Energy cost of feeding in Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep

Abstract

Resting MR in kcal/kg0.75/day (mean ± SE): Male (85 kg) Female (72 kg) Standing 85.35 ± 1.03 82.66 ± 0.96 Lying 72.30 ± 0.07 69.54 ± 1.25 Differences 13.05 13.12 % increment 18.1% 18.9% A generally accepted value for domestic animals is 10% (Blaxter 1967). But it was 21% for pronghorn (Wesley et al. 1973), 22% in roe deer (Weiner 1977), 18.6% for wapiti (Gates & Hudson in press). Mattfeld (1973) got 61% for white-tailed deer, and Maloiy got about the same for a single red deer. Differences could be due to experimental difficulties, but also to anatomical differences, notably the angles of the limb.