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

Wood, Stephanie J; Smith, Dave; Muir, C J; Oliver, J; Cuddeford, Derek

Abstract

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

• Conference Name: Fifth International Colloquium on Working Equines. The future for working equines.
• Start Date: Oct 30, 2006
• End Date: Nov 2, 2006
• Publication Date: 2007
• Deposit Date: May 15, 2015
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 285-295
• Keywords: Daily intake; donkeys; feeding; alkane technique; herbage mass; grazing time
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/8166