Selective consumption of dry pasture by sheep as affected by spraying with urea or molasses or both

Abstract

Spraying low quality dry pasture with urea or molasses, or both, increased its consumption by sheep. This caused a more rapid reduction of the preferred components in the pasture. As a result they were earlier eliminated from the intake, their place being taken by the initially lion-preferred components. Spraying therefore affected the intake in three ways: it provided a supplement, it altered the quantity of plant intake, and it increased or decreased its quality, depending on whether the non-preferred components were higher or lower than the preferred in value. The overall effect was a reduction in sheep liveweight loss, but the likelihood of such an advantage in other circumstances is discussed. It is suggested that favourable animal response from the use of supplements to pasture car1 be expected only where any induced decrease in the quality of pasture intake 1s more than compensated for by other beneficla1 consequences of the supplement.