Effects of soil-contaminated feed on dry matter and water intake in sheep

D.B. Pownall, R.J. Lucas, A.D. Ross

Lincoln College, Canterbury

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1980, 40: 106-110

Rations of crushed barley, chaffed lucerne hay and molasses were mixed with soil to provide dietary soil contents ranging from 0 to 800 g/kg DM. These mixtures were offered ad libitum to 30 sheep in each of two trials of 6 weeks' duration. Voluntary intake was similar on all treatments, there being no compensation for reduced digestible dry matter (DDM) content in treatments containing soil. Intake appeared to be limited by weight of dry matter (DM) rather than by nutritive value or volume. Liveweight changes were directly proportional to DDM intake. Metabolizable energy requirement for maintenance was reached when soil comprised 55 to 60% of the diet and the basal feed used contained approximately 11.3 MJ of ME/kg DM. Water intake initially appeared to be inversely proportional to the amount of soil consumed, but a third trial demonstrated that total water intake was directly related to DDM intake and independent of soil consumption.

Keywords: NZSAPAB;

Last Updated 12-09-1998