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Title: PERFORMANCE OF SPRING AND FALL LAMBING EWES ON NO-TILL WINTER WHEAT FIELDS DURING THE SUMMER FALLOW PERIOD

Author
item Phillips, William
item MCCOLLUM, F - TEXAS A&M
item JULIAN, R - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
item VOLESKY, J - UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

Submitted to: American Society of Animal Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/15/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: PHILLIPS, W.A., MCCOLLUM, F.T., JULIAN, R.S., VOLESKY, J.D. PERFORMANCE OF SPRING AND FALL LAMBING EWES ON NO-TILL WINTER WHEAT FIELDS DURING THE SUMMER FALLOW PERIOD. AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANIMAL SCIENCE. 1999. 77(Suppl.1): Abstract p. 23.

Interpretive Summary: Abstract only

Technical Abstract: The objective of this experiment was to determine if fallow no-till wheat fields could be used to support spring and fall lambing ewes during the summer months. Each fall wheat was established on two 32.4 ha fields. Fields were grazed by cattle from November through May. In June of each year ewes were blocked by breed and lambing season, then randomly assigned to one of two grazing treatment groups. The Control group (n=239) grazed Bermudagrass pastures for about 50 d while the Fallow group (n=2475) grazed the weeds and grasses that grew in the fallow wheat fields. The wheat fields were divided into 4 paddocks. Each paddock was grazed once during the summer. Data were analyzed within year to determine the effect of grazing treatment and lambing season on weight gain. At the beginning of the grazing period, ewes weighed 52.8 kg in 1991, 57.7 kg in 1992 and 57.2 kg in 1993. In 1991, the ewes in the Control group gained more (p=.10) weight than the ewes in the Fallow group (4.58 vs 1.22 kg). Weight gain was similar between treatments in 1992 and 1993 (5.76 vs 3.18). Fallow fields provide 654 grazing days/ha overall, but the number of days was different among years. Plant DM in fallow fields was initially dominated by cool season grasses, but later in the season lower quality warm season grasses predominated the paddocks. Fallow no-till wheat fields can be used to support both spring and fall lambing ewes during the summer.