Composition of milk from pony mares fed various levels of digestible energy.

This study explores how various levels of digestible energy in the diet of pony mares affect the composition of their milk. The researchers concluded that the energy intake of the mares had more influence on their body condition than on the milk’s energy production.

Methodology and Results

• The study was performed using twenty-two pony mares which were fed one of three diets that provided different levels of digestible energy (DE) per kg body weight per day. The distinct energy levels were 93.0, 74.8, or 57.2 kcal.
• Milk samples from each mare were collected at fourteen-day intervals, allowing a total of five samples to be collected from each mare.
• The harvested samples were analyzed for different elements. These include total solids, crude protein, lactose, total lipids, ash, calcium, and phosphorus content. Furthermore, the gross energy content of the milk was calculated from this composition data.
• The analysis showed that increasing energy intake decreased the concentration of total solids, protein, fat, and gross energy found in the mare’s milk. Meaning the more energy consumed by the mare, the less energy was found in the milk they produced.

Conclusion

• The research concluded that the intake of energy affects the mare’s body condition more than it influences the energy production of milk.
• So, in a feeding program for lactating pony mares, it’s advisable to maintain the mare in a desirable body condition, instead of trying to influence the milk’s composition or production.
• Simply increasing the energy intake of the mare did not correspond with increased energy in the milk output, and instead impacts the overall condition of the mare herself.

Implication

• This study suggests adjusting diet may be more beneficial for the mare’s overall health than for optimizing milk production.
• In practical terms, these findings may influence how equine diet programs are planned for lactating mares, focusing more on the mare’s health rather than attempting to modify milk outputs via diet regulation.