Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 November 2017
Experiments designed to test animal responses to sward manipulation suggest that ewe performance and lamb growth are positively related to herbage mass and thus sward height (1,2,3,). From this component research, it is suggested that to maximise herbage production and animal performance during the main grazing season, sward heights should be maintained within the range of 4 to 6 cm; herbage mass should not exceed 1600 kg DM/ha (4,2). This trial was set up to test the efficacy and sensitivity of this approach in a set-stocked, grass lamb finishing system.