When given mixed rations of grass and hay, sheep and goats sort their food. Both species have a preference for longer particles, and sheep seek out proteins, according to an Agroscope study.
In intensive dairy production, each animal in the herd must receive a high-quality ration, adapted to its needs. Dairy cows are therefore often given mixed rations because they cannot sort the different components, the federal research station said in a press release on Friday.
For intensive dairy production, dairy sheep and goat breeders are also increasingly distributing mixed rations. To determine whether these small ruminants were capable of sorting the components of mixed rations, studies were carried out with 24 dairy ewes and 24 dairy goats.
It turned out that both sheep and goats selected the longest particles in the mixtures, substantially changing the ration within a few hours. Sheep select more components rich in protein.
A short cut of the components of the ration made it possible to delay the selection somewhat, but not to prevent it, according to this work published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science. These results impressively show how small ruminants are able to adapt their diet to their needs, underlines Agroscope.
Increase frequency
When grass silage or hay were fed separately, both forages were consumed in similar quantities, which was not the case when a mixture of the two was offered. The project highlighted that goats and sheep do not have a preference for mixed rations and that sorting feed is likely a behavioral need.
Furthermore, increasing the frequency of feed distribution to five times per day – instead of once or twice – was studied in six dairy sheep farms. With feeding five times a day, the number of animals eating at the same time was higher and arguments over food were less frequent.
By distributing food several times a day, it is possible to avoid too great a drop in quality and reduce competition for food. To reduce the necessary workload, the ideal would be to automate food distribution, concludes Agroscope.
This article was automatically published. Source: ats
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