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Cereal processing and food utilization by sheep 2. A note on the effect of feeding unprocessed barley, maize, oats and wheat on food utilization by early-weaned lambs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

E. R. Ørskov
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
C. Fraser
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
I. McHattie
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
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Summary

An experiment was carried out with 64 lambs to determine the digestibility and efficiency of food utilization of barley, maize, oats and wheat when they were offered whole and loose, or roughly ground and pelleted.

Apparent digestibilities of the organic matter (%) for the four cereals in the order given above were 81·1, 84·3, 69·9 and 82·7 for the whole and 77·2, 82·1, 67·5 and 86·6 for the ground and pelleted grains. The corresponding live-weight gains (g/day) were 340, 345, 241 and 303, and 347, 346, 238 and 323. The corresponding conversions of dry matter (kg) to live-weight gain (kg), over the growth period from 15 to 35 kg weight, were 2·75, 2·52, 3·07 and 2·97 and 2·79, 2·62, 3·33 and 2·56.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1974

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References

REFERENCES

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