Short Term Effects of Grazing Sheep on Agroforestry based Pasture

Abstract

The efficacy of producing sheep by grazing on agroforestry based pasture in relation to growth, breeding traits, and impacts on the pasture were investigated.  Sheep were placed on traditional or agroforestry grazing pasture and experiments determined growth rates, organic material and nitrogen concentrations of the soil, forestry utilization, and female breeding traits.  There were no significant differences between the growth traits.  There was significantly higher organic material from the agroforestry vs. the traditional pasture.  The nitrogen content from the agroforestry without sheep was significantly higher compared to the other plots.  The percent of understory cover on the agroforestry plot was significantly less compared to a control.  There were no significant differences in sexual receptivity or pregnancy rates in the ewes, but the lambing rates of the agroforestry was significantly higher than the traditional pasture.