The Effect of Intravenous Infusions of Methionine on the Voluntary Intake of Grass Silage by Sheep

The effect of intravenous supplements of L‐methionine on the voluntary intake of a ryegrass silage, prepared using formic acid as an additive, was determined in a 4×4 Latin Square experiment with 4 sheep. Animals receiving no methionine consumed 1061 g DM/day; those receiving 0.8, 1.2 and 2.0 g methionine/day consumed 1015, 1012 and 1078 g DM/day. The concentration of methionine in blood plasma (Y; (imoles/I) increased with the dose rate of methionine infused (X; g/day) such that Y=36.7 + 38.3X (r=0.80; P<0.001). It is concluded that with a diet of this type methionine may be limiting for protein synthesis in the tissues but is not involved in the control of food intake.