The effects of feeding either hay or grass diets on salivary phosphorus secretion, net intestinal phosphorus absorption and on the partition of phosphorus excretion between urine and faeces in the sheep.

Mature sheep fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were fed either a pelleted hay or a pelleted grass diet with or without supplementary phosphorus. Salivary phosphorus secretion, net intestinal phosphorus absorption and the route of phosphorus excretion were determined. The route of excretion was markedly affected by diet with urinary excretion being much higher and faecal excretion lower when the grass diet was fed. These effects were not due to differences in phosphorus intake or to differences in net intestinal phosphorus absorption. Salivary phosphorus secretion was, however, lower when the grass diet was fed. The significance of these changes in relation to the control of phosphorus balance in ruminants is discussed.