Voluntary feed intake and apparent digestibility in vivo in ponies given ad libitum access to de-hydrated grass or hay harvested from the same grass crop

1998 ◽  
Vol 1998 ◽  
pp. 131-131
Author(s):  
J. J. Hyslop ◽  
A. Bayley ◽  
A. L. Tomlinson ◽  
D. Cuddeford

De-hydrated forages are often fed to equids in the UK in place of more traditional grass hay, particularly where individual animals are known to have a sensitivity to dusty, mouldy hay which may play a part inducing respiratory problems such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). One such alternative forage is short-chop de-hydrated grass. However, there is very little information available on voluntary feed intake (VFI), apparent digestibility and nutrient intake parameters when de-hydrated grass is offered to equids compared with traditional grass hay. This study examines the VFI and apparent digestibility in vivo of a short-chop de-hydrated grass compared with a traditional grass hay and determines their ability to meet the predicted energy and protein needs of mature ponies.Six mature Welsh-cross pony geldings with a mean liveweight (LW) of 281 kg (s.e.d. 0.89) were individually housed and offered ad libitum access to either short-chop de-hydrated grass (DHG) or traditional grass hay (HAY) plus 60 g/h/d minerals. The DHG and HAY were made from the same 2nd cut perennial ryegrass sward cut on the same day.

1998 ◽  
Vol 1998 ◽  
pp. 131-131
Author(s):  
J. J. Hyslop ◽  
A. Bayley ◽  
A. L. Tomlinson ◽  
D. Cuddeford

De-hydrated forages are often fed to equids in the UK in place of more traditional grass hay, particularly where individual animals are known to have a sensitivity to dusty, mouldy hay which may play a part inducing respiratory problems such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). One such alternative forage is short-chop de-hydrated grass. However, there is very little information available on voluntary feed intake (VFI), apparent digestibility and nutrient intake parameters when de-hydrated grass is offered to equids compared with traditional grass hay. This study examines the VFI and apparent digestibility in vivo of a short-chop de-hydrated grass compared with a traditional grass hay and determines their ability to meet the predicted energy and protein needs of mature ponies.Six mature Welsh-cross pony geldings with a mean liveweight (LW) of 281 kg (s.e.d. 0.89) were individually housed and offered ad libitum access to either short-chop de-hydrated grass (DHG) or traditional grass hay (HAY) plus 60 g/h/d minerals. The DHG and HAY were made from the same 2nd cut perennial ryegrass sward cut on the same day.


1998 ◽  
Vol 1998 ◽  
pp. 130-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Hyslop ◽  
A. L. Tomlinson ◽  
A. Bayley ◽  
D. Cuddeford

Many mature, non-pregnant, non-lactating equids are often kept in circumstances where they are expected to perform only light physical work or activity eg: a childs pony. Consequently their maintenance energy and protein needs can often be met at very restricted feed intake levels. Conversely, when they are housed during the winter months it is believed desirable to manage such animals on unrestricted ad libitum feeding regimes in order to allow the animals to exhibit their natural feed intake pattern and consume forage on a little and often basis throughout the daily feeding period. However, ad libitum access to the diet may lead to such animals becoming excessively fat. These conflicting needs of low energy and protein requirement coupled with the desirability of unrestricted access to the diet could both be met, at least in part, if a low quality forage is available ad libitum. This study examines the voluntary feed intake and apparent digestibility in vivo of a mature threshed grass hay offered ad libitum and determines its ability to meet the predicted energy and protein needs of mature ponies.


2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 ◽  
pp. 90-90
Author(s):  
J. J. Hyslop ◽  
S. Calder

There is increased interest in using forages other than grass hay as the basal diet for equines in the UK. Whilst a range of short-chopped dehydrated alfalfa based forages may be used as alternatives to grass hay in equine diets, there is very little information available on their likely intake characteristics, apparent digestibilities or their nutritive values. The objectives of the current experiment were:- 1) to determine the voluntary feed intake (VFI) characteristics of three alfalfa based forages when offered ad libitum to ponies, 2) to determine the in vivo apparent digestibility, digestible energy (DE) and digestible crude protein (DCP) contents of these forages and 3) to compare the actual energy and protein intakes with theoretical energy and protein requirements.


1998 ◽  
Vol 1998 ◽  
pp. 130-130
Author(s):  
J. J. Hyslop ◽  
A. L. Tomlinson ◽  
A. Bayley ◽  
D. Cuddeford

Many mature, non-pregnant, non-lactating equids are often kept in circumstances where they are expected to perform only light physical work or activity eg: a childs pony. Consequently their maintenance energy and protein needs can often be met at very restricted feed intake levels. Conversely, when they are housed during the winter months it is believed desirable to manage such animals on unrestricted ad libitum feeding regimes in order to allow the animals to exhibit their natural feed intake pattern and consume forage on a little and often basis throughout the daily feeding period. However, ad libitum access to the diet may lead to such animals becoming excessively fat. These conflicting needs of low energy and protein requirement coupled with the desirability of unrestricted access to the diet could both be met, at least in part, if a low quality forage is available ad libitum. This study examines the voluntary feed intake and apparent digestibility in vivo of a mature threshed grass hay offered ad libitum and determines its ability to meet the predicted energy and protein needs of mature ponies.


1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 ◽  
pp. 140-140
Author(s):  
J. J. Hyslop ◽  
D. Cuddeford

There is increased interest in using sugar beet pulp (SBP) products as forage replacers in equine diets. Previous work (Hyslop et al 1998) has indicated that SBP products may suppress voluntary feed intake (VFI) in ponies when they are the major fibre source at between 550-700 g/kg total diet dry matter (DM). This study examines VFI and apparent digestibility in vivo where soaked unmolassed sugar beet pulp (USBP) was offered as a partial forage replacement to ponies receiving ad libitum grass hay.Four mature Welsh-cross pony geldings (280 kg LW s.e. 6.6) were individually housed and offered 0.86 kg/d of micronised barley (MB) and given ad libitum access to grass hay (HAY). In addition, ponies were offered either 0, 1, 2, or 3 kg/d USBP (U0, U1, U2 and U3 respectively) according to a 4 x 4 latin square changeover experimental design.


1967 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 463-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Ulyatt ◽  
K. L. Blaxter ◽  
I. McDonald

Three sheep with permanent fistulas of the rumen were each given dried grass and two hays, each in three different amounts, and the apparent digesti-bility of the roughages in the rumen and distal to the rumen was determined. A lignin ratio method was used to measure digestibility.With increase in the amount of the poorest hay given, the proportion digested in the rumen fell and that distal to the rumen increased. With the second hay this effect was also noted but was not statistically significant. The voluntary intakes ofdry matter varied from 1·94 kg/day for the dried grass to 1·28 for the poorest hay. The volumes of distribution of polyethylene glycol in the rumen when feed was offered ad libitum, however, were the same, irrespective of the type of feed, at between 14·1 and 15·2 litres. These observations were confirmed at slaughter. The results support the hypothesis that sheep voluntarily consume roughages of different qualities to achieve constant fill of their rumens, and that little regulation of voluntary intake can be attributed to distension of the hind gut.


2000 ◽  
Vol 2000 ◽  
pp. 81-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.T. Adesogan ◽  
M.B. Salawu ◽  
E.R. Deaville

Pea-wheat bi-crop silages were reported to have moderate nutritive value when the proportion of peas in the sward was less than 200 g/kg (Adesoganet al., 1999). These authors also suggested that improvements in the digestibility, intake and nitrogen (N) balance of the forages may result from increasing the proportion of peas in the sward. This experiment was designed to examine this theory by determining thein vivoapparent digestibility, N retention and voluntary feed intake (VFI) in sheep of pea-wheat bi-crop silages containing different ratios of peas to wheat and harvested at two stages of growth.


1996 ◽  
Vol 1996 ◽  
pp. 100-100
Author(s):  
L. Istasse ◽  
C. Van Eenaeme ◽  
J.L. Hornick ◽  
P. Van Calster ◽  
D. Huet

Hay is an usual component of horse diet. Nevertheless, it is suspected to provide some spores causing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Grass silage has been suggested as forage in the diet to overcome the problem. It was therefore of interest to assess the nutritive value of grass silage in horses.Three silages with different dry matter (DM) content were compared. Since horses dislike grass silage with a low DM content, wilted silages only were compared. The first two were first cut grass silages with a low DM content at 427.3 g/kg (LGS) or a medium DM content (661.7 g/kg - MGS). They were compared with a second cut silage from grass grown under very dry conditions (HGS - 787.5 g/kg). The grass was ensiled in square big bales. The 3 silages were offered alone and ad libitum to 4 sport horses in 3 consecutive periods,each silage being offered during one period.


1998 ◽  
Vol 1998 ◽  
pp. 132-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Hyslop ◽  
S. Roy ◽  
D. Cuddeford

There is increased interest, in using sugar beet pulp (SBP) products in equine diets as a major source of fibre in place of traditional forages. It has been observed that voluntary feed intake (VFI) was lower when SBP products were included in the diet of dry sows compared to other fibrous foodstuffs (Brouns, et al 1995). Equids are similar to pigs in respect that fibrous feed components must pass through the stomach and small intestine before reaching the hindgut; the primary site of fibre fermentation. This study examines the VFI and apparent digestibility in vivo of two SBP based diets and determines their ability to meet the predicted energy and protein needs of mature ponies.Five mature Welsh-cross and three mature Shetland pony geldings with a mean liveweight (LW) of 219 kg (s.e.d. 2.2) were individually housed and offered 2 kg/d dry matter (DM) of a mature threshed grass hay (THAY), 60 g/h/d minerals and ad libitum access to either soaked molassed sugar beet pulp (MSBP) or soaked unmolassed sugar beet pulp (USBP).


2000 ◽  
Vol 2000 ◽  
pp. 100-100
Author(s):  
Meriel Moore-Colyer ◽  
Annette C Longland

Grass hay is the traditional conserved fodder fed to horses in the UK, yet good quality hay is often scarce and expensive. Working or breeding equines often require a higher plane of nutrition than that provided by hay, yet feeding high levels of concentrates can lead to a number of metabolic disorders such as colic and laminitis. Furthermore, the high dust content of hay can elicit the onset of the debilitating disorder, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thus, there is increasing interest in feeding horses forage-based diets which are both low in dust and have enhanced nutritive values. The aim of this experiment was to determine the intakes and digestibility of four types of conserved forage by ponies.


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