PERFORMANCE OF BEEF CATTLE GROWN ON AN ARTIFICIAL PASTURE OVER TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS UNDER THE MEDITERRANEAN CONDITIONS
Keywords:
Holstein, Artificial Grassland, Performance, Beef ProductionAbstract
This study was aimed to determine the performance of Holstein breed beef animals grown on an artificially
established pastures over two consecutive years under the Mediterranean climate conditions. The experiment
was conducted at university farm in Isparta province located in the west Mediterranean region of Turkey on two
consecutive years (2011 and 2012). For this purpose, 20 Holstein breed beef cattle with an average of 6 months
old were assigned equally to two grazing paddocks established as a 3 ha-artificial pastures. Pasture 1 (P1) was
composed of Medicago sativa L. ( 20%) + Bromus inermis L. (40%) + Agropyron cristatum L. (30%) + Poterium
sanguisorba (10%); and Pasture 2 (P2) had mixtures of Medicago sativa L. (15%) + Onobrychis sativa Lam.
(15%) + Agropyron cristatum L. (35%) + Bromus inermis L. (35%), respectively. The first year experiment lasted
for 90 and the following year 70 days.
The results showed that there were no effects of the years and the pasture types on the performance of the
animals. The total weight gains of the animals were 98 and 90 kg at the end of the first year grazing and the second
year respectively. Daily liveweight gains (DLWG) of the animals were as follows: 1.089 v. 0.983 kg, respectively.
Similarly, the total weight gains of the animals grazed on P1 and P2 were 95 and 91 kg respectively. DLWGs were
1.059 and 1.013 kg for P1 and P2 respectively. Consequently, both type of artificial pastures can be recommended
for beef cattle production in the region.
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