Mixed Herb Ley No Advantage Over Ryegrass-White Clover Pasture for Early Lamb Growth

The performance of lambs at 2 stocking rates, on either ryegrass­white clover (Lolium perenne- Trifolium repens) pasture or on a mixed herb ley, were compared under a system which precluded use of pesticides (including drenches) and highly soluble fertilisers. The mixed herb ley included 8 grasses, 5 legumes and 3 herbs: chicory (Cichorium lntybus), sheep's burnet (Sangulsorba minor ssp. muricata) and narrow-leaved plantain (Plantago lanceolata). In the first grazing cycle, there were no significant differences in lamb growth rates, nor in faecal egg counts, between the two pasture types, although in the first month, growth rates were higher at the lower stocking rate. An outbreak of viral pneumonia in the lambs slowed their growth, and internal parasites may also have reduced lamb performance.