nutrition

Evaluating scientific methods and production practices for assessing the nutritional and hygienic quality in haylage for equids

Status
Start date
End date
Country
Methodology

Bale selection: Bales were assessed from seven farms within Devon and Dorset where haylage is predominantly made for feeding to donkeys.   Individual bales were selected by taking the corners, end and middle which included bales from each layer of the stack.  A record of the way bales were stacked was also made.  A total of 66 bales were sampled. 

Pressure test: To determine how well sealed haylage bales were, a single small core was made on the barrel side of each bale.  A one-way valve was inserted and sealed with a rubber seal over the wrap.  Air was drawn out using a manual plumber’s pump and a needle, attached to a pressure gauge, measured the time taken for pressure to drop 200psi.

Bale coring: Six spatially distinct cores were taken from each bale using a mechanical silage corer.  Samples were immediately sealed in bags ready for transport to the laboratory. Disks of wrap were also retained to determine wrapper set up.

Processing and scanning: Cored samples were broken up and mixed manually and immediately scanned using a NIRs4Farm device before subsampling into vacuum bags for analysis (NIR and wet chemistry) at commercial laboratories.  Samples were analysed for dry matter (DM), water soluble carbohydrates (WSC), crude protein, ash, acid detergent fibre (ADF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and pH.

Aims

To assess variation in haylage nutritive and hygienic quality across a number of farms producing haylage for donkey consumption.

To determine the suitability of commercial NIR based analyses for the provision of accurate results compared to wet chemistry.

Results

Pressure test: Most bales were well sealed with the majority having an excellent seal (above 5mins or 300s) indicating bale wrap had been applied following ensilaging methodology and that bale wrap integrity had been maintained during storage.  The occasional poor result was associated with visible mechanical damage to the wrap or growth of the fungus Schizophyllum commune.

Wrap layers: Nearly all farms met the recommended target of having at least 6 layers of wrap.  Some farms greatly exceeded this which indicates a waste of wrap and a potential for cost and environmental impact saving.  Some issues with wrapper set up were noted, as shown by the variation in wrap layers within each bale. 

Chemical analysis: A relatively strong relationship was found between increased % dry matter (DM) and increased water soluble carbohydrates (WSC).  WSC levels were very variable with an almost 10 fold range found between bales across the different sites.  Levels of butyric acid (a key indicator of poor fermentation) was low in all haylage samples.

Some discrepancies were found between NIRS predicted and wet chemical analysis particularly for certain analytes.  Whilst predictions for DM were fairly reliable, those for protein and particularly WSC were poor.

Conclusions

Having a means of accurately determining the nutritional content of haylage is important when managing dietary intake for donkeys and other equines.  Whilst NIRS analysis offers an opportunity to provide fast and inexpensive information, relative to wet chemistry, this study has highlighted some significant inaccuracies which could lead to forage outside of target nutritional values being fed, with resultant impacts on donkey health. 

Nutritional support of hyperlipaemic donkey

Alexandra K. Thiemann
Presentation date

Simple advice regarding donkey food preferences can assist owners in restoring appetite to donkeys with mild hyperlipaemia. As the disease progresses further intervention with nasogastric tubing, intravenous fluids and total parenteral nutrition may be required. This presentation will cover the support needed and calculations requited to treat hyperlipaemia in a donkey.

Country

A review of laminitis in the donkey

Laminitis is a commonly occurring, painful condition of the foot that can have a major impact on the welfare of affected donkeys. When faced with a donkey suspected to have laminitis, the approach is broadly similar to that in the horse, however there are certain factors unique to donkeys that this article aims to highlight including: the differences in use, behaviour, anatomy, therapy and management.

Publication date
Country

Practical feeding and condition scoring for donkeys

Donkeys have evolved to thrive on highly fibrous, poor quality foodstuffs and have evolved as browsers as well as grazers. As such, they have different nutrient requirements with significantly lower energy and protein needs when compared with horses. Dietary management of donkeys is essential when kept in a temperate climate as they are prone to obesity and related disorders. A diet based on fibrous forages and limited grazing is usually sufficient for the majority of donkeys and mules. Specialist feeding is discussed in this article.

Publication date

Nutritional management of hyperlipaemia

Hyperlipaemia is a disease resulting from excessive mobilisation of triglyceride stores such that plasma clearance processes become overwhelmed. Consequently increased plasma triglyceride concentrations (>5.6 mmol/l), visibly cloudy plasma and a sick, anorexic or hypophagic subject follow. Epidemiological studies have identified many predisposing and triggering factors and the attentive carer or veterinary surgeon should be alert to such risk factors so that the disease can be prevented, or at least identified and treated at an early stage. Hyperlipaemic subjects are invariably in a negative energy balance, and nutritional management therefore plays a central role in both the prevention and resolution of the disease.

Publication date
Country

Nutrition and dental care of donkeys

The domestic donkey is descended from wild asses and has evolved to live in some of the most inhospitable places on earth. Little research has been carried out to address the specific needs of the donkey, which has traditionally been viewed as a small horse. The donkey is different from the horse in many ways; of particular note is its ability to thrive on highly fibrous feeds. This article discusses the nutritional requirements of donkeys and how dental disease may play a role in determining their nutritional requirements.

Journal
Volume
35
Start page
405
End page
410
Publication date
Country

Donkey nutrition and malnutrition

The domestic donkey is a unique equid species with specific nutritional requirements. This article examines the importance of feeding strategies that mimic the donkey's natural environment using poor nutritional quality fibers and access to browsing materials. The relationship between nutrition and health is examined and practical approaches to the healthy and sick donkey are discussed.

Published online ahead of print.

Volume
35
Issue
3
Start page
469
End page
479
Publication date
Country

Digstible energy requirements of mexican donkeys fed oat straw and maize stover

The limited availability of food, together with the constraints that traditional management systems impose on the natural foraging behaviour of donkeys, often results in severe under-nutrition. Few studies have been conducted into the digestibility of different forages and little information exists on nutritional requirements of donkeys. In order to measure digestible energy requirements of donkeys under tropical conditions, an experiment was carried out at the Centre for Research in Agricultural Science (CICA) and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México located in the Toluca valley, Central México. Thirty-two donkeys of a body condition typical for Central México were divided into four groups of 8 animals each according to their sex and live weight: group 1 (Gl) comprised male donkeys below the average body weight (102 ± 5 kg); group 2 (G2) comprised male donkeys of average body weight (121.5 ± 4 kg); group 3 (G3) comprised female donkeys below average weight (111.8 ± 5 kg); and group 4 (G4) comprised female donkeys of average weight (127.6 ± 5 kg). A diet of oat straw or maize stover and 15% alfalfa hay was offered to meet exact maintenance requirements. The donkeys were monitored for 13 months. The live weight of all animals was recorded daily in order to monitor whether maintenance requirements were being met. Mean daily digestible energy (DE) requirements were measured during the winter, spring, summer and autumn of 2003–2004. Digestible energy requirements of all four sex and liveweight groups were significantly (p > 0.05) higher during the spring than during the other seasons of the year (13.5, 18.0, 10.4 and 14.3 MJ DE per day during winter, spring, summer and autumn, respectively). Predicted DE requirements of donkeys with a live weight range betweenn 90 and 150 kg using the data from the present study were less than those predicted using scaled-down horse feeding standards.

Volume
37
Issue
Supp 1
Start page
123
End page
142
Publication date
Country

The effect of pasture restriction on dry matter intake of foraging donkeys in the UK

Stephanie J. Wood
David Smith
Presentation date

Anecdotal evidence from animal charities indicates that the number of overweight donkeys in the UK is increasing. Donkeys commonly have daily access to pasture therefore knowledge of grass intake is essential if feeding advice is to be relevant. The effects of herbage mass and length of grazing time on diet composition and dry matter intake (DMI) by mature donkeys were determined.

There were two measurement periods: period 1 during autumn when pasture was sparse (herbage mass 92 + 7g DM/m2) and period 2 during summer when pasture was more abundant (herbage mass 197 + 12g DM/m2). Twenty mature donkeys were selected and split into three grazing groups (8, 12 and 23 h daily grazing access). Barley straw was fed ad libitum and each donkey was given 150mg per day of an n-alkane marker Dotriacontane (C32) for the 12 d of each study period. Herbage mass significantly affected total DMI and diet composition. During summer DMI of donkeys in the 8 and 23h groups was significantly greater than during autumn (P<0.05). The proportion of grass in the diets of all donkeys was also greater in summer compared to autumn (P<0.001). Grazing time did not significantly influence total daily DMI during either season due to donkeys consuming more straw when grass intake was reduced. Restricting donkeys to 12h or less grazing per day in summer significantly (P<0.001) reduced their grass intake compared to that of donkeys with 23h access. When grazing sparse pastures (autumn) time allowed for grazing did not influence grass intake. The results show that time allowed for grazing per se was less important than the herbage mass available to the donkey in terms of grass DMI.

Country
Not published as conference proceedings

The effect of pasture restriction on dry matter intake by foraging donkeys in the UK

Stephanie J. Wood
David Smith
Catherine J. Muir
J. Oliver
Derek Cuddeford
Presentation date

Measuring daily food intake of foraging animals is essential if accurate feeding rations are to be implemented. The alkane technique, which has recently been validated in equines, now provides the opportunity to measure intake at pasture. The aims of this study were to determine the effects of herbage mass and grazing time allowance on dry matter intakes in mature donkeys in the UK. The effect of grazing time allowance on diet composition was also measured. Two study periods took place; period 1 when pasture was sparse (herbage mass 133.1±10 g dry matter/m2) and period 2 when pasture was more abundant (herbage mass 284.5±17.2 g dry matter/m2). Eighteen mature donkeys, male and female, were selected for the study and split into three grazing groups. Groups 1 and 2 were restricted to 8 and 12 hours grazing time per day, respectively. Group 3 was allowed 23 hours grazing time daily. Access to a yarded area and shelter was available to all donkeys during grazing periods. Barley straw was fed ad libitum to all donkeys and was available at all times. Each donkey was administered with 150 mg per day of an n-alkane marker Dotriacontane (C32) in the form of a labelled wheat biscuit fed three times daily for the 12 days of each study period. During period 1 grazing time allowance had no significant effect on daily DMI although the donkeys with 23 hours access did consume more than donkeys with only 12 and 8 hours grazing access (2.61, 2.54 and 2.26 kg, respectively). The proportion of grass and straw comprising daily intake was affected by grazing time allowance (P<0.05). Grass comprised 18% of daily intake for the 8 and 12-hour groups and 11% in the diet of the 23-hour group, although this difference was not significant. During period 2 daily DMI remained unaffected by grazing time allowance. The proportions of grass and straw within the diet were significantly affected (P<0.001), grass comprised 25 and 29% of daily intake for the 8 and 12-hour groups but made up 41% of daily intake of the 23-hour group. These results show that grazing time allowance has little effect on overall DMI but when given the opportunity donkeys increase their grass intake.

Country
Published as conference proceedings
Publication date
Publisher
Subscribe to nutrition