Efficiency of different sources of roughage on growing performance of young horses

Abstract

Twelve colts and twelve fillies aged 11,5 months were housed in individual stalls during 112-day trial and fed with concentrate at the rate of 1% of body weight, roughage and mineralized salt. The treatments consisted of: alfalfa hay (AH) (Medicago sativa L.); perennial soybean hay (SH) (Glycine wightii Willd.); corn silage (CS) (Zea mays L.) and elephant grass (EG) (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) Cv. Vruckwona. The average daily weight gain was 1.19, 0.99, 1.00 and 0.83 kg, respectively. AH and EG treatments were significantly different at 0.05 level. The average growth rate at the withers was 1.92 cm per period of 28 days without any significant difference between treatments (P>0.05). The average hearth girth gain was 5.13, 3.88, 3.42 and 3.92, respectively; the AH treatment was significantly different from the CS treatment at 0.05 level. The dry matter (DM) intake was greater for hay (P<0.05) compared to fresh roughage, respectively: 90.45, 82.04, 34.91 and 35.37 g/day/kg^0.75. Maximum growth was obtained with AH; however, when fed ad libitum it increased the cost of colt production.