DIGESTIBILITY AND ENERGY-UTILIZATION OF 3 DIETS BY LLAMAS AND SHEEP

The aim of the study was to determine digestibility and energy utilisa tion of three diets: H, 100% DM chopped poor-quality natural-grassland hay; HE, 60% DM of the same hay and 40% DM of pelleted barley; S, 100 % DM chopped ammonia-treated wheat straw offered at near maintenance a ccording to a Latin square design to six adult castrated llamas and si x wethers. Expressed per kg metabolic body weight (MEW), DM intakes of diets H and S were proportionally 23% and 24% lower in llamas than in sheep, respectively. Apparent digestibilities of organic matter, ener gy and NDF tended to be higher and apparent digestibility of ADF was h igher in llamas than in sheep (P < 0.01). Due to large refusals of die t S, daily and circadian energy expenditures of the animals were deter mined by indirect calorimetry on diets H and HE only. Corrected for th e same time spent standing and adjusted for the same metabolisable ene rgy (ME) intake, daily energy expenditure was 17% lower in llamas than in sheep with diet H and was not significantly different with diet HE . Maintenance ME requirements of llamas averaged 343 and 296 kJ/kg MBW /day with diets H and HE, respectively (P < 0.01). The corresponding v alues were 412 and 317 for sheep (P < 0.01).