Utilisation of metabolisahle energy for fat and protein deposition in sheep

Data from five comparative slaughter experiments involving 136 6‐ to 7‐month‐old wether sheep fed on pasture, lucerne, or dried grass meal‐barley meal diets were used to estimate the amounts of metabolisable energy (ME) required for fat and protein deposition. Estimates for the ME cost of fat deposition ranged from 46.8 ± 14.8 to 50.2 ± 9.6 kJ ME/g fat deposited and for protein 113.9 ± 18.7 to 224.8 ± 29.5 kJ ME/g protein deposited.