feeding broodmares Flashcards
what is the most important nutritional variable affecting reproductive efficiency?
body condition, pregnant and lactating mares will use body stores to protect nutrient supply to the fetus and nursing foal
what was the effect of body condition on pregnancy rate?
initial bc=5 and final bc=6, pregnancy rate was 89%
initial and final bc=6, pregnancy rate was 93%
initial and final bc=7/8, pregnancy rate was 94%
demonstrates the mares with body condition scores of 5 or above were more likely to become pregnant
what was the effect of body condition scores on cycles per conception?
thin mares were able to get pregnant, but it took more time (more trips to the breeding shed) and fewer of the thin mares were able to get in foal. on average it will take more services/conception and more cycles/conception for a thin mare to get pregnant
how to increase body condition
1 condition score=30-60 lbs for horses 1000-1400 lbs
this requires extra calories, approx 250-450 Mcal of DE above maintenance to increase condition score by 1 in 60 days (4-8 Mcal per day above maintenance)
how to increase BCS in cold weather
reduce caloric need (keep the horse warm), feed more hay and increased hay quality (fermentation increases heat) and increase concentrate or purchase increased energy concentrate
nutrition requirements during gestation and lactation
mares in gestation must meet the mare’s own maintenance needs and the maintenance needs of products of conception (fetus, placenta, fluids etc) and lactating mares must meet the needs for maintenance and milk production (and possibly gestation)
what are the products of gestation?
placenta and fluids, uterine development, mammary development (late gestation), fetus, total mass accumulated (12-15% of mare’s non-pregnant bw, a 1300 lb pregnant mare will gain 156-195 lbs during gestation)
nutrient requirements for gestating mares
as pregnancy progresses, nutrient requirement increases due to the increased tissue development of the foal. at about 4 months of pregnancy forage and BP can meet the mare’s nutrient requirement, but at 9-11 months the mare needs more concentrate to meet her needs
how to feed a gestating mare
early pregnancy coincides with early spring/summer pasture and late gestation often coincides with winter/early spring (limited pasture and colder weather). highest nutrient needs are during the winter because it causes environmental stress and increased calorie use, the mare is dealing with the undesirable conditions during the period of the foal’s most weight gain
feeding gestating mare’s in the winter
with the cold weather, you must increase the Mcals of DE for the mare, if you do not have more high quality hay, mares will not eat enough to maintain their body condition and use body stores to stay warm and for the developing fetus
mares foaling in May-June
less concern about body condition, but more concern for tall fescue exposure. should take mares off of tall fescue 60-90 days before foaling
endophyte infected tall fescue
common in KY, endophyte produces toxins that suppress hormones in late pregnant mares resulting in prolonged pregnancy, may cause dystocia and poor milk production`
nutrient requirements for lactating mares
mares in the first 3 months of lactation have a much higher protein, calcium and DE requirement compared to late gestation. feed intake generally increases greatly during lactation and mare can eat up to 3% of her BW
feeding for late gestation
after foaling total feed intake will increase. a lactating mare will eat about 35 lb or total feed (hay/grass and concentrate) per day, after pregnancy mares are more likely to colic so it may be best to transition mare’s diet gradually
what is the best type of hay for a lactating mare?
feed alfalfa because it has a higher protein and calcium concentration and it will require you to feed less concentrate
