Two experiments with 32 sheep were conducted to study the effects of feeding the same amount of diet per day at different meal frequencies on ration digestibility, energy utilization, rate of gain, body composition and efficiency of gain. The results obtained are as follows:
(1) The ingestion by sheep of the same amount of feed per day in 8 meals, 1 meal plus 7 ruminal inflations-deflations, and in 1 meal caused no different effect in the digestibility of the nutrients and energy, or the ME value of the diet.
(2) Heat production per unit of metabolic size per unit of dietary, intake was markedly lower for sheep ingesting 8 mears or administered 1 meal plus 7 ruminal inflations-deflations per day than for sheep fed 1 meal per day.
(3) Body weight gain was significantly greater by sheep fed 8 meals per day or 1 meal plus 7 ruminal inflations-deflations than by those fed 1 meal per day. However, the gain in DM and energy of wool was not affected by frequency of meals.
(4) Sheep ingesting 8 meals or administered 1 meal plus 7 ruminal inflations-deflations per day gained body protein, fat and energy at a more rapid and efficient rate than sheep fed 1 meal per day.
(5) Sheep fed 8 meals per day gained greater proportion of fat, protein and ash in the gained portion of the bodies than did 1 meal fed sheep.
(6) An attempt was made to establish the possible explanations by which the frequency of ingesting meal exerts its effects.
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