Abstract:
1. The consumption of lucerne hay and water by merino sheep has
been recorded in two separate but identically concluded experiments under
the following conditions:
(i) Both food and water given ad lib.
(ii) Water restricted to 2 litres, food ad lib.
(iii) Food restricted to 0.6 Kg. water ad lib.
2. A highly significant positive correlation was found between the
amounts of hay and water consumed when both were offered ad lib.
3. A highly significant positive correlation was also found between the
amount of water consumed and the maximum atmospheric temperature for
the day. This coefficient was enhanced by feeding a fixed amount of hay
in the first experiment but not in the second.
4 . No direct correlation could be shown between the hay consumption
and atmospheric temperature when water supply was unrestricted.
In the first experiment a highly significant negative correlation was
found between these two factors when a fixed amount of water was given, but
this could not be confirmed in the second experiment.
5. Urine was collected from representative animals from each group.
It was found that the animals on a restricted water supply maintained a low
water to food ratio by passing small amounts of highly concentrated urine
(urea up to 8.1 gm. per 100 c.c.). Marked variations were found between
individual sheep receiving both hay and water ad lib. in respect of volume
and concentration of urine.
