TY - CHAP AU - Molénat G. AU - Hubert D. AU - Lapeyronie P. PY - 2000/// TI - Improvement of ewes' performance by combining native rangeland resources and subterranean clover in the South of France T2 - Sheep and goat nutrition: Intake, digestion, quality of products and rangelands PB - Zaragoza : CIHEAM VL - 52 T3 - Cahiers Options Méditerranéennes SP - 171-173 A2 - Ledin I. A2 - Morand-Fehr P. AB - The steppe-like rangeland of Crau (France 43.8 degrees N, 5.0 degrees E, altitude 0 to 100 m a.s.l.) shows a late growth in spring. Therefore the feed resources of Mérinos d'Arles ewes consists mainly of poor value standing hay (7 per cent CP and 75 per cent NDF on DM basis) from autumn up to mid April. This feeding regimen hampers body condition (BC) recovery up to the mating season, beginning in May. The Subterranean clover (Sc) (Trifolium subterraneum, cv Clare) sown on plots of fallow, has the potential in terms of nutritive value (20 per cent CP and 37 per cent NDF on DM basis) to efficiently integrate the grazing resources in the period ranging from late February to May. In 1994 and 1995, ewes grazing Sc in this period exhibited an average liveweight gain (LWG) and a BC recovery higher than the counterparts grazing the rangeland (7.9 and 9.3 kg vs 4.6 and 3.3 kg; 1.3 and 1.4 BC units vs 0.4 and 0.2 BC units) (P less than 0.05 except 1994 liveweight). N1 - 8. Seminar of the Sub-Network on Nutrition of the FAO-CIHEAM Inter-Regional Cooperative Research and Development Network on Sheep and Goats, 1998/09/03-05, Grignon (France) UR - http://om.ciheam.org/om/pdf/c52/00600332.pdf ER -