The use of nutritional blocks as a tool for grazing management in extensive sheep husbandry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.21.31.3.0.1499Keywords:
extensive management, home range, homogeneous grazing, landscape use, livestock movement, Patagonia, multi-nutritional supplementAbstract
The improvement in grazing spatial distribution is an important goal for the efficient and sustainable management of rangelands. However, extensive livestock systems such as the Patagonian rangelands generally fails due to the large paddock size (up to 6000 ha). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategic use of nutritional blocks as an attractive element in underused areas of the landscape, in a shrub steppe of low cover (less than 50%) under dry climate. The spatial distribution of sheep was evaluated in two extensive paddocks (1900 and 5500 ha) under two sequential treatments (With nutritional blocks and Traditional management without nutritional blocks) in two years. The study was carried out using wethers of the Corriedale breed, with an average stocking rate of 0.17±0.03 sheep/ha. The geotracking of wethers was obtained by means of collars equipped with global positioning system technology, configured with a measuring frequency of 5 minutes within an average period of 15 days. The use of nutritional blocks resulted in a 46.1-57.4% expansion in the daily home range with respect to the traditional management, suggesting a more spatial homogeneous use of the paddocks by sheep. These results would have important practical implications, considering that the use of nutritional blocks would allow the combination of supplementation strategies with the sustainable use of pastoral resources.
References
Andrade, M., D. Suárez, P. L. Peri, P. Borrelli, S. Ormaechea, D. Ferrante, E. Rivera, and M. V. Sturzenbaum. 2015. Desarrollo de un modelo de asignación variable de carga animal en Patagonia Sur. Ediciones INTA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Arnold, G. W., S. R. Wallace, and W. A. Rea. 1981. Associations between individuals and homerange behaviour in natural flocks of three breeds of domestic sheep. Applied Animal Ethology 7:239-257. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3762(81)90081-X.
Bailey, D. W., and G. R. Welling. 1999. Modification of cattle grazing distribution with dehydrated molasses supplement. Journal of Range Management 52:575-582. https://doi.org/10.2307/4003626.
Bailey, D. W., and D. Jensen. 2008. Method of Supplementation May Affect Cattle Grazing Patterns. Rangeland Ecology and Management 61:131-135. https://doi.org/10.2111/06-167.1.
Bailey, D. W., and G. R. Welling. 2007. Evaluation of low moisture blocks and conventional dry mixes for supplementing minerals and modifying cattle grazing patterns. Rangeland Ecology and Management 60:54-64. https://doi.org/10.2111/05-138R1.1.
Bailey, D. W., and J. R. Brown. 2011. Rotational grazing systems and livestock grazing behavior in shrub-dominated semiarid and arid rangelands. Rangeland Ecology and Management 64:1-9. https://doi.org/10.2111/REM-D-09-00184.1.
Bailey, D. W., J. E. Gross, E. A. Laca, L. R. Rittenhouse, M. B. Coughenour, D. M. Swift, and P. L. Sims. 1996. Mechanisms that result in large herbivore grazing distribution patterns. Journal of Range Management 49:386-400. https://doi.org/10.2307/4002919.
Bailey, D. W., G. R. Welling, and E. T. Miller. 2001. Cattle use of foothills rangeland near dehydrated molasses supplement. Journal of Range Management 54:338-347. https://doi.org/10.2307/4003101.
Bailey, D. W., H. C. Van Wagoner, R. Weinmeister, and D. Jensen. 2008a. Evaluation of low-stress herding and supplement placement for managing cattle grazing in upland and riparian areas. Rangeland Ecology and Management 61:26-37. https://doi.org/10.2111/06-130.1.
Bailey, D. W., H. C. Van Wagoner, R. Weinmeister, and D. Jensen. 2008b. Comparison of low-moisture blocks and salt for manipulating grazing patterns of beef cows. Journal of Animal Science 86:1271-1277. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2007-0578.
Bates, D., M. Mächler, Bolker B, and S. Walker. 2015. Fitting Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using lme4. Journal of Statistical Software 67:1-48. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v067.i01.
Bohnert, D. W., and M. B. Stephenson. 2016. Supplementation and sustainable grazing systems. Journal of Animal Science 94:15-25. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2016-0520.
Bolker, B. M. 2008. Ecological models and data in R. Princeton University Press, Princeton, USA.
Borrelli, P. 2001. Producción animal sobre pastizales naturales. Pp. 129-160 in P. Borrelli and G. Oliva (eds.). Ganadería Ovina Extensiva Sustentable en la Patagonia Austral. EEA INTA Santa Cruz editions, Santa Cruz, Argentina.
Borrelli, P., and G. Oliva. 2001. Evaluación de pastizales. Pp. 163-184 in P. Borrelli and G. Oliva (eds.). Ganadería Ovina Extensiva Sustentable en la Patagonia Austral. EEA INTA Santa Cruz editions, Santa Cruz, Argentina.
Borrelli, P., G. Oliva, M. Williams, L. González, P. Rial, and L. Montes. 1997. Sistema regional de soporte de decisiones. Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego. PRODESER (INTA-GTZ), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Bowman, J. G. P., and B. F. Sowell. 1997. Delivery method and supplement consumption by grazing ruminants: a review. Journal of Animal Science 75:543-550. https://doi.org/10.2527/1997.752543x.
Bruegger, R. A., L. A. Varelas, L. D. Howery, L. A. Torell, M. B. Stephenson, and D. W. Bailey. 2016. Targeted Grazing in Southern Arizona: Using Cattle to Reduce Fine Fuel Loads. Rangeland Ecology and Management 69:43-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2015.10.011.
Calenge, C. 2006. The package adehabitat for the R software: a tool for the analysis of space and habitat use by animals. Ecological Modelling 197:516-519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2006.03.017.
Cibils, A., and P. Borrelli. 2005. Grasslands of Patagonia. Pp. 121-170 in J. M. Suttie, S. G. Reynolds and C. Batello (eds.). Grasslands of the world. Food and Agriculture Organization.
Cingolani, A. M., I. Noy-Meir, D. D. Renison, and M. Cabido. 2008. La ganadería extensiva, ¿es compatible con la conservación de la biodiversidad y de los suelos? Ecología Austral 18:253-271.
Clapp, J. G., and J. L. Beck. 2015. Evaluating distributional shifts in home range estimates. Ecology and evolution 5:3869-3878. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.1655.
del Valle, H. F., P. J. Bouza, P. E. Rial, and L. González. 2002. Suelos. Pp. 815-828 in M. J. Haller (ed.). Geología y Recursos Naturales de Santa Cruz. XV Argentine Geological Congress. El Calafate, Argentina.
Ducker, M. J., P. T. Kendall, R. G. Hemingway, and T. McClelland. 1981. An evaluation of feedblocks as a means of providing supplementary nutrients to ewes grazing up-land/hill pastures. Animal Science 33:51-57. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003356100025198.
Edwards, G. R., Newman J. A., Parsons A. J., and J. R. Krebs. 1996. The use of spatial memory by grazing animals to locate food patches in spatial heterogeneous environments: an example with sheep. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 50:147-160. https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-1591(96)01077-5.
Friedel, M. H., Sparrow A. D., Kinloch J. E., and D. J. Tongway. 2003. Degradation, recovery processes in arid grazing lands of central Austalia 2: Vegetation. Journal of Arid Environment 55:327-348. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-1963(03)00026-0.
Ford, R. G. 1983. Home range in a patchy environment: optimal foraging predictions. American Zoologist 23:315-326. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/23.2.315.
Fournier, D. A., H. J. Skaug, J. Ancheta, J. Ianelli, A. Magnusson, M. N. Maunder, A. Nielsen, J. Sibert. 2012. AD Model Builder: using automatic differentiation for statistical inference of highly parameterized complex nonlinear models. Optimization Methods and Software 27:233-249. https://doi.org/10.1080/10556788.2011.597854.
Fuhlendorf, S. D., and D. M. Engle. 2001. Restoring heterogeneity on rangelands: ecosystem management based on evolutionary grazing patterns: we propose a paradigm that enhances heterogeneity instead of homogeneity to promote biological diversity and wildlife habitat on rangelands grazed by livestock. BioScience 51:625-632. https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0625:RHOREM]2.0.CO;2.
Golluscio, R. A., V. A. Deregibus, and J. M. Paruelo. 1998. Sustainability and range management in the Patagonian steppes. Ecología Austral 8:265-284.
Golluscio, R. A., J. M. Paruelo, J. L. Mercau, and V. A. Deregibus. 1998. Urea supplementation effects on the utilization of low‐quality forage and lamb production in patagonian rangelands. Grass and Forage Science 53:47-56. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2494.1998.00103.x.
Ganskopp, D. 2001. Manipulating cattle distribution with salt and water in large arid land pastures: GPS/GIS assessment. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 73:251-262. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(01)00148-4.
George, M. R., N. K. McDougald, W. A. Jensen, R. E. Larsen, D. C. Cao, and N. R. Harris. 2008. Effectiveness of nutrient supplement placement for changing beef cow distribution. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Vol 63, N°1. https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.63.1.11.
Giraudo, C. G. 2011. Suplementación de ovinos y caprinos. Technical note. INTA EEA Bariloche, Argentina.
Goulart, R. C. D., M. Corsi, D. W. Bailey, and S. S. Zocchi. 2008. Cattle Grazing Distribution and Efficacy of Strategic Mineral Mix Placement in Tropical Brazilian Pastures. Rangeland Ecology and Management 61:656-660. https://doi.org/10.2111/08-137.1.
Grubb, P., and P. A. Jewell. 1974. Movement, daily activity and home range of Soay sheep. Pp. 160-194 in P. A. Jewell, C. Milner and J. Morton Boyd (eds.). Island Survivors; the ecology of the Soay Sheep of St. Kilda. Athlone Press, London, UK.
Herrero-Jáuregui, C., and M. Oesterheld. 2018. Effects of grazing intensity on plant richness and diversity: a meta-analysis. Oikos 127:757-766. https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.04893.
Holechek, J. L., R. D. Pieper, and C. H. Herbel. 2010. Range management: principles and practices. 6th ed. Pearson, Nueva Jersey, USA.
Hunter, R. F. 1964. Home range behaviour in hill sheep. Pp. 155-171 in D. F. Crisp (ed.). Grazing in terrestrial and marine environments. Blackwell, Oxford, USA.
Jetz, W., C. Carbone, J. Fulford, and J. H. Brown. 2004. The scaling of animal space use. Science 306:266-268. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1102138.
Kawas, R. J. 2008. Producción y utilización de bloques multinutrientes como complemento de forrajes de baja calidad para caprinos y ovinos: la experiencia en regiones semiáridas. Tecnologia y Ciência Agropecuária 2:63-69.
Kreps, G., G. Martínez Pastur, and P. Peri. 2012. Cambio climático en Patagonia Sur. INTA eds. EEA INTA Santa Cruz-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Launchbaugh, K. L., and L. D. Howery. 2005. Invited Synthesis Paper: Understanding Landscape Use Patterns of Livestock as a Consequence of Foraging Behavior. Rangeland Ecology and Management 58:99-108. https://doi.org/10.2111/03-146.1.
Lawrence, A., and D. Wood-Gush. 1988a. Influence of social behaviour on utilization of supplemental feed blocks by Scottish hill sheep. Animal Science 46(2):203-212. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003356100042252.
Lawrence, A., and D. Wood-Gush. 1988b. Homerange behaviour and social organization of Scottish blackface sheep. Journal of Applied Ecology 25-40. https://doi.org/10.2307/2403607.
León, R. J., D. Bran, M. Collantes, J. M. Paruelo, and A. Soriano. 1998. Grandes unidades de vegetación de la Patagonia extra andina. Ecología Austral 8:125-144.
Lindstedt, S. L., B. J. Miller, and S. W. Buskirk. 1986. Home range, time, and body size in mammals. Ecology 67:413-418. https://doi.org/10.2307/1938584.
Mace, M., P. H. Harvey, and T. H. Clutton-Brock. 1983. Vertebrate homerange size and energetic requirements. Pp. 32-53 in I. R. Swingland and P. J. Greenwood (eds.). The Ecology of Animal Movements. Clarendon Press, Oxford, UK.
McNab, B. K. 1963. Bioenergetics and the determination of home range size. The American Naturalist 97:133-140. https://doi.org/10.1086/282264.
Oñatibia, G. R., and M. R. Aguiar. 2016. Continuous moderate grazing management promotes biomass production in Patagonian arid rangelands. Journal of Arid Environments 125:73-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2015.10.005.
Oñatibia, G. R., and M. R. Aguiar. 2018. Paddock size mediates the heterogeneity of grazing impacts on vegetation. Rangeland Ecology and Management 71:470-480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2018.03.002.
Ormaechea, S. G., P. L. Peri, P. A. Cipriotti, and R. Distel. 2019. El cuadro de pastoreo en los sistemas extensivos de Patagonia Sur. Percepción y manejo de la heterogeneidad. Ecología Austral 29:174-184. https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.19.29.2.0.829.
Owens, K. M., K. L. Launchbaugh, and J. W. Holloway. 1991. Pasture Characteristics Affecting Spatial Distribution of Utilization by Cattle in Mixed Brush Communities. Journal of Range Management 44:118-123. https://doi.org/10.2307/4002308.
R Core Team. 2018. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. URL: R-project.org.
Porath, M. L., P. A. Momont, T. DelCurto, N. R. Rimbey, J. A. Tanaka, and M. McInnis. 2002. Offstream water and trace mineral salt as management strategies for improved cattle distribution. Journal of Animal Science 80:346-356. https://doi.org/10.2527/2002.802346x.
Schoener, T. W. 1981. An empirically based estimate of home range. Theoretical Population Biology 20:281-325. https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-5809(81)90049-6.
Skaug, H., D. Fournier, A. Nielsen, A. Magnusson, and B. Bolker. 2016. Generalized Linear Mixed Models using 'AD Model Builder'. R package version 0.8.3.3.
Southwood, T. R. E. 1966. Ecological methods. Methuen, London, UK.
Stephenson, M. B., D. W. Bailey, L. D. Howery, and L. Henderson. 2016. Efficacy of low-stress herding and low-moisture block to target cattle grazing locations on New Mexico rangelands. Journal of Arid Environments 130:84-93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2016.03.012.
Tanaka, J. A., N. R. Rimbey, L. A. Torell, D. Bailey, T. DelCurto, K. Walburger, and B. Welling. 2007. Grazing distribution: the quest for the silver bullet. Rangelands 29:38-46. https://doi.org/10.2111/1551-501X(2007)29[38:GDTQFT]2.0.CO;2.
Vallentine, J. F. 2001. Grazing management. Second Edition. Academic Press, San Diego, USA.
Xu, R. (2003). Measuring explained variation in linear mixed effects models. Statistics in Medicine 22:3527-3541. https://doi.org/10.1002/sim.1572.
Downloads
Additional Files
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2021 Sebastián G. Ormaechea, Pablo A. Cipriotti, Roberto Distel, Pablo L. Peri
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Authors retain their rights as follows: 1) by granting the journal the right to its first publication, and 2) by registering the published article with a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0), which allows authors and third parties to view and use it as long as they clearly mention its origin (citation or reference, including authorship and first publication in this journal). Authors can make other non-exclusive distribution agreements as long as they clearly indicate their origin and are encouraged to widely share and disseminate the published version of their work.
