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The Digestible Energy Requirements of Lactating Pony Mares

Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853

Abstract

The energy requirements of lactating pony mares were studied. Twenty-two mares were divided into three groups and fed one of three diets consisting of different ratios of corn, alfalfa meal and soybean meal. All three diets were fed at a level of intake that supplied the National Research Council (NRC) recommended amount of crude protein for pony mares during the first 3 mo of lactation. Diets 1, 2 and 3 supplied 93.0, 74.8 and 57.2 kcal of digestible energy (DE)• kg body weight^–1 •d^–1, respectively. The DE content of each diet was determined in a 3 x 3 Latin square digestion trial using mature pony geldings fed at a rate of 1.5% body weight/d. Mares and foals remained on trial for an 11-wk period. The mares and foals were weighed each week, and foal heart girths and heights at withers were measured. Least-squares regression of foal average daily gain with mare weight and energy intake of the mare as independent variables showed no significant effect of energy intake of the mare on foal growth. A regression equation that describes the influence of energy intake of the mare on mare weight change is Y = .0031–.0033 X₁ + .0531 X₂, where Y is average daily weight change of the mare (kg), X₁ = postfoaling mare weight (kg) and X₂ = measured daily energy intake of the mare (Meal DE/d). Using this equation, a 200-kg mare fed 12.37 Meal DE/d, or 85% of the NRC recommendation for lactating pony mares, would be expected to maintain body weight during the first 3 mo of lactation. A 200-kg mare fed the NRC recommended amount (14.58 Mcal/d) would be expected to gain 5% body weight over this period.