A note on the voluntary food consumption and the sodium-potassium ratio of sheep after shearing

Abstract

SUMMARYThe daily voluntary food consumption (VFC), water intake and urinary excretion of water, sodium and potassium of eight sheep were studied before and after shearing. The extracellular volume of each sheep was measured twice before and three times after shearing. VFC was significantly higher for the first 3 weeks after shearing than for the 3 weeks immediately before shearing. There was a decreased excretion of Na in the urine and a smaller Na/K ratio for the first 2 weeks after shearing, although the extracellular volume was not significantly increased until 4 weeks after shearing. Within, but not between, the 3-week periods before and after shearing, there was a close linear relationship between VFC and water intake, the latter being significantly less for the same VFC after shearing. During weeks 4 and 5 after shearing, there was an increased loss of Na in the urine and a higher Na/K ratio, and the linear relationship between VFC and water intake was intermediate between that shown before and after shearing. The VFC of the sheep before shearing and in week 5 after shearing were similar.