INFLUENCE DU STADE DE VÉGÉTATION ET DE L'ESPÈCE VÉGÉTALE SUR LE COMPORTEMENT ALIMENTAIRE ET MÉRYCIQUE DE MOUTONS RECEVANT DES FOURRAGES VERTS HACHÉS

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Abstract
This study was made with 84 samples of green forages among which 62 belonged to 4 plant species [brome, Italian rye gross, English rye, grass and purple clover] systematically examined during their different growth cycles. The percentage of dry matter ingested by the animals at each of the 2 meals following the administration of the forage was much variable as compared to the daily dry matter intake (25-45%), but in absolute value, the amounts ingested during these large meals varied little according to the growth stage of the forage, i.e., according to its digestibility, voluntary intake and chemical composition. The amounts eaten were much higher for legumes than for grasses. In the sheep, the daily time spent eating generally decreased with the stage of maturity of the plant; the number of meals per day also decreased; the unitary eating time remained constant or increased. The daily time spent ruminating rapidly increased when the digestibility of the plant decreased from 80 to about 73%. When the digestibility was below 73%, the time spent ruminating increased much slower and seemed not to exceed 600 min/day. Simultaneously, the unitary ruminating time definitely increased when the digestibility of the plant decreased. The daily time spent chewing varied little with the stage of maturity of the plant. The unitary chewing time (UCT) rapidly increased when the quantities ingested (QI) per day decreased: (UCT:26.68 - 2.07 QI; r = -0.923**). The differences observed between plant species were sometimes large, but this could probably be explained by differences between their digestibility as well as dry matter, crude protein and crude fiber contents.

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