The Consumption of Perennial Ryegrass and Red Clover by Grazing Lambs

Groups of six‐month old lambs, which were either experienced or inexperienced grazers, strip‐grazed swards of S24 perennial ryegrass or Hungaropoly tetraploid red clover, at daily herbage allowances of 20 or 40 g OM/kg LW, in late August and September. The swards were similar in N content, but the weight of standing crop, and its digestibility, were higher on grass than on clover. Estimates of herbage intake were made in two successive periods of 19 days. Intake (g OM/kg LW) was lower at low than at high allowance (by 22% and 28% in periods I and II). and experienced grazers ate more than inexperienced animals (by 27% and 22%). Intakes on clover were 28% higher than on grass in Period I, but in Period II the difference was not significant.