Effect of shearing and supplemental level on intake of dry ewes grazing on barley stubble

Twenty-eight Comisana dry ewes were utilised to evaluate the effect of shearing (14 shorn and 14 unshorn ewes) and supplemental level (100 and 300 g of concentrate) on intake of barley stubble. Shorn ewes showed a small increase in dry matter intake (at the end of August: 1.32 vs. 1.10 kg/day; p<0.01). Intake of barley stubble decreased as supplement level increased (mean: 1.18 vs. 1.29; p<0.01). On average, substitution effect was 0.63. Total lamb weight per ewe was greater in the group receiving 300 g of concentrate (7.38 vs. 5.85; p<0.05). Shearing induced a small, but not significant decrease in total lamb weight per ewe (6.18 vs. 7.05 kg/ewe). Results seem to indicate that unshorn ewes react better to environmental stress and that 300 g improve reproductive performance.