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Offering concentrates either before, with or after forage and its effect on digesta passage rates and mean retention times in ponies given either oat straw or grass haylage as a basal forage

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2018

J. J. Hyslop*
Affiliation:
Dept Vet Clinical Studies, Edinburgh University, Easter Bush Vet Centre, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RGUKjimmy.hyslop@sac.co.uk
*
Current address: SAC Select Services, FBS Area Office, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0PH, UK.
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Extract

Most mature horses and ponies in the UK are given restricted amounts of concentrate and forage diets in order to avoid excessive nutrient intake and obesity, usually in a number of small meals per day. One practical question often asked by horse owners relates to the timing of concentrate feeding relative to the timing of forage provision. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of feeding concentrate meals either before, with or after forage when either oat straw or grass haylage was offered as the basal forage. Actual dry matter intakes and diet digestibility values from this study have been published previously (Hyslop, 2004). This summary details the effects of offering concentrates either 2 hours before, along with or 2 hours after forage provision on digesta passage rates and mean retention times in mature ponies.

6 mature Welsh-cross pony geldings (mean LW 298 kg: s.e. 16.2) were individually housed and used in an eight treatment, 6 x 4 partially balanced incomplete block design experiment consisting of four 21 day periods.

Type
Posters
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Production 2006

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References

Hyslop, J. J. 2004. Effects of offering concentrates either before, with or after forage on total tract apparent digestibilities and nutritive values in ponies given either oat straw or grass haylage. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science. BSAS, P O Box 3, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0RZ. p 147.Google Scholar
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