Effects of forage species and poultry litter application timing on forage preference by horses.

The research article focuses on how the species of forage and the timing of poultry manure application as a fertilizer affects its palatability or preference by horses. The two forage species in focus are Bermudagrass, a common one in horse-keeping, and Teff, an emerging popular choice. The experiment centered around testing the feeding preferences of five mature geldings to discover their forage preference and how it is influenced by different manure application times.

Experiment Design

• The study employed a 2 x 3 factorial design incorporating two types of forage – teff and bermudagrass – and three different timings for applying poultry litter as a fertiliser. These timings were: no application of litter (NL), litter applied immediately after the previous crop was cut (L0), and litter applied 14 days after the previous crop was cut (L14).
• The timing of poultry litter application was hypothesized to have an impact on the palatability of forages.
• The horse subjects of the experiment were mature geldings of a stock-type breed. They were all assigned diverse combinations of the six total forages over the course of three days.
• Feeding tactics were employed to encourage the horses to select amongst the different forages, and their intake and preference were recorded.

Findings

• The results demonstrated that horses had a more pronounced preference for Bermudagrass over Teff. This was measured via dry matter intake and the time each horse spent consuming each forage type. Dry matter intake was significantly higher for bermudagrass than for teff, and horses also spent more time consuming Bermudagrass.
• The time of the poultry litter application also seemed to matter: horses showed a marked preference for the forages with no litter application and those with immediate post-cut application over those with the litter applied 14 days post-cut. This indicates that the timing of manure application could influence forage palatability in horses.
• However, it was also noted that all the forages were mature, which might have influenced the total intake and preference of horses.

Conclusion

• The study suggests that horses may favour Bermudagrass over Teff, and that the timing of poultry litter application may influence their voluntary intake. It brings into light the subtle dependencies of a horse’s dietary preference on forage type and the condition of the fodder, specifically regarding manure application times.
• The research is important as it can help horse keepers optimally manage diets by choosing the right forage crop and adjusting the manure application time to maximize intake.