Some relationships between wool production, nitrogen intake and digestible organic matter intake

Abstract

Two experiments are described in which the wool production of Merino wethers receiving roughage rations of varying quantity and average crude protein content was examined. The results support a hypothesis that wool growth response to supplementation of low quality roughage is more closely related to the total digestible organic matter intake than to the total nitrogen intake. The second experiment demonstrates that in the short term the efficiency with which dietary nutrients are used for wool production depends upon the direction of liveweight change of the sheep.