@article {50987, title = {Pen confinement of yearling ewes with cows or heifers for 14 days to produce bonded sheep}, journal = {Small Ruminant Research}, volume = {40}, year = {2001}, month = {June 1, 2001}, pages = {291-297}, abstract = {

Mixed species stocking uses forage resources more efficiently when compared to single species stocking, especially in pastures having complex assemblages of forage species. When mixed species (sheep and cattle) remain consistently as a cohesive group (flerd), predation risks are lessened and fencing and herding costs are reduced. To maintain a cohesive egroup, a 30-day bonding period is recommended in which young sheep and bovine pairs are penned together. This research tested if pen confinement can be reduced from 30 to 14 days, reducing feed, labor and overhead costs. Sixteen mature cows (7 to 8 years of age) and 16 9-month-old heifers were randomly paired with 1 of 32 yearling ewe lambs. Eight cow/ewe (PC) and eight heifer/ewe (PH) pairs were maintained individually in 2mx6m pens for 14 days. The other eight-cow/ewe (NC) and heifer/ewe (NH) pairs were separated by species with each species maintained on separate pastures for 14-day period. After 14 days, pairs were released in observation paddocks and separation distances between treatment pairs were measured during a 30-minute open field test. Separation distance did not differ (P=0.973) between the PC and PH treatments; however, separation distance for NC vs NH, NC versus PC, and NH vs PH all differed. Mean separation distance (meters) and standard errors were 40+/-3.9, 3+/-0.3, 76+/-5.3, and 4+/-1.4 for CH, PH, CC and PC treatments, respectively. Previously penned animals spent more time grazing and less time walking than nonpenned animals. Cow age was not found important in establishing a bond. These data suggest that an interspecific bond using pen confinement can be formed within 14 days, representing 53\% savings in time and associated costs when compared to confinement lasting 30 days.

}, keywords = {beef cattle, bonded sheep, bonding, cows, heifers, Mixed species stocking, Multispecies stocking, pen confinement, sheep, yearling ewes}, doi = {10.1016/S0921-4488(01)00183-3}, url = {/files/bibliography/01-022.pdf}, author = {E.L. Fredrickson and D.M. Anderson and Richard E. Estell and Kris Havstad and Shupe, W. Larry and M.D. Remmenga} } @article {51276, title = {Effects of ruminant digestion on germination of Lehmann lovegrass seed}, journal = {Journal of Range Management}, volume = {50}, number = {1}, year = {1997}, note = {Permission to post articles granted by the Society for Range Management; www.rangelands.org.}, month = {January 1, 1997}, pages = {20-26}, abstract = {

Lehmann lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees) seed (germination 96\%, dormant 0\%) was used in 4 experiments to study the potential of sheep as a dispersal agent. Five, 4-year-old, ruminally cannulated wethers were used to examine effects of ruminant digestion on seed recovery and germination. All wethers were ruminally evacuated, and rumens were cleansed and reinoculated with strained ruminal fluid. After a 21-day adaptation to pelleted alfalfa, 4 experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 was designed to test viability of Lehmann lovegrass seeds exposed to ruminal and postruminal digestion. Lehmann lovegrass seed (10 g) was dosed intra-ruminally via ruminal fistula, and total fecal collections made. Of the viable seed ruminally dosed, 37\% germinated within 21 days after recovery. Also, 98 to 100\% of the seed that germinated was recovered within 72 hours of dosing. Experiment 2 was designed to test the influence of ruminal microbial digestion on seed degradation and viability, using in sacco nylon bag techniques. In sacco dry matter disappearance increased linearly from 5.5\% at 3 hours of incubation to 16 \% at 120 hours. Germination of seed was not greatly affected until after 72 hours of ruminal incubation. Experiment 3 was designed to examine the effect of mastication on viability of Lehmann lovegrass seeds. Seeds were mixed with seed-free Lehmann lovegrass straw in a proportion of 1 to 10 (seed to straw) and 10 g fed to each wether. Boli were recovered manually via ruminal fistula. Thirty five percent of the seed fed entered the rumen without damage due to mastication. Experiment 4 compared in vitro techniques and in sacco techniques used to estimate the effect of digestion on seed viability. In vitro incubation techniques yielded similar results as in sacco techniques. We conclude that ruminants are potential disseminating agents of Lehmann lovegrass seed.

}, keywords = {Eragrostis lehmanniana, in vitro digestibility, introduced species, mastication, rumen fermentation, seed dispersal, Seed germination, seeds, selective grazing, sheep, sheep dung}, doi = {10.2307/4002700 }, url = {/files/bibliography/582.pdf}, author = {E.L. Fredrickson and Richard E. Estell and Kris Havstad and Ksiksi, T. and VanTol, J. and M.D. Remmenga} } @article {51388, title = {Potential toxicity and feed value of onions for sheep}, journal = {Livestock Production Science}, volume = {42}, year = {1995}, note = {Reprinted with permission from Elsevier, Copyright {\textcopyright} 1995. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03016226)}, month = {1995}, pages = {45-54}, abstract = {

The feeding, ruminal effects and potential toxicity of cull onions bulbs (Allium cepa) was compared to whole sorghum grain for growing wethers. In Expt. 1, 56 Polypay X Rambouillet wethers (avg. initial BW of 32.7 {\textpm} 0.88 kg) were assigned randomly to one of four dietary treatments (dry matter basis): (1) 50\% whole sorghum grain (CON); (2) 33\% sorghum:17\% onions (17\%); (3) 17\% sorghum:33\% onions (33\%); and (4) 50\% onions (50\%). The remaining 50\% was pelleted alfalfa (19\% CP). All wethers were group fed (seven wethers per pen; two replicates per treatment) for 6 weeks. Weight gain during the trial did not differ (P\> 0.05) among treatments. Packed cell volume tended to be less (P = 0.057) for the 33\% and 50\% onion groups during weeks 1 and 2, and was less (P\< 0.0001) for the same groups during week 3 (34, 33, 29 and 29\% for CON, 17, 33 and 50\%, respectively). Serum lactate dehydrogenase was increased (P\< 0.05) at weeks 3 and 6 in sheep on the 33\% and 50\% onion treatments. During Expt. 2, 15 ruminally cannulated wethers were individually fed diets similar to those Expt. 1, except onions were fed to replace sorghum grain to provide 0, 25 and 50\% of the dietary DM as onions. Ruminal fluid (P\> 0.05) and particulate passage (P\> 0.05) were not altered by feeding onions. Water intake by drinking decreased (P\< 0.0001) as percentage of onions in the diet increased, whereas total water intake (drinking and fed) increased (P\< 0.0001). Effects of onions on volatile fatty acid concentrations and ruminal pH were minimal (P\< 0.05), whereas ruminal ammonia-N concentration was greater (P\< 0.05) in wethers fed onions. We conclude that under conditions similar to those in our study, onions can be fed safely to sheep with weight gains comparable to those from whole sorghum grain.

}, keywords = {Allium cepa, digestion, sheep}, doi = {10.1016/0301-6226(94)00066-G}, url = {/files/bibliography/442.pdf}, author = {E.L. Fredrickson and Richard E. Estell and Kris Havstad and Shupe, W. Larry and L. W. Murray} } @article {51522, title = {Feeding cull onions to sheep}, journal = {Ranch Magazine}, year = {1992}, month = {October 1, 1992}, pages = {44}, abstract = {Several years ago during a visit to the Las Cruces city landfill, we saw a small mountain of cull onions with several pickups parked around it. People were climbing over the pile looking for the best onions to load in their pickups to either eat or sell. While watching the people sort through the onions we wondered if we could use onions as a livestock feed. Sometime later we searched various journals to learn what is currently known about feeding cull onions to livestock. To our surprise, there was very little information. Most all the articles available only described a condition termed "oxlion poisoning," a condition where sulfur compounds in onions cause red blood cells to loose their ability to carry oxygen and eventually the red blood cells die. Despite these reports in the literature, we knew of a few sheep producers who were feeding cull onions. It became obvious to us that research designed to determine the amount of onions that could safely be fed to sheep might be useful to sheep producers and onion growers alike. Onions are potentially an inexpensive feed. Also, cull onions reentering the market place negatively affect market demand for onions and onion prices. With aid from the New Mexico Dry Onion Commission, we completed two studies using sheep.}, keywords = {cull onions, inexpensive feed, livestock feed, oxlion poisoning, sheep}, url = {/files/bibliography/384.pdf}, author = {E.L. Fredrickson and Shupe, W. Larry} }