Mechanisms of intake induction of a low-nutritious food in sheep (Ovis aries).

Intake induction refers to the phenomenon by which animals increase consumption of a less-valued meal when followed by a highly-preferred food relative to when followed by no food or by the same less-preferred food. In the Training phase of the present experiment, we assessed the induction effect in sheep using a within-subject design where learning could be tested while controlling for digestive state. Results showed that, once intake reached stability, subjects ate more low-nutritious food (oat hay) when followed than when preceded by a preferred food (soybean meal), supporting the learning hypothesis of induction.