Voluntary intake of low-protein diets by ruminants: II. Intake of food by sheep

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Abstract
Sheep were given 4 different amounts of concentrate foods (9, 18, 27 and 36 g/kg W0.73/day) each providing 3 levels of protein (1.3, 2.6 and 3.9 g DCP/kg w0.73/day [DCP =Digestible Crude Protein]). Hay alone was offered as a separate treatment. The trial was designed as an incomplete Latin square with 13 treatments, 13 sheep and 4 replicates. Voluntary intake of low-protein hay was invariably lowered when sheep were given increasing amounts of concentrates. Hay consumption was also affected by level of supplementary protein; intakes increasing sharply from the lowest level provided (1.3 g DCP/kg metabolic body weight) to maximal intakes when about 3 g DCP/kg W0.73 were given to the sheep. Total food and digestible energy (DE) intakes were similarly affected by changes in dietary protein level. Successive increments in concentrate allowances, except at the highest level of concentrate input, caused corresponding reductions in hay intake so that total food consumption remained similar (when protein level was kept constant). Comparisons were made of intakes of food and DE by cattle and sheep when given the same levels of DCP and concentrate per unit metabolic body weight and low-protein hay was offered to them ad lib. Sheep apparently needed less protein and concentrate to reach maximal food intake levels and were less tolerant of high levels of protein and concentrate than were cattle. Because of lower maintenance energy requirements, sheep attained, on average, in these studies, higher feeding levels than did cattle.

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