Control of feed intake as affected by previous treatment

Abstract

An experiment was conducted with eighteen rumen cannulated sheep fed on a chopped lucerne diet. Previous level of intake significantly influenced the level at which sheep initially established voluntary feed intake. This difference had disappeared after three weeks on an ad lib. intake. Perturbation analysis of the results of the chopped lucerne diet and a high concentrate diet showed that sheep at low intakes, accommodated increased intakes mainly by increasing the rate constant which describes the fermentation and outflow of fermentable OM. This rate constant became less important as intake was increased and was progressively replaced by rumen fill, which accommodated 65% of increased intake at 1400g OM intake.

'n Eksperiment is uitgevoer met agtien skape op 'n gekerfde lusern dieet. Vooraf behandeling het 'n betekenisvolle effek gehad op die vlak waarop die diere aanvanklik ad lib vrywillige voerinname gestabiliseer het. Hierdie verskille het egter verdwyn nadat die diere drie weke lank ad lib voer ontvang het. Perturbasie analise van die resultate van 'n gekerfde lusern - en 'n hoe kragvoer dieet het gewys dat skape teen lae innames 'n verhoging in inname hoofsaaklik geakkomodeer het deur 'n verhoging van die tempokonstante wat die fermentasie en uitvloei van fermenteerbare OM gesamentlik beskryf. Hierdie tempokonstante het minder belangrik geword met verhoogde inname, en is progressief vervang deur rumen vulling, wat 65% van 'n verhoging in inname geakkomodeer het by 'n daaglikse inname van 1400g  OM

Keywords: Sheep, intake, control, rumen