Metabolic studies on daily and weekly feeding of ruminants given all-wheat diets. I. Digestibility and nitrogen balance in sheep

Abstract

Aspects of digestion and metabolism in sheep fed individually with an all-wheat ration at a rate of either 300 g each day or 2100 g once each week have been investigated. Five digestibility and nitrogen balance trials were carried out over a 13-week period.

Sheep on the weekly feeding regimen consumed 50% and 85% of their ration by the end of days 1 and 3 respectively. Both water intake and urine volume were higher on the weekly feeding regimen, but water intake was highest at the beginning of the feeding cycle, while urine volume was highest towards the end.

The mean liveweight, digestibility and nitrogen balance were similar in sheep on both daily and weekly feeding regimens. In sheep fed weekly the excretion of nitrogen varied between days within the balance period. When they were first introduced to this feeding pattern the sheep retained less nitrogen than after an adaptation period.