title: Effects of early experience on voluntary intake of low-quality roughage by sheep.
abstract: This study determined 1) how experience early in life with cured weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula) (low-quality roughage) or fresh oats (Avena sativa) (high-quality roughage) affected consumption of low- or high-quality roughage by lambs later in life and 2) whether this early dietary experience affected passage of undigested residues through the digestive tract and digestion of low-quality roughage. From 1 to 5 mo of age, experienced lambs (EL) were grazing cured weeping lovegrass, whereas inexperienced lambs (IL) were grazing fresh oats. Immediately after exposure, in Trial 1 lambs were fed sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) hay (low-quality roughage) supplemented with a protein concentrate. In Trial 2 lambs were offered sorghum only. Finally, in Trial 3 lambs were offered a choice between sorghum and alfalfa hay. When the sorghum was supplemented with protein there was no difference (P > .05) between treatments in intake of sorghum, but when the supplement was withheld in Trial 2, EL ingested 20% more (P < .01) sorghum than IL. When given a choice between sorghum and alfalfa, EL ingested 2.5 times more (P < .01) sorghum than IL. The apparent digestibility of sorghum was 4.5% higher (P < .01) in EL than in IL, whereas passage of undigested matter through the digestive tract was similar (P > .05). The results show that early dietary experience can have a significant effect on consumption of low-quality roughage and diet selection in free-choice situations.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Agronomía-CERZOS, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Distel
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Villalba
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Laborde
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004063:Digestion / Q000502:physiology*; D004435:Eating; D002523:Edible Grain; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit; D008297:Male; D006109:Poaceae; D011897:Random Allocation; D012756:Sheep / Q000502:physiology*; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D004043:Dietary Fiber; D004044:Dietary Proteins