Pasture samples have limited use for predicting diet quality of cattle grazing native pastures in Northern Australia

Abstract

Because of seasonal variability between years, it is difficult to determine the most appropriate time to supplement breeding beef cattle in northern Australia. As the sampling, storage and transportation of pasture samples is relatively easy, analysis of pasture samples has been suggested as a management tool. We used the indicator species method (Ash and McIvor, 1995) to evaluate associations between faecal and pasture nitrogen levels and to determine if pasture samples are as useful a management tool as faecal nitrogen samples for determining the quality of the diet consumed by grazing animals.