Equine 2 - Steph Flashcards
what are all the steps included in a nutritional assessment
Farm visit, horse information (medical history, activity level, preferences, day in the life), BCS, what feed is available, evaluate feeding practices/logistics, estimate nutrient requirements (NRC, KER), determine nutrient content of the feed
what is the only accurate way to determine nutrient content of feed
feed analysis
what is important to take note of in the farm assessment in regards to nutrition
management issues, visual assessment of what they are eating, contamination, housing, how food is stored. sharing, distance between water and feed, types of feeders
what does a feed tag/ label not show
doesnt show trace minerals, digestible energy or non structural carbohydrate levels (NSC)
are the feeding directions often higher or lower than they need to be? what is the result of this
feeding directions are typically higher than they need to be but vitamins and minerals are only balanced when horse is feeded recommended amount –> so you have to supplement
How do you do an on farm hay inspection?
- use your senses: look, smell, feel (fluff)
- how much does it weight: avg per flake, avg per bale.
- what type of hay: grass, alfalfa, mixed, early/late harvest
- weeds/dust/mold
what part of a bail should you do your hay analysis
middle of the bail! (most accurate)
when making recommendations, should you use weight or volume?
always weight! (volume tends to be more subjective)
how quickly should an animal switch from their current diet to a new diet
usually should happen slowly over the course of 2 weeks
what percent of body weight do horses eat daily
average horse will eat 1.5-2% of its body weight per day
do we feed according to ideal body weight or current body weight
want to feed according to IDEAL body weight
