Appetency and preference in horses offered lucerne or chalk as a source of calcium

Abstract

Lucerne and chalk are sources of calcium used to supplement horses diets. The voluntary ingestion of lucerne varies with its form (Cuddeford, 1994). The objectives of this study were to compare the appetency for different sources of calcium, measured by kinetic of ingestion and selection behaviour (sorting, refusal) and to evaluate the effect of those different sources of calcium supplements on the preference of diets offered as a simultaneous choice. The sources of calcium studied were chalk and dehydrated lucerne presented in three forms: 6 mm diameter pellets, 18 mm diameter pellets and ground.