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The effect of age and live-weight on the feed intake of grazing wether sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

G. Hadjipieris ,
G. W. Jones  and
W. Holmes
G. Hadjipieris
Affiliation:
Wye College (University of London), Ashford, Kent
G. W. Jones
Affiliation:
Wye College (University of London), Ashford, Kent
W. Holmes
Affiliation:
Wye College (University of London), Ashford, Kent
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Summary

1. Estimates of the voluntary feed intake of three age groups of wether sheep on ryegrass and white clover pasture from July to October, 1962, were made by total collection of faeces and the use of local faecal nitrogen-digestibility regressions.

2. Average faecal output and intake of digestible organic matter (DOM) increased with age of the sheep. However, relative to body weight (W) or to W073, the aged sheep (5 years old), which did not change much in weight over the period, consumed only about two-thirds of the DOM consumed by the younger (sixteen- and four-month-old) growing sheep.

3. For the growing sheep intake was directly related to weight. Intake was calculated to be 24 W (kg.)–28 ±108 g. DOM per day.

4. The results are discussed in relation to the errors in estimation of digestibility. Comparison of the intake estimates with other published data suggests there was a high apparent maintenance requirement. The voluntary feed intakes observed, when expressed as g. dry matter per kg. W0–73, were somewhat higher for young sheep but lower for aged sheep than estimates of previous authors.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 7 , Issue 3 , October 1965 , pp. 309 - 317
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1965

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References

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