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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 November 2017
The efficiency of conversion of Metabolisable Energy into live weight gain by growing sheep may be improved by the partial substitution of fibrous diets with barley. This effect is associated with a reduction in the ratio of acetate to propionate in rumen fluid. Previous studies (Galbraith et al. 1988, 1989) have investigated responses of lambs to combinations of molassed sugar beet feed (MSBF) and barley and found a ratio of 0·75:0·25 MSBF:barley to be as effective as 0·25:0·75 when the diets were ground and pelleted.The incorporation of the yeast culture product, Yea-sacc, has been associated with increases in the concentrations of propionate in the rumen and variable growth responses in ruminants. The objectives of the present study were to investigate diets for finishing lambs which differed in the ratios of pelleted shreds of MSBF and barley and the effects of supplementation with Yea-sacc on growth, rumen metabolites and the physical properties of the diets.