Effects of individual terpenes and terpene mistures on intake of lambs

TitleEffects of individual terpenes and terpene mistures on intake of lambs
Publication TypeConference Paper
Year of Publication2007
AuthorsEstell RE, Fredrickson E.L., Anderson D.M., Remmenga M.D.
Conference NameAmerican Society of Animal Science
Date PublishedJuly 9, 2007
ARIS Log Number210245
Keywordsalfalfa, alfalfa pellet, intake, lambs, shrubs, terpene
AbstractRangeland degradation due to shrub encroachment is a major concern to livestock producers and land managers in the western United States and in arid and semiarid regions worldwide. Most invasive shrubs contain secondary compounds that reduce their consumption by herbivores, but knowledge concerning the effects of specific compounds is limited. Four experiments were conducted to determine the effects of individual terpenes or mixtures of monoterpenes or sesquiterpenes on intake by lambs. After a 10-day adaptation period with untreated alfalfa pellets, lambs were individually fed treated alfalfa pellets for 20 min. each morning for 5 days. Five treatments (0X, .5X, 1X, 2X, and 10X; multiples of the concentrations of the same terpenes in Flourensia cernua) were applied to alfalfa pellets (637 g, DM basis) in an ethanol carrier. Except during the 20-m,in test, lambs were maintained outdoors and fed untreated alfalfa pellets (total mean intake = 4.7%) in Exp. 1 and 4 because of greater intake of OX than other treatments on day 1 and lower intake for the 10XZ treatment on day 1 and 2. A trend for decreased intake (g/kg BW) as concentration of the sesquiterpene mixture increased was observed. Although there was a tendency for a sesquiterpene mixture to decrease intake, and the monoterpene mixture did not appear to affect intake by lambs.