PREFERENCE OF SHEEP AND GOATS FOR EXTRACTS FROM HIGH-GRAIN CONCENTRATE

Appetite stimulants were extracted and partially isolated from high-gr ain concentrate. The stimulants were fed daily and were palatable to s heep and goats used in the experiments. The stimulative effects were t ested by comparing the intake of two types of hay: with or without the extracts. Diethyl ether and n-pentane extracts of the concentrate sti mulated feeding in sheep (P < .01 and P < .05, respectively). However, methanol extracts had no significant stimulative effect on selective feeding in sheep. Goats also preferentially fed on hay sprayed with th e diethyl ether extracts (P < .01). The diethyl ether extracts were di vided into acid, neutral, and basic fractions. Sheep and goats had a m arked preference for the acid fraction only (P < .01 and P < .05, resp ectively). These results suggest that specific chemicals to increase p alatability of hay are present in high-grain concentrate and that the chemicals are nonpolar, acidic substances.