PALATABILITY 
Many attempts have been made to set up definitions of the 
comparative palatability of pasture plants. Palatability is an 
illusive term that has no fixed status and upon which authors 
and investigators are not in agreement. It varies with climatic 
and soil conditions and other environmental factors. The 
sweet clovers, lupins and some others that contain coumarin 
or other bitter elements, at all times or at certain stages of 
growth, are not relished by livestock at the first contact, but 
sweet clovers are usually consumed after a taste for them has 
been developed. Palatability also varies with the stage of 
growth and is directly related to nutritive values and fiber 
content. It is, then, closely related to pasture management. All 
plants recommended for pasture planting can be considered 
as high in this respect. Beyond a few extremes noted for some 
species, degrees of palatability are not definable in any terms 
that are likely to be of value to graziers. 
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NUTRITIVE VALUES 
The differences in actual feed values among the various 
grasses and the legumes used in pasture mixtures are not 
great enough to be significant. 
Legumes are lower than grasses in percentage of dry matter 
and higher in protein. Grasses are higher in total digestible 
nutrients and in crude fiber. 
When grazing management is so regulated that the plants 
are consumed at some stage between full leaf maturity and 
the beginning of seed formation the highest nutritive values 
will be secured. 
Mixtures of grasses and legumes have long since been 
demonstrated as desirable for variety in the diet and for the 
best nutrition of cattle and sheep. 
