Check Broodmare Hay for Fescue: Fescue…what’s not to love? Landowners throughout North America and in other parts of the world such as New Zealand and Australia enjoy its numerous benefits. The perennial’s hardiness allows it to thrive despite heavy hoof traffic, intense grazing, and adverse growing conditions.

Are you asking yourself about that slight problem of endophyte contamination? Slight, it’s not; in fact, it has been estimated that 75% of all fescue is infected with the specific endophyte Acremonium coenophialum.

Endophyte Contamination:

An endophyte is a fungus that grows inside another plant without detriment to the host plant. In some instances, the fungus actually provides benefit to the host plant. Such is the case with Acremonium coenophialum. The fungus produces alkaloids, and these alkaloids protect the plant against certain natural insults such as insects and nematodes. Because of their increased durability, the plants become more tolerant to marginal soils and suboptimal growing conditions.

Most mare owners know the dangers of grazing late-pregnant mares on endophyte-infected tall fescue. The grass causes legions of problems, collectively called fescue toxicosis, in broodmares. Issues include prolonged gestation (as long as 13 to 14 months), foaling difficulties, thickened placentas (including “red bag” emergencies), and a decrease or complete absence of milk upon delivery. The ill effects of tall fescue consumption can continue beyond foaling frustrations, as affected mares may be hard to get back in foal, leaving breeders with a smaller foal crop the following year.

Removing mares from endophyte-infected tall fescue 90 days before foaling has been an effective management technique, and newer varieties of tall fescue are endophyte-free, giving breeders peace of mind. These newer varieties, however, do not possess the resiliency of their forebears. Not only are they more susceptible to adverse conditions, these varieties seem to be more difficult to maintain.

While horsemen are usually most concerned with guaranteeing that pastures contain no fescue or endophyte free fescue, the problem-causing fungus can get into a mare’s diet unintentionally. This is likely to happen in one of two ways, as hay or as bedding.

Providing the Right Hay:

Providing hay is often a staple of broodmare management in winter months. Pasture plants are dormant. Baled Hay usually meets forage requirements. High-quality grass hay is usually a suitable choice for broodmares, as it satisfies nutrient requirements without the extra calories and cost of alfalfa hay.

Grass hay is rarely pure, however. The exception is popular forage types such as timothy or orchardgrass. They have a higher level of purity. Grass hay is “mixed.” Mixed grass hay may include fescue. Especially if it is purchased from an unknown buyer. Endophyte might infect that fescue. While fescue is easy to identify in pastures and hayfields, it tends to blend with other grasses as it dries. Like other grasses such as bluegrass and orchardgrass, tall fescue leaves roll into a tight cylinder during the curing process, making a positive identification problematic. Commercial tests are available to detect the fungus in living plants. However, there is no such test for the presence of the endophyte in hay.

Fescue is rarely raised exclusively as hay intended for horses. Even when it is, it is usually harvested at a late stage of maturity when palatability and nutrient value are low. Because of palatability issues, horses often waste it, preferring to lie in it than eat it.

Therefore, when purchasing hay for pregnant mares, be sure it is free of fescue. If fescue is discovered, double-check that the plants were harvested from an endophyte-free stand. The hay should be fed to other horses or livestock if this cannot be ascertained definitively. Endophyte-infected fescue causes few side effects in non-pregnant mares.

Horse Bedding:

Some forage that is unsuitable for consumption by horses ends up being used as bedding. This is a common practice on large farms where many horses are given fresh bedding each night or when straw is in short supply.

Fescue is sometimes chosen as such a bedding. (As a result of its poor nutritional quality.)

In some circumstances, mares may consume the bedding, putting themselves at risk for fescue toxicosis. Horses will generally gravitate toward high-quality forage. However, it is not unusual for some to chomp through a fair amount of bedding. In fact, more than a few horses cannot be bedded on straw because of their penchant for consuming this seemingly bland-tasting forage. As a precaution, an experienced agronomist or other specialist should inspect discarded or inferior forage before it is used to bed down the stalls of mares in late gestation.

Further, used bedding that has been stripped from stalls should not be strewn on fields grazed by mares. Seed may fall from the dried plants and germinate in the field. As a result, contaminating the fields and giving cause for complete renovation of pasture areas, if they’re to be used for grazing mares. In summary, remember these key points when fine-tuning a management program for broodmares.

Key Points:

• Scrutinize hay for fescue just as carefully as you would analyze pasture. This is especially true for farms that purchase hay from multiple suppliers. The endophyte that causes fescue toxicosis is just as detrimental in hay as it is in fresh forage.

• Choose bedding wisely. Baled pasture clippings may be an economical bedding choice. However, be sure no fescue plants are intermixed with the other grasses. Even though fescue is not a particularly enticing forage for horses, some mares might stray from their heaps of high-quality hay to add variety to their diets.

• Do not spread soiled bedding that includes fescue waste on pastures that may one day be grazed by mares. The plants may contain seeds that could germinate and grow.

For more Tips to Check Broodmare Hay for Fescue, visit us at J&J Hay Farms!

Article Source: Kentucky Equine Research

 

Cold-Weather Horse Diets: Those cold winter months of mud, slush, and frozen ground…owners dread them. The horses? For the most part, they don’t seem to care. In fact, many seem to be energized by the crisp air and chilly breezes.

Very young, very old, or ailing horses may need specific changes in stable routine. However, healthy horses with an intact coat can usually tolerate winter weather with few problems. Especially if owners pay attention to basic feeding and management principles.

Water

If it’s not the most important winter consideration, water is at least near the top of the list. Even when the horse is not working and sweating, water consumption is necessary to prevent impaction of ingested material in the intestinal tract. Horses naturally tend to drink somewhat less water when the temperature drops. As a result, make every effort to ensure sufficient intake. Owners can start with these management steps:

Provide a constant supply of clean water that is not too cold. Experts disagree on the exact “favorite” water temperature. Horses will drink water that is quite cold. They tend to ingest a larger amount when water is warmed to around 45 or 50 degrees F (4 to 15 degrees C). Water that is hot to the touch is not suitable.

Make sure water sources aren’t frozen. For example, by using insulated buckets, installing an electric heater, or frequently providing warmed water. NOTE: being shocked will back horses off a water tank, even if they are extremely thirsty.

If you have a heated water tank that horses are not using, check and check again (use an extremely sensitive voltmeter, or schedule a visit from an electrician) to be certain there is no “stray” voltage. Some horses will react to voltage that is too slight for humans to detect, while other horses (and most cattle) don’t seem to be bothered.

Add water to feed. Give occasional bran mashes. Sprinkle salt on feed to stimulate a thirst response. These are all useful techniques. However, these measures by themselves may not ensure adequate water intake. Also, don’t count on horses eating snow to stay hydrated. Melting snow in the mouth and stomach uses so much energy that it’s difficult for the horse to maintain a safe body temperature.

Hay

Fermentation of fiber in the horse’s hindgut is the major heat source that keeps horses comfortable through the colder months. Therefore, a steady supply of hay is crucial. While many horses continue to graze some pasture, hay usually provides the majority of winter forage.

Type and amount of hay will vary depending on a horse’s size, metabolism, and workload. At a minimum, start with the basic guideline of feeding enough hay to equal about 1.5 % to 2% of the horse’s body weight (around 15 to 20 pounds (6.8 to 9 kilograms) a day for a horse weighing 1000 pounds (453 kilograms)), and increase as needed when the temperature drops.

Types of Horses

Easy keepers and horses doing minimal work get along well on medium-quality grass hay (can contain a few weeds, may have been cut when a little more mature than optimum).

Horses with average metabolisms will do better on good-quality grass hay (mostly free of weeds, made from grass that was not over-mature at cutting).

Heavily exercised horses or those with special needs (older horses, thin horses, horses recovering from illness) may need a grass-legume mix or even a straight alfalfa hay.

As a general rule, shivering horses that regularly clean up every scrap of hay probably need to have their hay ration increased. Horses that simply enjoy eating will also consume every flake in sight. Increasing their ration is not a good idea.

You can tell the difference by using a weight tape every few weeks through the winter to track changes, uncovering the situation of heavy-coated horses that appear fat when they are actually losing weight. Likewise, horses that leave some hay untouched may seem to have been overfed. It is also possible they are leaving weeds, rough plants, or flakes containing mold. Inspect the rejected material. Purchase better-quality hay if necessary.

Stalled horses have plenty of time to pick through their hay, munching a few mouthfuls now and then as the hours pass.

Pastured horses that eat hay in a group setting need to be monitored. Be sure that low-status animals have adequate access to hay. Very timid horses may need to be fed hay separately or in smaller groups. Spacing hay piles widely in the field and offering several extra piles can minimize this problem.

Concentrates

Winter diets usually include concentrates for two reasons: nutrients and energy. Hay and dormant grasses don’t have the same nutritional value as fresh pasture. Overcome this lack by feeding a fortified sweet feed or pelleted product.

Concentrates also pack a lot more energy than grass or hay. Horses that are eating plenty of good-quality hay and are still not maintaining their weight may need additional calories in cold, windy, damp weather.

As with hay selection, the type of concentrate depends on the individual horse, and most feed dealers offer a variety of choices to meet the needs of young, mature, old, working, or breeding horses. Feeds containing beet pulp or soy hulls, so-called super fibers, include highly digestible fiber along with more traditional sources of energy. Corn oil, rice bran, and other fat products boost the caloric density of a horse’s ration.

Overweight horses that need vitamins and minerals in a low-calorie package can be given a supplement that provides only these nutrients. Remember to feed no more than about five pounds of pellets or sweet feed at one time. Break larger feedings into several small meals spaced throughout the day.

Beyond the basics

Water, hay, concentrated feed…a winter diet containing these elements is a good starting point. Good managers, however, ensure the comfort of the horses in their care by attending to a few more details.

• Horses should have access to shelter from extreme weather. This can be a barn, run-in shed, windbreak, or even a grove of trees. As with access to hay, low-status horses may be blocked from shelter by more aggressive animals. Alternative grouping may be necessary.
• Owners should be sure horses have proper dental care and periodic dewormings so that feed can be properly digested and utilized.
• Daily inspection of horses in winter months should include a light grooming, an all-over check for injuries, and an inspection for skin problems.
• Water consumption and manure consistency should be monitored (very dry manure is a sign that the horse may be becoming dehydrated).

In conclusion, J & J Hay can help to answer horse-health and hay related questions.

Article Source: Kentucky Equine Research

Managing Horses on Declining Pasture: As the growing season winds down or as drought sets in, horse owners must provide horses with an appropriate alternative forage to fulfill fiber requirements. In most cases, this involves the use of hay.  Although other products such as haylage or hay cubes are appropriate and sometimes fed.

The question that looms large for most owners is when to offer alternative forage. The pasture reveals a couple of important clues, namely growth rate and plant health.

Pasture Tips:

Owners will know when pasture growth slows as there will be less need for routine mowing and maintenance. Depending on stocking rate—that is, the number of horses on any given acreage—pasture might withstand a slowdown in growth rate and continued grazing. So long as more land is allotted per horse. A large, seven-acre paddock that comfortably sustained five horses in peak growing season might support three as pasture growth declines.

“Observation of grazing behavior might be a tipoff, too. If horses spend more time grazing, they are likely finding less to eat. In periods of lush growth, you might catch horses resting more often. It is easier for them to satisfy their appetites and their need to graze,” said Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a nutritionist with Kentucky Equine Research (KER).

Plant health is a more obvious indicator. As autumn segues into winter or as rainfall decreases, pasture grasses often turn brown and unpalatable. During this time growth is almost assuredly arrested. Horses will snack on these remnants, but more nutritious forage should be offered.

Supplementation:

“Owners ought to offer hay as soon as they feel horses are not consuming sufficient pasture to meet daily forage requirement, which is about 1.5-2% of body weight daily,” advised Crandell.

For a 15.2-hand, 1,100-lb (500-kg) horse, that would be 16.5-22 lb (7.5-10 kg) of hay each day. Keep in mind, though, that this amount will likely satisfy the horse’s complete forage requirement.

“If the horse is still nibbling away at pasture much of the day, it might need only a portion of this. If the horse leaves hay in favor of pasture, then too much hay is probably being fed at the time. Gauge requirement through consumption,” recommended Crandell.

To maintain weight, many horses, in combination with their forage, will be consuming a well-fortified concentrate feed that supplies all of the protein, vitamins, and minerals required for their well-being. Those that do not should be fed a vitamin and mineral supplement. For example, Micro-Max, developed by Kentucky Equine Research and available in the U.S. and other regions. Micro-Max supplies minerals that have been chelated or proteinated, which increases their digestibility and allows horses to derive maximum benefit from them. Horse owners in Australia should look for Gold Pellet, Nutrequin, or Perform.

One vitamin that is particularly deficient in diets composed of preserved forages such as hay is vitamin E, an important antioxidant in the horse’s immune arsenal. The most effective source of supplemental vitamin E is d-alpha-tocopherol or natural vitamin E. Nano-E is a natural-source vitamin E supplement. It possesses a unique delivery action, nanodispersion. Consequently, this allows the vitamin to hit target tissues more quickly than other vitamin E supplements. Nano-E is available worldwide.

Don’t know where to begin with supplementation?

J & J Hay can help to answer horse-health and hay related questions.

Source: Kentucky Equine Research

The following guide will help you to get your horse to drink more water during winter. Water is the most essential aspect of any horse’s diet. Without adequate water intake, horses will not survive.

An adult horse (1000 lbs.) in a cool, comfortable environment that is not working, or lactating, needs a minimum of seven to ten gallons of fresh, clean water every day. The amount of water required is closely related to the amount of feed the horse has eaten. Most horses will drink 1.5 quarts of water per pound of dry feed intake. If a horse is consuming 20 pounds of dry hay per day, the horse would be expected to drink approximately 7.5 gallons of water each day. The water requirement is higher if the horse is in training, nursing a foal, growing, pregnant or in a hot/humid environment. The best way to ensure adequate water intake is to always provide free access to fresh, clean water.

Issues associated with water intake during the winter months usually revolve around horses not drinking enough water. Water that has frozen or is near freezing will result in decreased intake. Water consumption reaches its maximum when the temperature is maintained between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Similarly, horses that must eat snow as their only water source, will not eat enough snow to satisfy their necessary water requirement completely. This decreased water intake can result in digestive upset or “colic.” Associated with feed material becoming impacted (stuck) in the digestive system. Therefore, the water source should be free-flowing or heated to prevent freezing and guarantee the horse is drinking enough water. When installing a heating device for water, be certain that any electrical unit is properly grounded to prevent electrical shock of the horse. Horses are very sensitive to electrical shock and will quit drinking to avoid shock.

Here are few easy tips to assist with increasing your horse’s water intake:

1. Wet your horse’s feed at a ratio of 2 parts feed to 1 part water. This can increase the hydration status of your horse.
2. Offer a wet mash, every day, of soaked beet pulp shreds or pellets, timothy forage pellets or alfalfa forage pellets. If you are concerned about adding too many calories to an overweight horse’s diet, try soaking and offering teff forage pellets. Soak these forage or fiber sources at a ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part forage.
3. Wetting down the long-stemmed hay you offer your horse can also boost water intake slightly.
4. Flavoring your horse’s water can also encourage water intake, especially if you are traveling and have a picky drinker.
5. Provide a salt block in your horse’s paddock or stall to help stimulate thirst.

Horses primarily eating hay will consume more water than those eating both hay and grain. Fiber increases the water holding capacity of the hindgut. Better quality hays, such as alfalfa, are typically higher in calories compared to grass hay. Other baled hay substitutes, such as forage cubes and pellets, can be fed to replace poor quality hay.

Standlee Premium Western Forage offers a wide variety of Alfalfa and Alfalfa mix products ranging from baled, long-stemmed forage, to cubes, pellets and chopped forage. Also available are Standlee Premium Smart Beet (beet pulp) shreds and pellets that increase the calorie content of the forage portion of the diet and are highly digestible.

If you have questions about how you can you to get your horse to drink more water during winter, please contact or visit J&J Hay Farms today.

By Dr. Tania Cubitt
Standlee Nutritional Expert – Performance Horse Nutrition

With winter approaching, horse owners will be looking for a source of hay to feed during the season when pasture forage is dormant. Keep these things in mind as you shop for winter hay:

• If you have enough storage space, try to buy most or all of your hay from the same source and cutting. Switching to a new type of hay, or even a different cutting of the same type of hay, may trigger colic in some horses.
• Examine representative bales from each delivery. Reject the order if you find many unusually heavy bales that may contain too much moisture; bales that show mold; and those that smell musty or damp.
• Look for hay that matches the nutritional requirements of the horses you are feeding. Performance horses will need a better grade of hay than horses that are idle. Obese horses may get along best on a medium-grade hay that is low in nonstructural carbohydrates. Horses with dental problems can get more nourishment from clean, fine-textured hay than from rougher forage that requires more chewing.
• Be generous in your estimate of how much hay you will need. Winter weather is somewhat unpredictable, so planning for a few extra weeks of hay use is a good idea.
• Part-way through the winter, evaluate how much hay has been used and shop for more, if needed, before you run out. Mix new hay with older hay for a week or so instead of suddenly introducing a new batch.
• Store hay in a dry place that has good ventilation. Avoid stacking bales too tightly; air movement will help to prevent mold.

Would you more information about the benefits of late-season hay for horses? Contact us at J & J Farms by clicking here!

Article brought to you by KER.

Winter seems so far away, but it is just around the corner. Are you ready? Is your horse ready? Learn how to feed horses in the winter in this post.

In the next couple of months, understanding “Lower Critical Temperature (LCT)” will be important for caring and feeding your horse(s) properly. LCT is the temperature below which metabolic heat production must be increased to maintain body temperature.

For mature horses, their LCT will fall around 5°F for a horse with a thick coat and 41°F for a horse with a thin coat. Senior horses over 20 years old, often have a thinner coat and will fall into a LCT of around 41°F. LCT for young horses ranges between 12°F for those with thicker coats and 32°F for thinner coats.

How to Feed as the Temperature Drops

Forage is an essential part of every horse’s diet, whether an 18 hand Belgian or 13 hand welsh pony. Equine digestive systems are designed to digest forage. As temperature drops in the colder months, not only do we need our normal supply of forage stocked in our barns, but we need to be prepared to feed more hay, should the winter conditions prove to unforgiving this season.

For each decrease in coldness of 1°F below the critical temperature, there is an increase in digestible energy requirements for body temperature maintenance. Table 1 shows the estimated feed energy increase at different magnitudes of cold below the lower critical temperature of mature horses.

For example, a horse with a thin coat and a LCT of 41°F, with no change in temperature (41°F), will have a 0 megacalories (Mcals) increase per day, therefore 0 pounds of feed intake increase per day. Let’s say the temperature drops 20 degrees, so it is 21°F outside. In this case, your thin coated horse will need to increase their Mcals by 4, which means an increase of 4 pounds of forage per day to maintain body weight.

What Type of Effect Does Rain and Wind Have on Your Horse?

Wind can make a tolerable temperature day feel miserable. Add moisture? Even worse. Table 2 shows, with just 10-15 mph winds at 32°F, that is an increased need of 4-8 Mcals per day, which means 4-8 pounds per day for your horse. Given our previous scenarios with Table 1, that’s close to a 10 degree drop also, so not only will your horse need 4-8 pounds of additional forage to account for the wind, they’ll also need another almost 2 pounds. This helps keep your horse warm during these cold conditions and ensure body condition maintenance.

Interested in learning more? Visit or call J & J Hay Farms for more information!

Article brought to you by Standlee Forage.

Give Colic the Cold Shoulder This Winter: Colic can strike at any time of the day, month, or year. However, impaction colic occurs more frequently in winter. Decreased water intake usually carries the blame for these impactions. Impactions are a blockage in the large colon. Any feedstuff undergoing digestion causes it. Other management factors also contribute to the problem.

“Horses require approximately 5 to 15 gallons (20-55 liters) of water per day. Signs of inadequate water intake include production of dry, sparse feces and weight loss.” described Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., a nutrition advisor for Kentucky Equine Research.

Forage fermentation requires voluminous water. That is why the large colon and cecum are referred to as fermentation vats. Insufficient water intake forces the body to borrow water from the hindgut, which subsequently hinders the fermentation process and puts horses at risk for impactions.

Enticing horses to drink may be achieved by:

• Offering horses clean water warmer than 40° F (5° C), which may require using heaters;
• Providing a high-forage diet. Water intake links to forage consumption. Higher forage intake stimulates greater water intake;
• Soaking feeds, such as complete pelleted or extruded feeds, hay, or hay cubes in water before feeding;
  Delivering the occasional bran mash;
• Providing soaked beet pulp, a high-energy feed that provides horses with energy and promotes a healthy hindgut; and
• Sprinkling a little extra supplemental salt, 1-2 oz (30-60 g) for a 1000-lb (450-kg) horse, to stimulate thirst.

Low-quality hay, which is usually high in indigestible fiber (thick stems and few leaves), may increase the risk of impaction in some horses. Further, changes in forage source or type throughout the winter months also increases the risk of digestive disturbances that may progress to colic.

Other factors thought to contribute to winter colic include reduced physical activity if horses are confined to stalls more than normal. In addition, the use of poor-quality hay due to lack of availability, and feeding a limited number of meals per day.

“If only poorer quality hay is available, supplemental vitamins and minerals may be necessary. Offer a vitamin and mineral supplement that serves as a low-intake concentrated ration fortifier,” advised Whitehouse. “Horse owners can also boost forage quality by supplementing with high-quality cubes or pellets. These products offer horse owners a lot of flexibility, especially in the wintertime when forage selection might be limited.”

In conclusion, J & J Hay can help to answer horse-health and hay related questions.

Article Source: Kentucky Equine Research