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Comparison of the weight gain and the composition of blood and saliva in sheep grazing timothy and ryegrass swards

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

K. B. Sinclair
Affiliation:
Animal Health Research Unit
D. I. H. Jones
Affiliation:
Welsh Plant Breeding Station, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth
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Abstract

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1. After a preliminary period of 2 weeks indoor feeding on hay, two groups of wethers grazed either a timothy pasture or a ryegrass-dominant pasture for 12 weeks. The timothy was particularly low in sodium and chlorine.

2. Within a week of turning out, saliva sodium fell and potassium increased in the timothy group, and by the end of the experiment, the sodium: potassium ratio was 1.9:1. The changes in saliva were not reflected in blood composition. The rate of live-weight gain was similar in both groups of sheep.

3. The results confirm those of a previous indoor experiment and show that timothy supplies insufficient sodium to maintain the normal saliva composition of sheep.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1968

References

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