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The effect of stocking density on the grazing behaviour of sheep at the same herbage mass

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 November 2021

A.M. Sibbald  and
L.J.F. Shellard
A.M. Sibbald
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, United Kingdom
L.J.F. Shellard
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, United Kingdom
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Extract

It is well recognised that the grazing behaviour of sheep is influenced by the availability of vegetation (Hodgson, 1985). However, the extent to which grazing may also be influenced by social factors related to stocking density is not well understood, since stocking density and herbage availability are normally confounded. In this study an experimental design was used which, for the first time, allowed the effect of stocking density on grazing behaviour to be explored without being confounded with differences in herbage height or mass.

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Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 1998 , 1998 , pp. 99
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 1998

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References

Hodgson, J. 1982. Ingestive behaviour. In Herbage intake handbook (ed. Leaver, J.D.), pp. 113–138. The British Grassland Society, Hurley.Google Scholar
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