5b Life Cycle Nutrition of Horses 1 Flashcards
What are the 4 nutritional phases during the first 12 months?
- Nursing for first few weeks
- Incorporate solid feeds ~10 days postpartum
- wean ~6 months of age
- continue rapid growth to 12 months of age
Describe the importance of colostrum in the first 24 hours.
- rich in protein, dry matter and vitamin A
- contains immunglobins (absorbed through small intestinal)
- efficiency of absorption declines after 12 hours postpartum
- no longer absorbed at 24 hours post partum
Describe nursing behaviour within the first 24 hours.
- nurse within 1-2 hours after birth
- nurse 10 times/hr in first 24 hours
- nursing lasts about 1-2 min
- consume 15% BW as milk in first 24 hours
What is the digestibility of milk?
98%
How long does milk supply all nutritional needs?
6-8 weeks
How does total solids, energy, protein, fat, lactose and minerals change in milk as time passes?
- total solids decrease
- energy decreases
- protein decreases
- fat decreases
- lactose increases
- minerals decrease
Why do so many nutrients decrease in milk?
- encourages weaning
- foal will naturally try to supplement diet by weaning
How is the composition of mammals milk related to growth rate of the young animal?
Protein, Ca and P increase as the ‘days required to double birth weight’ decreases
How many days do horses require to double their birth weight?
- 60 days
In what order are tissues deposited as the horse grows?
bone then muscle then fat
How does the tissue order of deposition affect the nutritional requirement of certain ingredients?
- will require calcium and phosphorous first and most importantly for bone development
At 1 month of age, what percentage of height has been reached?
90%
If nutrition is compromised in the mare, how does this affect the foal?
- during pregnancy,, will divert energy to foal
- however, during lactation, may result in reduced milk production
- can wean early to prevent this affecting growth
Does weaning age affect growth rate?
- little influence
- initial colostrum necessary for regular growth
- weaning dependent on management practices
At what age do foals spend ~50% of their day eating solid feed?
- 21 weeks
- dam allows foals to eat grain, especially if in confined box stall
- seek solid food source for nutrient supply
- copies dam
Describe creep feeding.
- provides nutrient dense source of feed to foals but is protected from ingestion by mares
- helps reduce weaning stress
- adapt micro biome
- increased ADG from foals not creep fed
- voluntary intake varies between foals
Where does growth of long bones occur?
- metaphyseal plates (growth plates)
What is an easy way to tell if a foal is not done growing?
- croup is higher than shoulder
What is the general energy requirement for growth?
- energy for growth = energy for maintenance + growth
As the growth rate slows, does the energy required for 1kg gain increase or decreases?
- increase
Describe the protein requirements for growth
- sensitive to protein quality
- lysine is first limiting AA
How can protein requirements be determined?
- nitrogen balance should be positive in growing horses
Describe calcium requirements in growing horses.
- deficiency can lead to osteopenia (problem with remodelling)
- poor mineralization of osteoid tissue
- creates enlarged joints and crooked long bones
- Ca requirement = maintenance + gain
Describe the result of phosphorous deficiency in growing horses?
- rachitic like changes
- excess reduced Ca uptake
- can lead to nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism
