La mayor parte de los productores agropecuarios de Uruguay tienen a la ganadería como principal rubro, y a su vez, un muy alto porcentaje de ellos son considerados productores familiares. Para el Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), de Uruguay, es importante relevar la pertinencia y el impacto de sus líneas de trabajo en ganadería y el nivel de aplicación que tienen en los sistemas de producción, con el propósito de mejorar su productividad en forma más generalizada y sostenible, enfatizando en la producción familiar.

The series of experiments which form the basis of the present study concentrated on evaluations of: (i) diet selection, grazing behaviour, herbage intake, and sheep performance between Holcus lanatus (Yorkshire fog) and Lolium spp. (perennial or annual ryegrass) swards both associated with Trifolium repens (White clover), and in one study with the presence or absence of Lotus comiculatus (Birdsfoot trefoil), and (ii) the effects of condensed tannins (CT) on the behaviour and performance of sheep grazing those swards.

The series of experiments which form the basis of the present study concentrated on evaluations of: (i) diet selection, grazing behaviour, herbage intake, and sheep performance between Holcus lanatus (Yorkshire fog) and Lolium spp. (perennial or annual ryegrass) swards both associated with Trifolium repens (White clover), and in one study with the presence or absence of Lotus comiculatus (Birdsfoot trefoil), and (ii) the effects of condensed tannins (CT) on the behaviour and performance of sheep grazing those swards.

An experiment was carried out from August to early November 1994 to examine differences in diet selection, herbage intake, grazing behaviour and animal performance between weaned lambs rotationally grazing swards of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum)}white clover (Trifolium repens) and Yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus)}T. repens with or without Lotus corniculatus. There were four replicate groups of six lambs per treatment.

In the present study German (DE), Spanish (ES) and British (UK) consumers acceptance of lamb from their own country compared to lamb from Uruguay (UY) was evaluated. Two-hundred consumers in each country evaluated tenderness, flavour and overall acceptability of four types of lamb, two from UY (light and heavy lambs aged 20 d) and 2 local (with two ageing times, 7 and 20 d). In each country 1.5 cm-thick slices of lamb were evaluated by previously selected consumers in controlled conditions. DE and UK consumers showed significantly (P