Influence of energy or protein supplementation during midpregnancy on forage intake of ewes grazing Montana winter range.

A 2-yr winter experiment was conducted to determine the influence of either energy or protein supplementation during midpregnancy on fecal output (FO), forage intake, blood metabolite profiles, and BW change of ewes grazing winter range. Thirty-two Targhee ewes were selected for uniformity in age and BW and assigned randomly to one of four dietary treatments 1) no supplement (NONE) ; 2) 150 g of barley supplement (BAR) ; 3) 75 g of feather meal, blood meal supplement (FM/BM) ; and 4) 75 g of FM, BM, urea supplement (FM/BM/U). Two 5-d experimental periods were conducted during each winter (January and February). Forage FO ( P =.09), total FO ( P =.07), and subsequent forage intake ( P .10) by year but were affected (P .10) SUN concentrations both years, averaging 7.4 mg/dL. Alternate-day supplementation during midpregnancy with energy or protein had no effect on forage DMI of ewes grazing winter range.