Validating the alkane pair technique to estimate dry matter intake in equids.

Smith, Dave; Mayes, R W; Hollands, T; Cuddeford, D; Yule, H H; Ladrero, C M M; Gillen, E

Abstract

The estimation of dry matter intake (DMI) using the alkane pair technique has been validated in ruminants, but not in equids. The current paper reports the finding of three comparative validation studies carried out using a total of 12 cattle, 29 donkeys and 10 horses during which directly measured intake was compared to estimated intake using the alkane pair technique. Two methods were developed to dose the even chain alkanes that were used as external markers. Study I, carried out in Zimbabwe, compared the accuracy of estimated intake with measured intake in cattle and donkeys using hexatriacontane (C36) as the external marker. Studies II and III were carried out in the UK with horses and donkeys and compared the accuracy of estimated intake with measured intake using dotriacontane (C32) as the external marker. Study III also tested the effect on the accuracy of intake estimates of two marker dosing levels (mean daily dose of 224 mg per animal and 448 mg per animal) and two dosing frequencies (2

Citation

Smith, D., Mayes, R. W., Hollands, T., Cuddeford, D., Yule, H. H., Ladrero, C. M. M., & Gillen, E. (2007). Validating the alkane pair technique to estimate dry matter intake in equids. Journal of Agricultural Science, 145, 273-281. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859607006788

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2007
• Deposit Date: May 15, 2015
• Print ISSN: 0021-8596
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-5146
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 145
• Pages: 273-281
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859607006788
• Keywords: Donkeys; dry matter; feedstuff; alkane pair technique
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/8152
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0021859607006788