The effect of stocking rate on the performance of steers in central coastal New South Wales

Abstract

The effect of stocking rate and sowing one-eighth of the area to lucerne on the liveweight change and carcase characteristics of Hereford steers grazing pastures dominated by Paspalum dilatatum was studied at the Wolverton Farm of the University of Sydney, Bringelly, New South Wales from 1971 to 1974. Stocking rate (1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 steers ha-1) had an effect upon mean daily liveweight gain in some periods and this was reflected in the number of days taken to achieve 450 kg. (1.5 ha-1 took 509 days, 2.0 took 595, 2.5 took 802 and 3.0 took 842 days). There were significant differences in average daily gain between replicates in most periods. The lucerne did not persist after the first year. Having one-eighth of the area sown to lucerne did not significantly affect daily liveweight gain. There were highly significant period effects with the highest daily gain occurring in spring and summer, the lowest in winter and gain in autumn being dependent upon rainfall and stocking rate. In many periods increasing stocking rate above 2.0 steers ha-1 did not increase the per hectare liveweight gain.