Diet selection and intake by cattle, goats and sheep was related to climatic factors by principal-component analysis. Digestibility of selected material and digestible organic matter intake per metabolic size (DOMI/kg W^0.75) were significantly correlated to a principal component combining rainfall, and minimum and maximum temperature which described 49,3% of climate-factor variation. The selection pattern of cattle was more closely related to this principal component than the pattern in goats and sheep. This was ascribed to a more precise diet selection ability by small stock.