Nutritive value of Kikuyu grass

Six groups of six wether hoggets were fed as a sole diet either one of two cuts of Kikuyu grass or a pelleted grassmeal - barleymeal ration ad lib. or restricted levels of intake in a comparative slaughter trial. Sheep eating the pelleted grassmeal - barleymeal ration were superior in terms of energy and nitrogen retention and wool growth to those eating Kikuyu grass. It is suggested that the poor performance of sheep fed Kikuyu grass is a direct result of an inadequate voluntary intake of digestible energy.