Abstract:
Energy, carbon, and nitrogen balances were determined in adult wether sheep given a diet of lucerne hay and whole oats at several planes of nutrition between fasting and ad libitum. Four sheep were studied when their weight was c. 30 kg (10% fat) and later when they weighed c. 75 kg (33% fat); another four were studied at c. 70 kg (30% fat) and later at c. 45 kg (16% fat). The most obvious effect of fatness was loss of appetite. Voluntary food intake began to decline when body weight approached 60 kg and was half of the maximal amount when the sheep weighed 70 kg or more; one very fat sheep ate only 100