Cereals are traditionally used as a supplement for store lambs grazing swedes in situ. However Dingwall, Vipond, Brown and Hunter (1989) demonstrated superior lamb growth and slaughter characteristics when soya was used as an alternative supplement to barley. It is thought that under the unusual conditions of high rumen turnover rate and rapid fermentation associated with root feeding a rumen degradable protein to metabolizable energy ratio (RDP:ME) of 10 to 12:1 may be more appropriate than the 7.8:1 normally found in ruminant diets.

There may be practical problems associated with feeding soya to lambs outdoors and specialized soya based pellets have been developed. Both soya and soya pellets are relatively expensive and farmers may seek to enhance store lamb growth using cheaper alternative protein sources. The objective of the study reported here was to evaluate distillers draff and forage rape as supplements for store lambs grazing swedes in situ.