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DEALING WITH HAY SHORTAGES. STRETCHING HAY SUPPLIES. Hay Supplementation Considerations. Horse = NON RUMINANT HERBIVORE 1. Gastrointestinal function 2. Behavior. Hay supplementation considerations. How much hay is needed?
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DEALING WITH HAY SHORTAGES STRETCHING HAY SUPPLIES
Hay Supplementation Considerations • Horse = NON RUMINANT HERBIVORE 1. Gastrointestinal function 2. Behavior
Hay supplementation considerations • How much hay is needed? 1. Minimum of 0.75 to 1% in dry matter or hay as fed? Not less than 50% of total diet? 2. Minimum of 24% NDF (13% Crude fiber) or 14% ADF? 3. Does form of hay make a difference? chopped, cubed, pelleted
Relationship of NDF & Crude Fiber • Legume hays NDF = (Crude fiber % - 2.07)/ 0.546 • Grass hays NDF = (Crude fiber % - 3.72)/ 0.4
Know how much hay you are feeding • Weigh hay to make sure it is not less than 0.75% of body weight. • Limit time on round bales, i.e. will generally be full 1 to 2 hours AM & PM. • Commercial feeds higher than 14% crude fiber, hay can make up 0.5% BW.
Hay – Roughage Substitutes • Beet pulp • Alfalfa cubes & pellets • Soy hulls • Haylage • Cottonseed hulls • Citrus pulp? • Complete feeds ** Whatever is substituted make sure chew factor is present.
Beet pulp • DE approximately 1.0 Mcal/lb, Crude protein 8-10%, NDF 40.5% • Substitute up to 50% of hay.
Alfalfa Cubes & Pellets • Remember you are feeding alfalfa. • Cubes and pellets are consumed rapidly, chew factor and stem length of concern. • Choke concern with pellets. • Cubes up to 50% for long stem hay. • Pellets up to 25% for long stem hay.
Soy hulls • NDF 61%, C.P.11-13 %, DE 0.8 -1.1 Mcal/lb. • Booth, et al. replace up to 50% of forage in diet. • Recommendation probably no more than 25% as sorting will occur, chew factor concern as no long term studies have been reported.
Cottonseed hulls • DE .50 Mcal/lb, C. protein 3.8%, NDF 80%. • Maximum of 20% of total diet. • Mix with grain or can mix with chopped hay.
Haylage • High moisture ensiled hay harvested at 40 – 60% dry matter. • Highly acceptable, actually prefer over hay. • Slightly more digestible than hay? • Disadvantage with wet (high moisture), possibility of spoilage if not fed relatively quickly. • Botulism rare but possibility.
HELP • GARY HEUSNER • 706-542-9092 • gheusner@uga.edu