Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Animal Sciences Ciszewskiego st. 8, 2-786 Warsaw, Poland GENERAL MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN GRASSLAND FEDERATION EXTENSIVE GRAZING OF POLISH HEATH SHEEP ON PASTURES ESTALISHED ON FALLOW LANDS IN NORTH-WEST POLAND EGF 212 LULIN POLAND 3-7 June 212 1 Strzelec E., Głowacz K., Niżnikowski R., Łozicki A., Klimaszewski K., Popielarczyk D., Poleszczuk O. Pre-Conference Workshop A: Innovations in Grazing Lublin, 3 June 212
Heads GRAZING SHEEP IN POLAND SOME FACTS Declining sheep population in Poland: Total no of sheep in 211-212 74 hds 1 Total no of ewes in 211-143 823 hds 1 35 3 25 2 15 R² =,9216 1 5 Average flock size in 21 2 : 66.4 registered ewes per flock (164 flocks in total) 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 21 211 Year all sheep ewes Wielob. (all sheep) Grazing sheep: During vegetation period (MayOctober): Lowlands 18-2 days Systems: Podhale (Tatry mountain) - sheep combined in one flock and grazed on mountain pastures (with guard); gathering in pen for nights Mountains 11-15 days Permanent pastures Lowlands and others guarding grazing, sheep come to barns for nights 2 1 - http://www.stat.gov.pl/gus ; 2 PZO Polish Union of Sheep Farmers
DISTRIUTION OF SHEEP POPULATION DUE TO THE REGION OF POLAND IN 211 1 Northwestern Northern Eastern Southern region Eastern region 18775 1784 Central Northern region 64863 32521 Eastern North-western region South-western Southern Central region 3568 5729 South-western region 3 1 - http://www.stat.gov.pl/gus
ha ha LANDS STRUCTURE IN POLAND 1 orchards fallowed lands meadows and pastures forests and woodlands arable areas 15 1 5 year 211 12 1 8 6 4 2 362,1 orchards 117,5 fallowed lands 3291, meadows and pastures no data forests and woodlands 1576, arable areas 4 1 - http://www.stat.gov.pl/gus
5 THE RESEARCH
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH IDEA Aim: Investigation of nutritional value of pastures established on fallow lands for extensive grazing of primitive sheep breeds Focal points: Analysis of herbage botanical and chemical Estimation of productivity and nutritional value of this areas Growth performance of Polish Heath Sheep under extensive conditions of grazing 6
MATERIALS AND METHODS Polish Heath Sheep (ewes and lambs) ~1 ewes/yr Three repeats: 26-28 North-western part of Poland Pastures established on fallowed lands surrounded by woodlands 5 ha, no additional fertilizations; Grazing:,2 LSU/ha Vegetetion period: May October Places of plant sampling: ~5% of total area Herbage samples: 4 x yr and 4 x different places per year (48 samples in total) Weighting of ewes and lambs: 2 x yr (Spring/Autumn); only ewes with lambs born before grazing season started Statistics: General linear models (SPSS v.1) Effects of: month of vegetation period + year of experiment + place of sampling (herbage) or sex (animals) + double factors interactions. 7
8 RESULTS
EFFECT OF VEGETATION MONTH ON OTANICAL COMPOSITION OF HERAGE 1 9 b May (A) June/July () August (C ) September/October (D) 8 Ac 7 6 % 5 4 3 2 1 c ad C Poaceae Asteraceae Fabaceae Dicotyledoneae Equisetaceae Cyperaceae et Juncaceae Group of plants 9 Statistical significance at: a,..., d P<.5; A,,D P<.1
t dm/ha EFFECT OF VEGETATION MONTH ON PASTURE YIELD (A), CHEMICAL COMPOSITION () AND FIRE FRACTIONS (C) OF HERAGE A 2,5 May June/July August September/October 2 1,5 1,5,79 2,13 AcD 1,37 b,88 % 4 35 3 25 2 15 1 5 b acd b bcd a A A AcD b ACD Pasture yield Dry matter Crude ash Crude protein Ether extract Crude fibre N-free extracts C May June/July August September/October % 25 2 15 1 b acd cd b b 5 ACD ADF NDF ADL 1 Statistical significance at: a,..., d P<.5; A,,D P<.1
EFFECT OF VEGETATION PERIOD ON ODY WEIGHTS OF EWES AND LAMS Live body weights of: Lambs (kg) Vegetation period: eginning End LSM 9,13 19,98** SE,55,55 N 24 Ewes (kg) LSM 31,6 35,68 SE 2,5 2,5 192 Statistical significance at: ** - P<.1 11
CONCLUSIONS Month of vegetative period affected botanical composition of pastures (Poaceae and Asteraceae) as well as average pasture yield. Sufficient environmental conditions for rearing lambs were observed. Average body weight of lambs at the end of grazing season was significantly higher comparing to the beginning. No significant increase of body weights of ewes during grazing season was observed. Maintaining studied area as a permanent grassland could be perfectly realized via extensive grazing of Polish Heath Sheep. 12
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! 13 This work has been supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (project no. 2 P6Z 69 29).