Effects of diet and climate on growing horses.
Abstract: The effects of diet and climate were assessed in 42 light horse weanlings over 30 wk. Horses were fed diets varying in energy and phosphorus content. Diets were predominantly forage (73 to 77.5%) or concentrate (62 to 62.25%) and had 2.65 or 3.09 Mcal DE/kg DM, respectively. Horses were weighed every 14 d. Group feed intakes and climatic variables were recorded daily. Dietary phosphorus content did not affect intake or gain. Horses fed forage diets ate 18% more (P less than .001) DM than horses fed concentrate, but DE intakes did not differ. Average DE intakes, 21.5 Mcal daily, were 33% more than those given in 1978 National Research Council (NRC) tables. Overall ADG by forage- and concentrate-fed horses were .83 and .89 kg, respectively. These values were 23 and 32% above mean ADG values given for horses at 6 and 12 mo in 1978 NRC tables. Average daily gain declined (P less than .01) with age, although daily DE intake increased (P less than .01). Total DM and DE intakes were determined largely by body weight, but age was the main determinant of weight-scaled DE intake. Weight- and age-scaled DE intakes were reduced (P less than .001) by 6.1% at temperatures below -10 degrees C compared with temperatures above -10 degrees C. Temperatures below -20 degrees C had no greater effect on DE intake than those between -10 to -20 degrees C. Neither precipitation nor wind alone affected weight- and age-adjusted DE intake. In conclusion, weanling horses fed readily digested diets ad libitum gained weight at or above expected values even at severely cold ambient temperatures.
Publication Date: 1989-01-01 PubMed ID: 2925552DOI: 10.2527/jas1989.67148xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This study investigates how diet (specifically energy and phosphorus content) and climate affect the growth rates and intake behaviors of 42 light horse weanlings across a 30-week duration.
Study Details
- This research focused on young horses (weanlings) and monitored their weight growth, feed intakes, and how they were influenced by various dietary and climatic conditions over a period of half a year.
- The diets provided to the horses varied in both the energy and phosphorus levels they contained. Some were predominantly forage-based (77% maximum) while others were focused on concentrates instead (up to 62% of the total diet).
- The forage diets typically carried 2.65 Mega calories Digestible Energy (DE) per kilogram of Dry Matter (DM), and the concentrate diets came with 3.09 Mcal DE/kg DM on an average.
- Alongside their diet, weather parameters were documented to observe if they bring any variations in the subjects’ intake volumes and growing rates.
Key Findings
- The phosphorus content wasn’t found to change the horses’ food intake or weight gain.
- Horses that were fed forage diets were observed to eat 18% more dried matter as compared to those consuming concentrates, though the intakes of digestible energy were found consistent.
- The average DE intake was around 33% more than the limits mentioned in the 1978 National Research Council (NRC) tables.
- The average daily gain value exhibited a decline with age, despite the daily digestible energy intake showing an increase.
- Below -10 degrees Celsius, the weight- and age-adjusted DE consumption was observed to fall by 6.1% as compared to warmer climates, however, any further decrease in temperature didn’t differently affect the DE intake.
- Neither precipitation nor wind seemed to bring noticeable effects in DE intakes after adjusting for weight and age.
Conclusion
- From the research, it can be concluded that weanling horses can maintain or even exceed their expected weight gains when fed with diets high in digestible energy, even under severe cold conditions.
- The study indicates that diet’s type and content can affect horses’ feeding behavior and growth, while weather conditions could mainly influence energy consumption.
Cite This Article
APA
Cymbaluk NF, Christison GI.
(1989).
Effects of diet and climate on growing horses.
J Anim Sci, 67(1), 48-59.
https://doi.org/10.2527/jas1989.67148x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Dept. of Herd Med. and Theriogenol., University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Body Weight
- Climate
- Diet
- Female
- Horses / growth & development
- Male
- Temperature
- Weather
- Wind
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Gardela J, Carbajal A, Tallo-Parra O, Olvera-Maneu S, Álvarez-Rodríguez M, Jose-Cunilleras E, López-Béjar M. Temporary Relocation during Rest Periods: Relocation Stress and Other Factors Influence Hair Cortisol Concentrations in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2020 Apr 8;10(4).
- Ringmark S, Skarin A, Jansson A. Impact of Year-Round Grazing by Horses on Pasture Nutrient Dynamics and the Correlation with Pasture Nutrient Content and Fecal Nutrient Composition. Animals (Basel) 2019 Jul 29;9(8).
- Junkkari R, Simojoki H, Heiskanen ML, Pelkonen S, Sankari S, Tulamo RM, Mykkänen A. A comparison of unheated loose housing with stables on the respiratory health of weaned-foals in cold winter conditions: an observational field-study. Acta Vet Scand 2017 Oct 26;59(1):73.
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