Cattle Less Selective When Grazing with Sheep, Study Finds

Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment published the results of a study in China that explored how co-grazing cattle and sheep affected diet selectivity. Grazing the two species together had no impact on the sheep’s selectivity, but the competition from the sheep caused the cattle to be less selective and take fewer traveling steps while grazing. The cattle also decreased their selection of legumes and consumed more of the dominant grass on site when grazed with sheep. The scientists propose that grazing the two species together could improve their effectiveness as a tool for grassland conservation and managing plant community structure.