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Digestibility of the Proximate Nutrients of Forage by Horses¹

New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, New Brunswick

Abstract

The digestibility of the proximate nutrients of forage by horses was studied in two 6x6 Latin square experiments. In one experiment the hays evaluated were Pennscot red clover, Atlantic alfalfa, timothy, Lincoln bromegrass, Reed canarygrass and Alta fescue; and, in the other experiment, Atlantic alfalfa, Lincoln bromegrass, Reed canarygrass, orchardgrass, Alta fescue and Midland bermudagrass.

When fed ad libitum, all of the hays were eaten by the horses, but there was a significantly (P<.05) greater intake of legumes than grasses. The legume forages contained significantly (P<.01) more digestible crude protein and digestible NFE, resulting in significantly (P<.01) more digestible dry matter and TDN. Alfalfa hay contained less digestible crude fiber and digestible ether extract than all other forages; the crude fiber of bromegrass was the most digestible (P<.05).

The results of the present study demonstrate that the nutritive value of alfalfa and red clover hays is superior to the hay of all other grass species to which it was compared. The smaller differences in nutrient digestibility among the grasses were not consistent between experiments I and II, and it is difficult to select among grass species.

For both experiments, the Nutritive Value Index was highest for red clover (68.6), followed by alfalfa (56.8 and 62.5), timothy (52.8), bromegrass (48.1 and 48.8), canarygrass (46.9 and 46.0), orchardgrass (45.2), bermudagrass (44.0) and fescue (36.8 and 44.6).

Among the horses, the greatest difference was in their ability to digest crude protein. The horses also differed significantly in their digestion of NFE in the second experiment, which resulted in significant differences in dry matter digestion and TDN obtained from forage.

¹ Paper of the Journal Series. New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Rutgers—The State University, Department of Animal Sciences, New Brunswick, N. J.

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