Forage Utilization
by Horses(5)
Julia S. McCann,
Associate Professor Animal
Science Department, University of Georgia
Republished with premission of: Horse Industry Section of Alberta
Agriculture/This paper has an expert rating
General Forage Feeding Guidelines
Intake.
Horses are expected to consume 2.0 to 2.5% of their body weight
in feed every day. Horse owners must recognize individual
differences among horses and understand how stage of production
and exercise influence nutrient requirements. Young horses
do not have the physical capacity to consume enough hay to meet
their energy requirements. Hay is not as energy dense as grain
which is usually needed in the diet to meet energy requirements
of a young growing horse. Lactating mares and exercising horses
also need a more concentrated source of energy than most forages
can provide. But for every horse, at least 1% of the horse's
body weight should be provided daily in some type of forage.
An appropriate starting point for mature horses is to evaluate
the body condition. If adequate body condition is apparent, the
horse might do well on a total forage diet at the level of ~2%
of the body weight. If more body condition is desired or the
horse is going to be working above maintenance requirements,
1.5% to 1.75% of the body weight might be offered in hay along
with .5% to .75% of the body weight in grain (any change in diet
should be made gradually). Since alfalfa may run 15% to 20% higher
in energy and is more digestible, a slightly smaller portion
of alfalfa hay than grass hay may be needed, particularly for
a mature horse at maintenance.
Hay Selection.
Selecting quality hay can be difficult because there are rarely
feed tags to guarantee the nutrient content of the roughage.
That doesn't mean owners CANT determine the nutrient content
of hay, it simply means owners usually must rely on their visual
appraisal of hay to perceive quality. Factors that affect quality
include:
- Plant maturity. The older a plant at cutting,
the more fibrous the hay will be and the LESS digestible the
hay will be for the horse. Higher quality hays will be (a) softer
to the touch because the stems are less fibrous, (b) leafy which
enhances softness of the hay; leaves are the most digestible
components of a plant; and (c) seed heads should not be predominant.
- Color. Green color indicates the hay was
cured properly and free of rain. Green hay is associated with
carotene, the precursor to vitamin A, and insures vitamin A will
be in ample supply for the horse.
- Aroma. Some hays may smell better than
others, but no hay fed to horses should smell musty or be excessively
dusty. Dusty, moldy hay may initiate a respiratory condition
called heaves that is not readily curable (new treatments are
being developed with some success).
- Free of weeds and foreign materials.
- Hay variety. Plant species differ widely
in nutrient content and consequently, so will the hay. KNOW THE
SPECIES AND THEIR AVERAGE NUTRIENT CONTENT!
- After deciding upon the variety to be
fed, the most important factor to determine digestibility for
the horse is maturity. Crude protein and energy of a plant is
highest when the plant is young but decreases with age. If hay
is harvested even a couple of weeks past the peak stage, hay
quality can suffer significantly. More fibrous, mature hays also
may be associated with a higher incidence of colic, especially
impaction colic. Therefore, horse owners should place more confidence
in hay producers that have their hay tested regularly . . . it
can make a difference! Does it pay to test horse hay? Consider
the examples below and decide for yourself.
- Alfalfa averages $90.00/ton and 18.2%
crude protein in Canada. The cost would be $0.24/pound of
protein. (2000 lb. x .182 = 364# protein. $90 divided by
364 = .24) On a cost per pound of hay, alfalfa costs $0.45/pound.
What if the alfalfa was only 15% CP and the cost was the same?
The cost/pound of protein would be $0.30/pound.
- Timothy averages $75.00/ton and 8.2% crude
protein in Canada. The cost would be %0.46/pound of protein.
On a cost per pound of hay, timothy costs $0.375.
- Just for comparison, what does protein
from barley cost? At $3.60/bushel which weighs ~48 lbs. and averages
11.5% crude protein, the cost is $0.65/pound protein from barley.
Consider all the factors for the best economical
decision relative to the nutrient needs of horses being fed.
Dr. McCann, Associate Professor, Animal and Dairy Science
Department, University of Georgia, has done extensive research
on preference and utilization of forage by horses including palatability
and digestibility. She works closely with horse owners to develop
horse rations that optimize forage utilization.
Republished with premission of: Horse Industry Section of Alberta
Agriculture
Copyright ©1999-2000
Her Majesty the Queen in the Right of Alberta. All rights reserved.
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