Effect of quality of hay given to mares around foaling on their voluntary intake and foal growth

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Two groups of 7 saddle mares weighing about 550 kg after foaling, received ad libitum hay-concentrate diets (90:10) from 4 wk before foaling until 5 wk after foaling. One group received high quality (HQ), the other group low quality hay (LQ). In late pregnancy, daily intake was slightly higher (1.0 to 1.4 kg DM) for HQ diet than for LQ diet (P > 0.05). Intake greatly increased in early lactation (18.6 and 21.1 kg DM for LQ and HQ diets in the 3rd wk) but the difference in intake between diets remained higher than 1.5 kg DM. There was no short-term adaptation of mares to the increase in requirements. With LQ diet, a lower body condition score at foaling and a shortage in energy and especially nitrogen caused a decrease in foal growth when compared with HQ diet (1 196 vs 1 473 g/d between birth and 5 wk).