Production feeding of lambs with diets based on grain. 1. Whole wheat plus sodium buffers or sodium chloride

Abstract

Lambs fattened on wheat diets were given supplements of sodium buffers and sodium chloride, and feed intake, body weight changes, and plasma mineral levels were measured. During the 84-day feeding period, daily feed intakes were 42 per cent higher and body weigh: increased by 36 per cent when wheat was supplemented with sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate and disodium hydrogen phosphate, or sodium chloride. When the diet was supplemented with disodium hydrogen phosphate body weight gains and feed intakes were lower than with the other supplements. This supplement also produced a high incidence of urinary calculi and this was not overcome by increasing the calcium level in the diet. The importance of these results in relation to grain feeding and buffer supplementation is discussed.