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The effect of feeding a low- or a high-starch diet on the in vitro fermentative capacity of equine faecal inocula

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

J. M. D. Murray ,
A. Longland ,
M. Moore-Colyer  and
C. Dunnett
J. M. D. Murray*
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, SY23 3EB, UK Institute of Rural Sciences, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Llanbadarn Campus, Aberystwyth, SY23 3AL, UK
A. Longland
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, SY23 3EB, UK
M. Moore-Colyer
Affiliation:
Institute of Rural Sciences, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Llanbadarn Campus, Aberystwyth, SY23 3AL, UK
C. Dunnett
Affiliation:
Dengie Crops Limited, Heybridge Business Centre, 110 The Causeway, Maldon, Essex CM9 4ND, UK
*
†Present address: Division of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Seven mature Welsh-cross pony geldings provided the faecal inocula in a cross-over design experiment, consisting of two 14-day periods. In period 1, four ponies (group 1) were offered a low-starch fibre mix (LS), and three (group 2) were offered a conventional high-starch coarse mix (HS). Both groups were offered these mixes in a 50:50 ratio with mature grass hay, to give a total daily dry-matter intake of 17·5 g/kg live weight per day. Diets were then switched in period 2. At the end of each experimental period freshly voided faeces were collected from each animal and assessed for their ability to ferment grass hay (H), fibre mix (FMix) or starch-based coarse mix (SMix) using the gas production (GP) technique of Theodorou et al. (1994). Donor animal diet and donor animal had no effect on any end-point measurements. Lag times recorded for the SMix were significantly (P<0·001) greater in LS-inoculated bottles compared with the HS inocula (1·74 v. 2·25 h, respectively). Lag times for FMix and SMix varied significantly (P<0·001) between ponies (0·82 to 1·78 h in the FMix and 1·64 to 2·51 h in the SMix). The degradation rate of H also differed significantly (P<0·001) between ponies with the time taken to reach 50% of GP (T50) ranging from 12·70 to 17·30 h. Consequently, it would appear that the effect of feeding LS or HS on the in vitro fermentative capacity of equine faecal inocula is minimal; moreover, the GP technique appears to be valuable tool for evaluating such effects.

Keywords

Equidaefermentationfibrein vitro digestionstarch digestion
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 82 , Issue 5 , October 2006 , pp. 627 - 635
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2006

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