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A note on the preference of sheep for whole or crushed grains and seeds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

G. D. Hutson  and
P. N. Wilson
G. D. Hutson
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
P. N. Wilson
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
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Abstract

An operant conditioning technique was used to determine whether the reinforcement value of grains and seeds preferred by sheep could be increased by crushing the food. Five sheep were trained to press a plate to receive a food reward. The rate of pressing on a progressive fixed ratio schedule of reinforcement was used as a measure of reinforcement value. Five foods were tested: barley, wheat, oats, lupins and peas. Crushing the foods had no effect on rate of pressing, whereas there was a great deal of variation between sheep and between foods. The preferred foods were wheat and barley.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 38 , Issue 1 , February 1984 , pp. 145 - 146
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1984

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References

REFERENCES

Brown, C. J. and Caveness, J. W. 1959. Preference for feed preparations by sheep. J. Anim. Sci. 18: 1158 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Hutson, G. D. and Van Mourik, S. C. 1981. Food preferences of sheep. Ausl. J. exp. Agric. Anim. Husb. 21: 575–582.CrossRefGoogle Scholar