15: Nutrient requirements of growing horses Flashcards
Foal development at birth
Skeleton is well developed at birth
- typically standing within 30 mins of birth
- can walk, trot, gallop within first 12 hours
Four nutritional phases during first 12 months of birth
- Nursing for first few weeks
- Incorporate solid feeds ~10 days postpartum
- Wean ~6 months of age
- continue rapid growth to 12 months of age
What is colostrum? Why is it required
Milk produced in the first day of lactation that is required in the first 24 hours after birth
Required for nutrients, antibodies and growth factors
What kind of placenta do horses have? Why does this affect the need for colostrum
Epitheliochorial
There are fetal and maternal membranes at the placenta interface; these structures prevent transfer of antibodies in utero
Slide 6
Absorption of immunoglobulins from colostrum
- Absorbed through small intestine epithelium (higher efficiency immediately post partum)
- Absorption efficiency declines at 12h +
- no longer absorbed >24 h
What happens in absence of maternal antibodies?
The foal will start to produce their own antibodies sooner, but there would be a period of no antibody protection
When do foals start nursing after birth? Frequency?
Within 1-2 hours
Nurse 10 times/h in first 24 hours
Consume 15% BW as milk in first 24 hours
Digestibility of milk? Supplies all nutritional needs for…
98%
For 6-8 weeks
Trend in nutrient composition of mares milk from week 1 to 12
Energy, protein and fat content of milk decreases slightly
Lactose increases
Slide 9, 10, 11
How do mature BW and height change during growth? In a foal, what is deposited first? What does this mean?
Foals growth first in height, and then in weight
Deposit bone, then muscle, then fat
= mineral nutrition is very important in early life bc of bone development
Weaning age and growth rate
Weaning age has little influence on growth rate; initial colostrum necessary for regular growth, weaning depends on management practices of farm
Feeding behaviours of foals by 21 weeks
Spend ~50% of day eating solid feed
- dams allow foals to eat grain (more likely to consume if confined to box stall)
- foals seek solid food sources for nutrient supply
What is creep feeding? Why use it?
Separate the feeding of the foal from the mare, providing nutrient-dense source of feed to foals (w high palatability)
- protect against mare taking food
- helps reduce weaning stress
- increases ADG and wither height
Voluntary intake of creep feed varies… Influenced by…
Between foals
Influenced by herd behaviour, creep feed placement, presence of other foals
Largest increase in foal height occurs when? Height reflects…
From 0-3 months of age
Height largely reflects linear growth of long bones (growth occurs at metaphyseal plate)
Slide 16, 17
