Lecture 14 - Feeds and Feeding Chapter 13 Forage - leaves, stems, and seed heads if present ◦ Ex: hay, pasture, or silage. Roughage - forage Concentrate - seed of the plant with lots of concentrated energy. ◦ Ex: oats, corn, grain Supplements - additional proteins, vitamins, and/or minerals. Roughage
Concentrate
Fat supplements
Protein supplements
Minerals
Vitamins Hay and pasture At least ½ of the ration on dry matter basis Quality source of protein Buffers GI track Can be relatively high in energy Can have high levels of soluble CHO even if no grain in diet ◦ Possibility of founder in lush grasses Roots Stem Leaf Flower/seed Vegetative
Reproductive/Seedhead Timothy
Orchard grass
Bluegrass
Fescue Alfalfa
Red clover White clover Low labor Environment for horse No storage loss Variable quality Harvested as needed Cost Labor Weather Quality control
High moisture Larger operations weather risk is lowered Pros • Crop is far less likely to be ruined by rain. • Can store it outside. • Retains more food value than hay. • Will help you achieve the rule of thumb of providing two-thirds of your horse’s diet in forage feed.
Cons • It’s more costly than hay. • Bales will be at least twice as heavy as their hay equivalents. • Specialist gear is needed to move big bales, or you need to employ a contractor to do it. • You need to check regularly for holes and repair them. • Once open, bales need to be fed out within a few days. • Horses can contract botulism from poor quality balage. • Storage life can vary from bale to bale. Hay silage is a great feed when preserved properly but carries the danger of botulism.
Don't feed silage to horses unless the horses have been vaccinated.
When raking hay, lift the tines of the rake up so they don't pull earth into the hay.
Don't apply poultry manure to hay fields intended for hay production.
Watch out for the accidental incorporation of animal carcasses into the bales. (This is difficult when it comes to mice.) http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts /info_botulism.htm High in starches High in energy Easy to feed Readily available Oats Corn Barley Wheat Wheat bran Cane molasses
Soybean meal 42%-50%
Linseed/flaxseed meal 30%-32%
Cottonseed meal? 40%-45%
Others: alfalfa, fish, milk casein, canola meal, sunflower meal, peanut meal, distillers grains, brewers dried grains Free choice Salt Dicalcium phosphate Trace minerals
Supply in a block or in supplement. All are generally supplied in good quality pasture, hay, and grains.
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