Pentre Farm Project Update: Evaluating the effectiveness of chicory in Welsh sheep systems: the impact on sward copper concentrations

Chicory is deemed a suitable forage for lamb finishing. The ongoing project at Pentre Farm is investigating how the inclusion of chicory with ryegrass in different proportions may affect current grazing rotations as well as impact animal husbandry management.

Figure 1. Grazing paddocks at Pentre Farm demonstration site

Previous work has reported higher trace element composition, such as copper concentrations in chicory compared with ryegrass. One aspect of the current project focuses on the effect of including chicory in the grass seed mixture on copper concentration in the sward, as well as lamb copper, selenium and cobalt blood levels.

Chicory samples were collected (Figure 2) and analysed using wet chemistry techniques in September 2020. The chicory was incorporated into the mixture sown in different proportions for various paddocks (1kg and 2kg). The total copper content was high in both proportions at 11.1 mg/kg DM for the sample containing the lowest proportion of chicory, and 9.03 mg/kg DM for the sample containing the highest proportion of chicory. The total sulphur content was satisfactory in both samples. Crude protein and metabolisable energy (ME) content was actually lower from the sample containing the greatest proportion of chicory.

Figure 2. Chicory sampling to ground level.

Blood samples were taken for copper, selenium and cobalt analysis from 10% of the lambs on two occasions; at the beginning and end of the grazing period. The blood sample results were all within normal ranges at the beginning of the grazing period, with one lamb a fraction low on cobalt and another lamb borderline low on selenium, but this result was of little significance and no further action was required. At the end of the grazing period, the blood test results indicated elevated copper concentrations for the lambs grazing the pasture containing chicory (Figure 3), and so, grazing the chicory led to an increase in copper in the blood.

Figure 3. Blood copper concentration at the beginning and end of the grazing period for the lambs grazing the ryegrass-based pasture, and the pasture containing chicory                

The chicory paddocks have been rested over the majority of the winter to prevent over-grazing and poaching during wet weather, and to ensure its longevity. Over spring 2021, we will be working with Rhys Williams, Precision Grazing Ltd to develop the rotational grazing system in place to maximise the utilisation of the paddocks in the second year of the project.

Figure 4. Residual chicory paddock