“…Whole barley grain has been successfully used in fattening lambs when given in a loose mixture with a pelleted supplement providing protein, minerals and vitamins (Fraser and Ørskov, 1974;Economides et al, 1990). Apart from reducing the cost of feed manufacturing, the slower rate of fermentation of unprocessed grain in the rumen (Koenig et al, 2003) and the increase in rumination time avoid acidosis, fat softening (Ørskov et al, 1974a;Cazes et al, 1990) and rumenitis (Ørskov, 1973) without negative effects on lamb performance (Economides et al, 1990;Hadjipanayiotou, 1990).…”