Effects of hay intake and feeding sequence on variables in faeces and faecal water (dry matter, pH value, organic acids, ammonia, buffering capacity) of horses

Abstract

To investigate effects of hay intake and feeding sequence on indicators of the microbial activity within the hindgut, six horses were fed 1.00 kg oats plus 0.50, 0.67, 0.83 or 1.00 kg hay/100 kg body weight (BW) · day, each for 14 days. Oats was offered either 30 min prior to hay (OA) or in the reversed sequence (HA) in a 2 · 8-week crossover design. Because typically exercised horses should be subjected to the study, faeces was used as substrate. Faecal dry matter (DM), the faecal watersÕ short-chain fatty acids (SCFA, in mmol/l) and molar percentages (mol%) of propionate and iso-butyrate were highest with OA (p < 0.01). Acetate mol%, acetate-propionate quotient (A/P) and buffering capacities 1 and 2 (BC1: current pH to pH 6; BC2: pH 6 to 5) of the faecal water were highest with HA (p < 0.01). While the hay intake rose, faecal pH, acetate mol%, A/P, BC1 and BC2 (the latter with HA only) increased (p < 0.05), but DM, SCFA and propionate mol% declined (p < 0.05). The hay-induced rise in A/P and BC1 was much higher with HA than with OA. l-Lactate and ammonia were unaffected by the feeding sequence and hay intake. In conclusion, hay intake and feeding sequence influence the microbial activity within the hindgut, although the concentrate level remains consistent. In horse rations with 1.00 kg oats/100 kg BW · day amounts of at least 0.83 kg hay/100 kg BW · day and offering the hay first seem to have the potency to protect the hindgut content from acidification. Behavioural abnormality was not observed any longer first with 1.00 kg hay/100 kg BW · day.

Management of Chronic Diarrhea in an Adult Horse

“…Lactate attracts water, setting the stage for osmotic diarrhea. Moreover, high-starch feeding represents a well-known risk factor for the development of gastrointestinal disorders, like lesions on the mucosal surface of the stomach and large intestine, and microecological dysfunction with colic [14]. For this reason, a diet with high content of starch should be avoided.…”

The effect of dietary carbohydrate composition on apparent total tract digestibility, feed mean retention time, nitrogen and water balance in horses

“…It has been suggested that the hindgut can act as a fluid reservoir when fibre-based diets are fed (Meyer, 1987), but also that fibre composition might affect water binding and reduce its availability (Cuddeford et al, 1992). This was probably the case in the present study Zeyner et al (2004). A feedstuffs ability to interact with water can be expressed as its swelling or water-binding capacity (Bach Knudsen, 2001).…”

Replacing wheat bran by corn gluten feed without steep water in complete dog food

“…The differences in the solubility and fermentability of these fibres can provide different physiological benefits and affect faecal characteristics (de-Oliveira et al 2008;Calabr o et al 2012). Several outcomes were evaluated to determine the physicochemical characteristics of faeces, such as faecal production (Kawauchi et al 2011), faecal score (Laflamme et al 2011), pH (de-Oliveira et al 2008, buffering capacity (BC) (Zeyner et al 2004) and ammonia nitrogen (Brito et al 2010).…”