The acceptability of phalaris to sheep

Abstract

The acceptability of Phalaris arundinacea relative to P. tuberosa and their interspecific F1 hybrid was measured at various growth stages with penned sheep. P. arundinacea was the least acceptable; acceptance of the hybrid was intermediate between that of its parents. Preferences were most apparent with short grasses and least evident with grasses after heading. Sheep discriminated against aqueous P. arundinacea extracts, but not the extracted residues. They continued to discriminate against P. arundinacea after it had been dried and pelleted.