Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T08:50:59.276Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

How does the suppression of energy supplementation affect herbage intake, performance and parasitism in lactating saddle mares?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2014

C. Collas ,
G. Fleurance ,
J. Cabaret ,
W. Martin-Rosset ,
L. Wimel ,
J. Cortet  and
B. Dumont
C. Collas*
Affiliation:
IFCE, Direction des Connaissances et de l’Innovation, Terrefort, BP207, 49411 Saumur, France INRA, UMR1213 Herbivores, Theix 63122, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France VetAgro Sup, UMR1213 Herbivores, BP35, 89 Avenue de l'Europe, 63370 Lempdes, France
G. Fleurance
Affiliation:
IFCE, Direction des Connaissances et de l’Innovation, Terrefort, BP207, 49411 Saumur, France INRA, UMR1213 Herbivores, Theix 63122, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France VetAgro Sup, UMR1213 Herbivores, BP35, 89 Avenue de l'Europe, 63370 Lempdes, France
J. Cabaret
Affiliation:
INRA and Université François Rabelais Tours, UMR 1282, Infectiologie et Santé Publique, 37380 Nouzilly, France
W. Martin-Rosset
Affiliation:
INRA, UMR1213 Herbivores, Theix 63122, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France VetAgro Sup, UMR1213 Herbivores, BP35, 89 Avenue de l'Europe, 63370 Lempdes, France
L. Wimel
Affiliation:
IFCE, Direction des Connaissances et de l’Innovation, Terrefort, BP207, 49411 Saumur, France
J. Cortet
Affiliation:
INRA and Université François Rabelais Tours, UMR 1282, Infectiologie et Santé Publique, 37380 Nouzilly, France
B. Dumont
Affiliation:
INRA, UMR1213 Herbivores, Theix 63122, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France VetAgro Sup, UMR1213 Herbivores, BP35, 89 Avenue de l'Europe, 63370 Lempdes, France
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Agroecology opens up new perspectives for the design of sustainable farming systems by using the stimulation of natural processes to reduce the inputs needed for production. In horse farming systems, the challenge is to maximize the proportion of forages in the diet, and to develop alternatives to synthetic chemical drugs for controlling gastrointestinal nematodes. Lactating saddle mares, with high nutritional requirements, are commonly supplemented with concentrates at pasture, although the influence of energy supplementation on voluntary intake, performance and immune response against parasites has not yet been quantified. In a 4-month study, 16 lactating mares experimentally infected with cyathostome larvae either received a daily supplement of barley (60% of energy requirements for lactation) or were non-supplemented. The mares were rotationally grazed on permanent pastures over three vegetation cycles. All the mares met their energy requirements and maintained their body condition score higher than 3. In both treatments, they produced foals with a satisfying growth rate (cycle 1: 1293 g/day; cycle 2: 1029 g/day; cycle 3: 559 g/day) and conformation (according to measurements of height at withers and cannon bone width at 11 months). Parasite egg excretion by mares increased in both groups during the grazing season (from 150 to 2011 epg), independently of whether they were supplemented or not. This suggests that energy supplementation did not improve mare ability to regulate parasite burden. Under unlimited herbage conditions, grass dry matter intake by supplemented mares remained stable around 22.6 g DM/kg LW per day (i.e. 13.5 kg DM/al per day), whereas non-supplemented mares increased voluntary intake from 22.6 to 28.0 g DM/kg LW per day (13.5 to 17.2 kg DM/al per day) between mid-June and the end of August. Hence total digestible dry matter intake and net energy intake did not significantly differ between supplemented and non-supplemented mares during the second and third cycles. In conclusion, supplementing lactating mares at pasture should not be systematic because their adaptive capacities enable to increase herbage intake and ensure foal growth. Further research is needed to determine the herbage allowance threshold below which supplementation is required.

Keywords

horsegrazinginputsgastrointestinal parasitesfoal growth
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 8 , Special Issue 8: Agroecology: integrating animals in agroecosystems , August 2014 , pp. 1290 - 1297
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Athanasiadou, S, Houdijk, J and Kyriazakis, I 2008. Exploiting synergisms and interactions in the nutritional approaches to parasite control in sheep production systems. Small Ruminant Research 76, 2–11.Google Scholar
Bedoin, F and Kristensen, T 2013. Sustainability of grassland-based beef production – case studies of Danish suckler farms. Livestock Science 158, 189–198.Google Scholar
Cabaret, J 2011. Gestion durable des strongyloses chez le cheval à l'herbe: réduire le niveau d'infestation tout en limitant le risque de résistance aux antheminthiques. Fourrages 207, 215–220.Google Scholar
Collobert-Laugier, C, Hoste, H, Sevin, C and Dorchies, P 2002. Prevalence, abundance and site distribution of equine small strongyles in Normandy, France. Veterinary Parasitology 110, 77–83.Google Scholar
Coop, RL and Holmes, PH 1996. Nutrition and parasite interaction. International Journal for Parasitology 26, 951–962.Google Scholar
D’hour, P, Petit, M, Pradel, P and Garel, JP 1995. Evolution du poids et de la production laitière au pâturage de vaches allaitantes Salers et Limousines dans deux milieux. Rencontres autour des Recherches sur les Ruminants 2, 105–108.Google Scholar
Delagarde, R, Peyraud, JL and Delaby, L 1999. Influence of carbohydrate or protein supplementation on intake, behaviour and digestion in dairy cows strip-grazing low-nitrogen fertilized perennial ryegrass. Annales de Zootechnie 48, 81–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Delagarde, R, Prache, S, D’hour, P and Petit, M 2001. Ingestion de l'herbe par les ruminants au pâturage. Fourrages 166, 189–212.Google Scholar
Donabédian, M, Fleurance, G, Peronad, G, Roberte, C, Lepagef, O, Trillaud-Geyl, C, Legerg, S, Ricard, A, Bergero, D and Martin-Rosset, W 2006. Effect of fast vs. moderate growth rate related to nutrient intake on developmental orthopaedic disease in the horse. Animal Research 55, 471–486.Google Scholar
Donaldson, J, van Houtert, MFJ and Sykes, AR 2001. The effect of dietary fish-meal supplementation on parasite burdens of periparturient sheep. Animal Science 72, 149–158.Google Scholar
Doreau, M, Boulot, S and Chilliard, Y 1993. Yield and composition of milk from lactating mares – effect of body condition at foaling. Journal of Dairy Research 60, 457–466.Google Scholar
Drennan, MJ and McGee, M 2008. Performance of spring-calving beef suckler cows and their progeny on four contrasting grassland management systems. Livestock Science 117, 238–248.Google Scholar
Dumont, B, Fortun-Lamothe, L, Jouven, M, Thomas, M and Tichit, M 2013. Prospects from agroecology and industrial ecology for animal production in the 21st century. Animal 7, 1028–1043.Google Scholar
Duncan, P 1992. Horses and grasses: the nutritional ecology of equids and their impact on the Camargue. Springer-Verlag, New York, USA.Google Scholar
Edouard, N, Fleurance, G, Dumont, B, Baumont, R and Duncan, P 2009. Does sward height affect feeding patch choice and voluntary intake in horses? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 119, 219–228.Google Scholar
Edouard, N, Duncan, P, Dumont, B, Baumont, R and Fleurance, G 2010. Foraging in a heterogeneous environment – an experimental study of the trade-off between intake rate and diet quality. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 126, 27–36.Google Scholar
Farruggia, A, Dumont, B, D'hour, P and Egal, D 2008. How does protein supplementation affect the selectivity and performance of Charolais cows on extensively grazed pastures in late autumn? Grass and Forage Science 63, 314–323.Google Scholar
Ferre, I, Brusa, CM, Manzanera, E, Rojo-Vázquez, FA, Buratovich, OF and Mantecón, AR 1995. Effect of supplementary feeding on the gastrointestinal strongylid eggs shedding in grazing pregnant Merino ewes. Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences 4, 237–245.Google Scholar
Fleurance, G, Duncan, P and Mallevaud, B 2001. Daily intake and the selection of feeding sites by horses in heterogeneous wet grasslands. Animal Research 50, 149–156.Google Scholar
Fleurance, G, Duncan, P, Fritz, H, Gordon, IJ and Grenier-Loustalot, MF 2010. Influence of sward structure on daily intake and foraging behaviour by horses. Animal 4, 480–485.Google Scholar
Goering, HK and Van Soest, PJ 1970. Forage fiber analyses (apparatus, reagents, procedures, and some applications). Agricultural Research Service, Washington, USA.Google Scholar
Grace, ND, Gee, EK, Firth, EC and Shaw, HL 2002a. Digestible energy intake, dry matter digestibility and mineral status of grazing New Zealand Thoroughbred yearlings. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 50, 63–69.Google Scholar
Grace, ND, Shaw, HL, Gee, EK and Firth, EC 2002b. Determination of the digestible energy intake and apparent absorption of macroelements in pasture-fed lactating Thorougbred mares. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 50, 182–185.Google Scholar
Gruner, L and Sauve, C 1982. The distribution of trichostrongyle infective larvae on pasture and grazing behaviour in calves. Veterinary Parasitology 11, 203–213.Google Scholar
Henneke, DR, Potter, GD and Kreider, JL 1981. Rebreeding efficiency in mares fed different levels of energy during late gestation. In 7th Equine Nutrition Physiology Symposium, Ettrick, VA, USA, pp. 101–104.Google Scholar
Hoste, H, Martinez-Ortiz-De-Montellano, C, Manolaraki, F, Brunet, S, Ojeda-Robertos, N, Fourquaux, I, Torres-Acosta, JFJ and Sandoval-Castro, CA 2012. Direct and indirect effects of bioactive tannin-rich tropical and temperate legumes against nematode infections. Veterinary Parasitology 186, 18–27.Google Scholar
Houdijk, JGM, Kyriazakis, I, Jackson, F, Huntley, JF and Coop, RL 2003. Is the allocation of metabolisable protein prioritized to milk production rather than to immune functions in Teladorsagia circumcincta-infected lactating ewes? International Journal for Parasitology 33, 327–338.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Iason, GR and Elston, DA 2002. Groups, individuals, efficiency and validity of statistical analyses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 75, 261–268.Google Scholar
INRA 2012. Nutrition et alimentation des chevaux (ed. W Martin-Rosset). Editions Quae, Versailles, France.Google Scholar
Jansson, A, Saastamoinen, M and Lindberg, JE 2012. Forage feeding systems. In Forages and grazing in horse nutrition, pp. 289–303. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Kornaś, S, Cabaret, J, Skalska, M and Nowosad, B 2010. Horse infection with intestinal helminths in relation to age, sex, access to grass and farm system. Veterinary Parasitology 174, 285–291.Google Scholar
Lamoot, I, Vandenberghe, C, Bauwens, D and Hoffmann, M 2005. Grazing behaviour of free-ranging donkeys and Shetland ponies in different reproductive states. Journal of Ethology 23, 19–27.Google Scholar
Love, S, Murphy, D and Mellor, D 1999. Pathogenicity of cyathostome infection. Veterinary Parasitology 85, 113–122.Google Scholar
Martin-Rosset, W and Doreau, M 1980. Effect of variations in the level of feeding of heavy mares during late pregnancy. In 31st Annual Meeting of EAAP, München, Germany, p. 6.Google Scholar
Martin-Rosset, W, Doreau, M and Cloix, J 1978. Etude des activités d'un troupeau de poulinières de trait et de leurs poulains au pâturage. Annales de Zootechnie 27, 33–45.Google Scholar
Martin-Rosset, W, Doreau, M and Espinasse, R 1986. Variations simultanées du poids vif et des quantités ingérées chez la jument. Annales de Zootechnie 35, 341–350.Google Scholar
Martin-Rosset, W, Vermorel, M, Doreau, M, Tisserand, JL and Andrieu, J 1994. The French horse feed evaluation systems and recommended allowances for energy and protein. Livestock Production Science 40, 37–56.Google Scholar
Martin-Rosset, W, Vernet, J, Dubroeuc, H, Arnaud, G, Picard, A and Vermorel, M 2008. Variation of fatness and energy content of the body with body condition score in sport horses and its prediction. In 4th EWEN: Nutrition of the exercising horse (eds M Saastamoinen and W Martin-Rosset), EAAP publication No. 125, pp. 167–176. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Menard, C, Duncan, P, Fleurance, G, Georges, JY and Lila, M 2002. Comparative foraging and nutrition of horses and cattle in European wetlands. Journal of Applied Ecology 39, 120–133.Google Scholar
Mésochina, P, Peyraud, JL, Duncan, P, Micol, D and Trillaud-Geyl, C 2000. Ingestion d’herbe au pâturage par le cheval de selle en croissance: effet de l’âge des poulains et de la biomasse d’herbe. Annales de Zootechnie 49, 505–515.Google Scholar
Mésochina, P, Martin-Rosset, W, Peyraud, JL, Duncan, P, Micol, D and Boulot, S 1998. Prediction of the digestibility of the diet of horses: evaluation of faecal indices. Grass and Forage Science 53, 189–196.Google Scholar
Miraglia, N, Saastamoinen, M and Martin-Rosset, W 2006. Role of pasture in mares and foals management in Europe. In 3rd EWEN: Nutrition and feeding of the broodmares (eds N Miraglia and W Martin-Rosset), EAAP publication No. 120, pp. 279–298. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Morhain, B 2011. Systèmes fourragers et d'alimentation du cheval dans différentes régions françaises. Fourrages 207, 155–163.Google Scholar
Penning, PD 2004. Animal-based techniques for estimating herbage intake. In Herbage intake handbook, 2nd edition (ed. PD Penning), pp. 53–93. The British Grassland Society, Reading, UK.Google Scholar
Raynaud, JP 1970. Etude de l’efficacité d’une technique de coproscopie quantitative pour le diagnotic et le contrôle des infestations parasitaires des bovins, ovins, équins et porcins. Annales de Parasitologie Humaine et Comparée 85, 321–334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Särkijärvi, S, Sormunen-Cristian, R, Heikkilä, T, Rinne, M and Saastamoinen, M 2012. Effect of grass species and cutting time on in vivo digestibility of silage by horses and sheep. Livestock Science 144, 230–239.Google Scholar
Scantlebury, C, Peachey, L, Hodgkinson, J, Matthews, J, Trawford, A, Mulugeta, G, Tefera, G and Pinchbeck, G 2013. Participatory study of medicinal plants used in the control of gastrointestinal parasites in donkeys in Eastern Shewa and Arsi zones of Oromia region, Ethiopia. BMC Veterinary Research 9, 179–190.Google Scholar
Thériez, M, Petit, M and Martin-Rosset, W 1994. Caractéristiques de la conduit des troupeaux allaitants en zones difficiles. Annales de Zootechnie 43, 33–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Traversa, D, Castagna, G, von Samson-Himmelstjerna, G, Meloni, S, Bartolini, R, Geurden, T, Pearce, MC, Woringer, E, Besognet, B, Milillo, P and D’Espois, M 2012. Efficacy of major anthelmintics against horse cyathostomins in France. Veterinary Parasitology 188, 294–300.Google Scholar
Trillaud-Geyl, C, Brohier, J, Baynast, Ld, Baudoin, N, Rossier, E and Lapierre, O 1990. Bilan de productivité sur 10 ans d'un troupeau de juments de selle conduites en plein air intégral. Croissance des produits de 0 à 6 mois. World Review of Animal Production 25, 65–70.Google Scholar