable benefits to cattle management, but may limit the value of practices such as supplementary feeding of cattle in winter. Similar results are likely wherever cool temperate, improved pastures are grazed at high stocking rates. Different results are likely from native pastures, and semi-arid environments.