REVIEW ARTICLE

Prediction of feed intake in the Italian dairy sheep Recommendations on feed intake for sheep are based on assessments of genetic types, feeding systems and environ-mental conditions that are very different from Italian ones. These considerations underline the need for intake data or models that derive from local trials. For this reason intake data of lactating and dry ewes, pregnant ewes, rams and growing lambs have been collected from selected literature based on sheep feeding trials mainly conducted on dairy breeds in Italy or in other Mediterranean countries. Equations and intake tables differentiated according to the physio-logical and productive categories, as well as feeding typology are reported. Particular consideration is given to pasture intake with supplementation, reporting three equations developed for three qualitative levels of the pasture, recogniz-able from the CP content of herbage: < 10 % DM; ≥ 10 % and ≤ 16 % DM;>16 % DM. The equations include animal and pasture variables and supplementation, expressed as grams of CP given with feeds other than pasture. Only when pas-ture CP content is lower than 10 % DM, supplement is not included in the equation, as no or negative substitution effec