The energy requirements of sheep for maintenance and gain. I. Pen fed sheep

Abstract

Four experiments have been conducted with sheep, housed and fed in pens, to determine the maintenance and live-weight gain requirements of sheep under such conditions.1. Fifteen Corriedale sheep of initial live weight 115 lb. were fed at maintenance for 13 weeks. Daily DOM (digestible organic matter) requirement for maintenance was 0·92 ± 0·07 lb.2. Twelve Romney ewes of mean live weight 106 lb. over the period were fed for 5 months, six on submaintenance and six on super-maintenance levels. Daily DOM requirement for maintenance was 0·99 ± 0·05 lb., and requirement for gain 2·29 ± 0·20 lb. DOM per lb. gain or loss.3. Thirteen Romney ewes of mean live weight 110 lb. over the period were fed at sub- and supermaintenance levels for 8 weeks yielding the result: daily DOM intake for maintenance 1·04 ± 0·13 lb. and for gain 2·25 ± 0·24 lb. DOM per lb. gain.4. Twenty-four Romney ewes of initial live weight 107 lb. were randomized into five groups and fed fresh grass, dried grass, sheep pellets, lucerne hay and rye-grass straw for 11 weeks at slightly below maintenance. There were no significant differences between groups and the mean estimate of maintenance was 1·00 ± 0·11 lb. DOM per day.Converting these estimates to those of a 100 lb. sheep using the ¾ power of live weight, and then taking the mean gives the final estimate for maintenance of a 100 lb. sheep 0·92 lb. DOM, 0·96 TDN or 0·89 lb. SE.

Content and retention of sulphur in wool as affected by formaldehyde treatment of the diet, level of energy intake, and intraperitoneal supplementation with DL-methionine

“…This was calculated to be at the maintenance level of energy intake, using the standards of Coop (1962). Supplements of 25, 50, or 75 g per day of untreated or HCHO-treated casein were given to groups of six animals by mixing it into the barley.…”

Straw and grain feeding of sheep

“…(1959) for the maintenance requirements of sheep in terms of digestible energy, sheep of the live weights used in this trial should have required approximately 8.5 to 8.7 MJ DE per day for maintenance. Coop (1962) and Langlands et ai. (1963) both suggest that the NRC (1968) maintenance requirement values have been set at too high a level, especially for pen-fed animals.…”

A note on the influence of liveweight on production in high country flocks

“…Coop and Clark (1966) claim to have met the necessary requirements of analysis and to have shown that their data on high country flocks "strongly support the original claims made by Coop (1962)" on relationships between liveweight and barrenness in sheep.…”