Intake and liveweight response of sheep fed three ground and pelleted cereal straws

Abstract

Wheat, oat and barley straws, ground and pelleted, with and without supplements of urea and minerals, were fed to groups of sheep in pens. Dry matter intake of oat straw was 53 per cent higher than that of wheat straw, which was 33 per cent higher than that of barley straw. Intake of straw was highly correlated with in vitro digestibility. Liveweight losses reflected changes in intake and were lowest on the oat straw and highest on the barley straw. Over all diets supplementation significantly increased intake and reduced liveweight loss.