Abstract | Four experiments were conducted to examine effects of individual terpenes on alfalfa pellet intake by lambs. Forty-five lambs (nine lambs/treatment) were individually fed alfalfa pellets sprayed with either camphene, myrcene, caryophyllene oxide, or beta-pinene at one of five concentrations in an ethanol carrier. Treatments (0, .5, 1, 2, and 10X) were multiples of the concentration (X) of a specific terpene on the leaf surface of Flourensia cernua. Terpenes were applied to alfalfa pellets (.64 kg.lamb-1.d-1, DM basis) and consumption was measured during a 20-minute interval for 5 d. Lambs were adapted to handling and individual pen feeding for 10 d and were maintained and fed alfalfa pellets in one group (except during 20-minute tests) at a mean total daily intake of 4.7% of BW (DM basis). Camphene and caryophyllene oxide tended to decrease intake (linear contrasts were P = .0651 and P = .0504, respectively), while myrcene and beta-pinene exerted no effect on consumption of alfalfa pellets by lambs during the 20-minute interval. Camphene and caryophyllene oxide may be involved in the differential herbivory of individual tarbush plants by livestock. |