Comparisons of Cattle Grazing and Sheep Grazing

Controversy has surrounded the possible differences in pasture production which result from grazing by cattle or sheep. Experiments conducted over the 1972-76 period show that pasture production under grazing by sheep is greater than under grazing by cattle under similar intensive managements. A change from sheep grazing to cattle grazing can cause a rapid deterioration in pasture production, while the change in grazing from cattle to sheep brought a slo~ver improvement in pasture production. Cattle grazing restricted the production of the ryegrass component of the pastures in the five management systems considered.