The nutritive value of South African feeding stuffs. II. Digestible nutrients and metabolizable energy of lucerne hay at different planes of intake for sheep

Abstract

In an experiment consisting of three periods the digestibility and metabolizable energy content of lucerne hay were determined with each of five mature Merino wethers at the following daily levels of intake, corresponding to the three periods of the experiment: I. 600 grams, II. 800 grams, and III. 1,000 grams. Whilst the differences in the coefficients of digestibility and metabolizable energy content of the lucerne hay fed in periods I and III, respectively, were, in general, found to be insignificant, the hay fed in period II was digested significantly better and contained significantly more metabolizable energy than the hay fed in either of the other two periods. These variations in digestibility and metabolizable energy content are considered to have been caused chiefly by the observed differences in chemical composition - protein, cellulose, and lignin contents - of the lucerne hays consumed in the several periods.