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Comparison of sheep and goats under stall-feeding conditions: roughage intake and selection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. A. Wahed  and
E. Owen
R. A. Wahed
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading, Berkshire RG6 2AT
E. Owen
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading, Berkshire RG6 2AT
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Abstract

Three experiments measured intake and assessed quality of roughage refused by individually-fed castrated Saanen goats and Suffolk × Mule wethers, aged 21 months.

In experiment 1, in which long, lucerne hay was offered (10 animals per species; 14 days) goats ate more than sheep (33·2 v. 28·3 g dry matter (DM) per kg M daily; P < 0·05). In experiment 2, in which long, ammonia-treated barley straw was offered (eight animals per species; 21 days) consumption was also higher for goats (21·6 v. 16·4 g DM per kg M daily; P < 0·01). Freshly cut, chopped stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) was offered with treated straw in experiment 3 (eight animals per species). Over the 10 days, intake of nettle increased linearly and that of straw decreased, but nettle consumption was consistently higher for goats than sheep.

In each experiment, food refusals (0·2 of food offered) were of lower nutritive value (lower nitrogen, higher acid detergent fibre, lower digestibility in vitro) than food offered. Throughout, food refusals by goats were of slightly higher nutritive value than food refusals by sheep.

It is concluded that both sheep and goats are selective feeders under stall-feeding conditions, but the greater intake of roughage by goats cannot be attributed to their selection of more nutritive components.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 42 , Issue 1 , February 1986 , pp. 89 - 95
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1986

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