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Some nutritional implications of group-feeding hill sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

Janet Z. Foot  and
A. J. F. Russel
Janet Z. Foot
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organisation, Bush Estate, Midlothian, EH26 0PH
A. J. F. Russel
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organisation, Bush Estate, Midlothian, EH26 0PH
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Summary

In the first experiment two groups of 11 Scottish Blackface ewes were given either 6·10 kg dried grass pellets plus 1·63 kg chopped dried grass daily (Group A) or 8·17 kg hay plus 1·32 kg oat pellets (Group B). During a 10-day experimental period individual dry-matter intakes ranged from 484 to 939 g/day (CV 22·3%) in Group A and from 613 to 883 g/day (CV 13·3%) in Group B. In Group B dry-matter intakes from oats were much more variable (10 to 149 g/day; CV 35·8%) than those from hay (530 to 762 g/day; CV 12·9%). Plasma protein-bound iodine (PBI) concentrations were significantly higher in the Group A sheep.

In the second experiment the treatments were: group-penned, group-fed (GG); group-penned, individually fed (GI); and individually penned, individually fed (II). Within each treatment there were two groups of 12 ewes; one group was given a high level of feeding (H) and the other a low level (L) for a 7-week experimental period. Allowances of pelleted concentrates ranged from 7 to 15 g/kg in the L groups and from 18 to 26 g/kg in the H groups. The same mean quantities per kg were given to GG sheep, and food intakes ranged from 5·7 to 17·7 g/kg (CV 25·3%) in GGL and from 12·5 to 30·8 g/kg (CV 24·8%) in GGH. Plasma PBI concentrations were significantly higher in L sheep than in H sheep, and higher in GG than in II. Plasma non-esterified fatty acid concentrations were significantly higher in L sheep than in H sheep and higher in GG than in GI and II.

The principal factors determining variations in food intakes between individual animals fed in groups and some of the nutritional implications of group-feeding sheep are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 16 , Issue 3 , June 1973 , pp. 293 - 302
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1973

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References

REFERENCES

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