Body Condition Affects Reproductive Performance

Body condition may be the single largest factor affecting the reproductive performance of mares. Mares maintained in moderate to fleshy condition cycle earlier in the year, require fewer cycles per conception, have a higher pregnancy rate and are more likely to maintain pregnancies than are thin mares. Because of the subjective nature of terminology such as “fleshy”, “good condition”, etc., researchers developed a numeric scoring system to objectively identify the body condition of a mare. Using this system, research has determined that a condition score of less than 5 in lactating mares indicates that they may not have enough stored body fat to support efficient reproductive performance. Those mares are more likely to skip a breeding season than are mares with a condition score of 6 or more. This is especially prevalent in mares that are 15 years of age or greater.
Reproductive performance often can be improved in thin mares when they are fed to gain weight. However, putting weight on a thin mare, particularly during lactation can be costly and dangerous due to the high levels of feed intake required to achieve gain. While no foaling difficulties have been shown in mares in obese condition, there are no reproductive advantages to keeping mares in condition scores of 8 or 9. Therefore, scores of 5.5 to 7.5 represent the optimum. Management of body condition should be supported by careful selection of feedstuffs and accurate ration formulation, because this is an important step in promoting normal foal growth (see Body Condition Scoring Chart).

Total Feed Intake
Total daily feed intake by mares (hay + concentrate) normally ranges from 1.5 percent to 3.0 percent of body weight, with 2 percent serving as an average. Actual daily feed intake depends on the type and quality of hay or grazing and on the crude fiber level and energy density of the concentrate. As the fiber level increases and energy density decreases, the amount of feed required to meet energy demands will go up. However, as forage quality decreases, voluntary intake often decreases as well. This can present a problem in providing enough energy to maintain the desired body condition. Furthermore, daily feed intake can vary between individuals. Feed intake may have to be increased for hard keepers or heavy milkers, and decreased for other mares who are easier keepers.

Early and Mid-gestation
A non-lactating, pregnant mare in the first 8 months of gestation has nutrient requirements very similar to those of any mature, idle horse. The developing foal gains only 0.2 pounds/day during this time and does not present a significant nutritional demand on the mare. It is usually considered sufficient simply to meet the mare’s nutrient requirements for maintenance.
This may be accomplished with free choice grazing of quality pasture. In this situation, mares may consume as much as 3 percent of their body weight, which can meet their needs for protein and energy during this stage. However, mineral requirements may not be met, particularly in mineral deficient pastures. Therefore, supplemental minerals will be necessary. This may be accomplished with a free-choice loose mineral or a mineral block for horses. A trace mineralized salt block will not provide sufficient mineral to meet requirements, therefore it is recommended that a free-choice mineral and a salt block be provided at this time. High quality hays can also be excellent for maintaining dry, pregnant mares in the early stages of pregnancy. As an average, mares will require around 2 percent of their body weight in high quality hay if no supplemental grain is used. Grazing and/or hay will usually maintain a mare that is already in acceptable body condition, but often will not put sufficient weight on mares that are in marginal condition.
When pasture or hay quality declines, or is not available in adequate amounts, mares will need supplemental concentrate to maintain body weight and condition. A quality concentrate fed at .5 to .75 percent of body weight will help keep mares in good shape.

Late Pregnancy
As a mare enters the last 3-4 months of pregnancy, nutrient requirements increase because the unborn foal is growing more rapidly, averaging 1 pound/day. During this time the intake of protein, energy, vitamins and minerals needs to be increased. Even in situations where forage is sufficiently maintaining mares in acceptable condition, it is important that they receive quality concentrate supplementation. While forage may be able to provide sufficient calories to maintain the body condition of the mare, other nutrients, particularly protein and minerals, will be inadequate. Research has shown that foal birth weight can be adversely affected when mares do not receive adequate protein during late gestation, even when the mares maintain a condition score of 5.5 to 7.5. Therefore, simply having mares stay in good condition during late gestation does not guarantee proper foal development.
It is during the tenth month that the greatest amount of mineral retention occurs in the unborn foal. In addition to this, mares’ milk is practically devoid of trace minerals, such as copper, that are essential for proper bone development. Therefore, adequate mineral nutrition of the mare is critical for normal fetal development and to provide sufficient minerals for the foal to be born with stores of these nutrients to draw upon after birth. A supplemental feeding program that provides a good protein, vitamin and mineral balance is necessary to properly support the growth and development of the foal.  Diets containing added fats or oils can be used to help mares in unsatisfactory condition gain the desired weight.

The advantage of feeding these diets is that body condition can be improved without having to feed excessive amounts of concentrate, since the higher fat diets tend to have a higher digestible energy level.Lactation
At foaling, a mare’s daily nutrient requirements increase significantly. The protein and energy requirements almost double from early gestation to lactation, as do requirements for calcium, phosphorus and Vitamin A. These nutrient needs must be met in order for the mare to recover from foaling stress, produce milk and to rebreed, all without losing body condition. This is a critical, nutritional period for the mare. Underfeeding of mares during early lactation will surely lower milk production and cause weight loss. This may not pose a problem if the mare is in fleshy to fat contition. However, early lactation weight loss in mares that foal in thin condition will often affect the mare’s ability to raise her new foal and become pregnant again.

Mares produce an average of 24 pounds (3 gallons) of milk daily during a 5-month lactation. This represents 450 gallons or 1 3/4 tons of milk over 150 days. High producing mares produce as much as 32 pounds (4 gallons) of milk daily. The average production in the first 22 days of lactation is 26.5 pounds per day. Production appears to reach a peak at 30 days and slowly decline from there. Nutrient content of mares’ milk follows a more drastic downward curve. In the fourth month of lactation, a mare’s milk provides less than 30 percent of the total energy needed by her foal. Providing lactating mares with a concentrate that includes added fats or oils and high quality protein can help slow the downward curve of production and improve nutrient content of the milk. This will translate into an early growth advantage for the nursing foal.
A lactating mare will usually consume between 2 and 3 percent of her body weight in total feed (hay + concentrate) daily. Because of the significant difference in nutrient requirements from gestation to lactating, it would be safer for a gradual increase in feed intake to begin prior to foaling. This would prevent a drastic change at foaling time, which could increase the risk of digestive disorders. Also, providing the total daily feed in two equal feedings allows mares to more safely consume the amounts needed during lactation. Heavy milkers may require as much as 1.75 percent of body weight in concentrate feed each day, depending on the quality and nutrient density of that concentrate.

When possible, mares fed in groups should be sorted according to feed intake or body condition to insure each mare receives the appropriate amount of concentrate to meet her needs. Providing individual feed troughs for each mare plus one extra trough for mares that get run off from their feed, or providing plenty of space at group troughs will help insure that mares consume the feed they need.

Free choice spring grazing will meet some of the mare’s nutrient requirements, but considerable amounts of supplemental concentrate will be needed. Less supplemental feed will be needed for mares grazing on small grain pastures. In most cases, body condition of mares on high quality pasture or hay can be maintained with concentrate provided at .75 to 1.25 percent of body weight daily. This will vary significantly depending on the quality and quantity of forage available and the nutrient content of the concentrate.

In the fourth, fifth and sixth months of lactation, daily requirements begin to decline. However, by this time many horsemen will have had foals on a good creep feed to prepare them for weaning and will be weaning by the fourth or fifth month of age. There is no advantage for the foal to remain on the mare past this time. It is more nutritionally accurate for the foal and more economical for the horseman to feed the foal a quality diet to meet his needs directly than it is to feed the mare to produce milk. Once the foal is weaned, the dry, pregnant mare can be managed as an early gestating mare once again. Through proper health care, feeding management and breeding techniques, the mare can produce a strong, healthy foal each year.By Karen E. Davison, Ph.D., Managing Equine Nutritionist, Purina Mills, LLC

Title:

Description: Dunn’s Fish Truck will stop at Jack’s Town & Country the afternoon of Saturday, July 30, 2011  from 3-4 PM.

Place your orders with Dunn’s Fish Farm – 508-777-2202.
Date: 2011-07-30
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 PM

Have a great 4th!

Great article from Purina Better Animals.

Just like their human companions, dogs and cats enjoy the carefree and playful summer months.

During the days when the temperature and humidity soars, you need to take special care to keep your pets safe and comfortable. Due to their limited ability to keep cool, pets can become overheated quickly. Overheating can result in heat exhaustion, heat stroke and even death.

The following tips will aid in keeping your beloved companions happy and healthy throughout the summer months and help them “keep their cool” as the mercury rises.

• Never leave pets in a parked car in summer, even with windows partially open. The temperature inside a parked car rises very quickly and can kill a pet in less than 10 minutes!

• Avoid vigorous exercise during the heat of the day. Take dogs out in the early morning or evening hours when the heat is not so intense. Stop and let your dog drink often while exercising. Remember, hot asphalt can seriously burn the pads of their feet.

• Pets that are older, overweight, long- or thick-coated and dogs with short muzzles are at great risk for overheating. They’ll be safest and happiest in an air-conditioned environment in hot weather.

• Outdoor pets should always have plenty of cool, fresh water to drink and a safe, shaded area to retreat to. Make sure water is kept in a tip-proof bowl. If possible, bring outside pets indoors on very hot or humid days.

• Signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion may include heavy panting or drooling, unsteadiness, glazed eyes, rapid pulse, a deep red or purple tongue, vomiting and loss of consciousness. Seek veterinary care immediately.

• Your pet’s coat helps insulate him from the heat as well as protect against sunburn. Clipping or shaving pets too close in an effort to keep them cool can actually result in LESS protection. If you choose to give your pet a summer cut, keep it to a one-inch length and never shave down to the skin.

• If your dog isn’t on heartworm medication, have her tested, then put her on a prevention program. Mosquitoes, plentiful in summer, can carry heartworm larvae and infect your pet.

• Flea bites can cause severe itching and allergic reactions, and ingestion of fleas can result in tapeworms! Ticks carry diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever and can cause anemia. Your veterinarian can recommend a good flea and tick control program. Remember that pests are far easier to prevent than to get rid of.

• Always equip your pet with identification. I.D. tags are helpful but must be worn at all times. Tattoo or microchip methods are very effective in helping to recover lost pets.

• Keep lawn chemicals and automotive fluids out of reach of pets to prevent accidental poisoning.

Taking simple precautions will go a long way in keeping your pet safe during the lazy days of summer.

COLLEGE STATION – Saving valuable landscapes – even successfully adding some new plants – depends on the length of one’s hose and depth of one’s commitment, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service gardening expert.

“It’s the season. People are going to want to plant,” said Jayla Fry, AgriLife Extension Master Gardener program assistant in College Station. “ By all means, go for it.

During a drought, the use of drip irrigation and mulch can help sustain landscapes. (Texas AgriLife Research photo by Kathleen Phillips)

“But at the same time you have to realize that during times of a major drought like this, you’re going to have to add the water,” she said. “So it’s an expense that one has to weigh out when adding to the landscape.”

Fry said existing plants – from flowers to shrubs to trees – also need special care during the drought to stay healthy and last until rain returns.

“A couple of things to consider in a drought are lawns and trees,” Fry said. “With lawns of course, they need to be protected with supplemental irrigation. So about once a week you’re going to want to add about an inch of water. Bermuda grass is a little more drought tolerant than St. Augustine, so it is more forgiving.”

Trees are a higher investment for property owners and should be watered during a drought to keep them from dying.

“You’re going to want to protect trees and how you do that is with your water hose,” she said.

Fry suggested that a water hose be turned on until it produces a pencil-sized flow. Place the running hose at the drip-line, or the edge of its canopy, and move the water around the tree every 15 minutes until the ground is completely soaked.

“You need to do this every two weeks, even when the rains come again,” she said. “The trees will need the extra water to recoup from this prolonged drought.”

For flower beds, Fry said, the soil is an indicator of whether water is needed.

“If it is cool to the touch, then you’re OK,” she said. “But especially with the wind and the drought conditions, you’re going to want to supplement with irrigation. Shrubs will need between the amount of water that you add to your lawn and the amount that you add to your trees.”

Adding mulch, she noted, will maintain soil moisture and reduce soil temperatures, which helps plants survive a drought.

“And of course, by adding mulch you get the benefit of cutting down on weeds in your flower bed. So mulch can be a great help during drought periods,” Fry noted.

http://agrilife.org/today/2011/05/09/landscape-drought-tips/

“Heat and humidity affect the horse, and with intense exercising, the excess heat has difficulty dissipating,” notes Dr. Glennon Mays, clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.

“Heat is a normal by-product of working muscles and increases during periods of increased exercise,” explains Mays.  “Normally a horse cools itself by sweating which causes heat loss and thus its body cools as sweat evaporates from the skin’s surface.”

When humidity is high, less moisture can evaporate from the skin surface.  Therefore the surface blood vessels will enlarge to help rid the horse’s body of excess heat.

“Overheating, or hyperthermia in the horse is due to a disturbance in the heat regulating mechanism of the horse’s body,” says Mays.  “In addition to summer heat and humidity, poor stable ventilation, prolonged exposure to sun, extreme exercise, transportation/trailering stress, as well as excess weight and poor conditioning may contribute to overheating.”

“If your horse does become overheated, move the horse to a shady area or to a cool, well-ventilated barn.  Then spray with cool water and place ice packs on the horse’s head and large blood vessels on the neck and the inside of its legs,” states Mays.  “Be careful to not spray the horse’s face or get water in its ears; just sponge these areas gently.”

Horses naturally tend to “cool out” while walking rather than standing still, notes Mays.  Therefore, application of ice packs can be challenging.

Allow the horse to have several swallows of cool, clean, fresh water every few minutes.  There is a possibility of colic if your horse drinks large quantities of water in a short period of time. 

“To help your horse beat the heat, provide plenty of fresh, cool water,” notes Mays.  “Keep water bucket or trough clean to promote drinking.  Average size work horses can consume over 25 gallons of water per day when the temperature is above 70 degrees.”

Limit strenuous riding to late evening or early morning when the temperature is lower.  Use less tack in the hot summer by minimizing saddle pads and leg boots.  Also clip your horse’s coat and keep its mane and tail trimmed.

Heat stroke can happen to horses whether they are working hard, standing in stifling stables, or traveling in unventilated trailers, notes Mays.  Call a veterinarian and take immediate action if your horse has elevated respiration or pulse (in an inactive horse), body temperature above 103 degrees, or irregular heart beat.

“Do the skin pinch test to check your horse’s hydration,” says Mays.  Test for dehydration by pinching the skin along the horse’s neck.  The skin should snap back quickly.  If the pinched area collapses slowly the horse is dehydrated.

Hot weather does require that you give your horse special care.  But, you and your horse can lessen summer’s hot days when you practice these cool tips to beat the heat.

 This article is from:

PET TALK

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University.  Stories can be viewed on the Web @ http://tamunews.tamu.edu