Nutrition Flashcards
What are the five factors that influence digestibility of nutrients in the digestive tract?
1) Type of source of feedstuff 2) Level of maturity 3) Method of processing 4) Quantity 5) Associative effects 6) Frequency of feeding 7) Rate of passage 8) Compounds that interfere with digestibility 9) Individual differences among horses
What is a herbivore?
Animals that live primarily on plants
What part of the digestive tract is the site for the major portion of nutrient absorption?
The small intestine
Where in the horse’s body are soluble carbohydrates digested to simple sugars?
The small intestine
Where is the primary site of protein digestion?
The small intestine
Calcium is absorbed from which intestine?
The small intestine
Where are the B vitamins synthesized in the horse?
The large intestine
The hind gut for the horse is the site of active microbial digestion of fibrous feeds into what primary energy source for the horse?
Volatile Fatty Acids (VFA)
When mature horses with a lower protein requirement are fed alfalfa, the excess protein is broken down and the nitrogen is excreted where?
In the urine as urea
Name 4 things a feed tag tells a horseperson.
Weight, brand and company name, product name, directions for use, guaranteed analysis, feed ingredients, precautionary statement, name and address of manufactory.
How are ingredients listed on the feed tag?
Largest percentage first and smallest percentage last
Name two things the guaranteed analysis tells a horseperson?
Minimum percentage of crude protein, minimum percentage of crude fat, minimum percentage of crude fiber, and minimum percentage of ash
How is crude protein calculated?
Measure nitrogen content
Nitrogen content of feedstuffs is used to determine protein content of feedstuffs. What is the average percent of nitrogen content of protein?
16%
How much of the crude protein is represented by the digestible protein?
75-80%
What is the measure of the bulk or fibrous portion of the grain mix consisting of mostly cellulose and lignin?
Crude fiber
Name four of the seven “macro” elements required in the diets of horses.
Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, chloride, potassium, and sulfur
True or False? Never feed more than .75% of the body weight at any one feeding.
True
True or False? A horse can be fed their total ration of 15lbs of grain per day at one feeding.
False
True or False? Horses should be offered frre choice materials.
False
Name four types of grains that can be fed to a horse?
Oats, corn, barley, grain sorghum, rye, and wheat
What are the two categories of grain processing?
Dry and Wet
Name three types of grain processing.
Dry rolling, grinding, crimping, roasting, pelleting, soaking, steam rolling, extruded feeds
Does crimping or rolling oats appreciably improve the digestibilty?
NO
Which is higer in energy - corn or oats?
Corn
True or False? Horses will digest feed better if feedings are spaced equal times throughout a 24hr period.
True
Name the categories of commercial manufactured equine feeds.
Textured concentrates, processd concentrates, complete feeds, and supplements
What does NDF stand for?
Neutral Detergent fiber
Which type of manufactured equine feed is mixd to improve digestibility, feed efficiency and intake?
Processed
What is sweet feed?
A grain mix that contains molasses
Which type of manufactured equine feed uses molasses mixed with whole grain to improve palatablility?
Textured
What is the most common supplemental protein used in horse diets?
Cottonseed meal or soybean meal
What is feed that contains the highest quality protein?
Soybean meal
What is the preferred plant source protein fed to horses?
Soybean meal
Brewers dried grains are high in what nutrients?
Fiber and protein
The proper feeding of horses can be divided into what two steps?
1)Knowing the nutritional need of the horse 2) Prividing for this need through the feeding of suitable feedstuffs
The horse’s nutritional requirements are influenced by what factors?
1) The size of the animal 2) The environment 3) Age 4) Type of use or activity 5) Individual characteristics
What is the easiest way to determine whether a horse’s enegy needs are being met?
Monitor the body weight of the animal on a regular basis
Feeds should always be purchased by what measure?
Weight not volume
True or False? Horsemen should feed horses by volume of feedstuff instead of weight.
False
What percentage of the feed ingested is needed to provide the animal’s enegy needs?
80-90%
What type of manufactured equine feed is a combinaiton of concentrates and forages into one product?
Complete
True or False? Balanced rations should be supplemented with a protein, vitamin, and/or mineral supplement.
False
What is meant by a custom feed mix?
Mix that is prepared by a feed mill according to specifications given to them by a customer
True or False? Horses do not require multiple feedings per day if they require 15-20lbs. of concentrate.
False
How much time should be allowed when changing physical forms of feeds, such as from a textured feed to a pelleted feed?
5-7 days
True or False? Horse owners should not dilute or “cut” balanced rations with cereal grains.
True
Do irregular feeding times affect horses’ stall behaviors?
yes
What one thing should stalled horses receive everyday to maintain optimal eating behavior?
Routine exercise
How should concentrate feeds for horses be stored?
In a dry place, free from rodents and insects
Name the ways to prevent a horse from eating aggressively.
Deep shallow trough, salt bricks or softball size rock in the trough, or feeding extruded feeds
What prominent growth supplement in cattle feed is toxic when fed to horses?
Monensin
Excessive ingestion of nitrogen rich compounds such as urea can result in what condition?
Ammonia Toxicosis
The craving for unnatural food may result because of a nutrient deficiency. Give 3 examples of unnatural food consumption.
Chewing wood, eating dirt, sand and/or gravel, tail biting, and eating the bark of trees