Feeding Breeding Stock Broodmares & Stallions

icon located on the bottom right hand side of the slide Lecture Menu The Broodmare Classes of Broodmares Feeding the Bred Mare Feeding the Lactating Mare The Stallion You may use the menu to the left to jump to main topics in the lecture or resume clicking your mouse or spacebar to progress through the lecture If you wish to come back to this menu at anytime during the lecture click the icon located on the bottom right hand side of the slide

Classes of Broodmares

Classes of Broodmares A broodmare is a female being used or is going to be used for breeding purposes… There are different subcategories of broodmares based on if they have been previously pregnant, currently pregnant, or are lactating These categories will dictate dietary needs

Classes of Broodmares Types of Broodmares If the mare is going to be bred, a diet consisting of slightly higher levels of Protein, Ca, and P is recommended These types of broodmares can be fed the same as other nonpregnant, nonlacting horses – a maintenance diet consisting of quality hay and pasture will meet most needs Maiden Mares that have never been bred or pregnant Barren Mares that are not currently pregnant

Classes of Broodmares Types of Broodmares These types of broodmares will have higher nutritional needs in order to meet both their needs and the growing foal Pregnant / In Foal Lactating Producing milk

Feeding Challenge The biggest challenge we encounter when feeding a broodmare, whether it is pregnant or lactating, is regulating body condition The body condition of the mare can heavily impact a successful pregnancy and foaling We do not want the mare getting too skinny or fat The ideal body condition for a broodmare is a 6

Knowledge Check Maiden or barren mares can be fed the same as other nonpregnant, nonlactating horses True False Incorrect Since maiden or barren mares are not carrying a foal, their nutrient needs will be lower and can be fed like other nonpregnant, nonlactating horses. If the mare is planning to be bred, then we might increase her needs slightly Correct!

The ideal body condition score for a broodmare is Knowledge Check The ideal body condition score for a broodmare is 4 3 5 6 Incorrect, Try Again Incorrect, Try Again Correct! Incorrect, Try Again

Feeding the Bred Mare

Bred Mare Considerations Nutrition during pregnancy is vital for fetus development and proper milk production When the mare is pregnant we think about feeding for 2, which leads to overfeeding Once the mare foals, we overlook the stress lactating has on the mare and tend to underfeed The most common nutrition error we have with broodmares is overfeeding the pregnant mare and underfeeding the lactating mare

Stages of the Pregnant Mare In order to best meet the nutrient needs of a pregnant mare, we break up gestation and foaling into three stages… 1st 2/3 of pregnancy Gestation is 11 months Last 3 months Lactation Each one of these stages is going to have slightly different nutrient requirements

First 8 Months of Pregnancy Contrary to popular belief, the fetus does not grow at a constant rate throughout the 11 months of pregnancy… Remember that body condition needs to be consistent – losing condition will make it more difficult to breed the mare back and too much will cause difficulty during foaling During this time, a maintenance diet of quality forage will be sufficient unless body condition needs improvement Even at 7 months, the fetus equals less than 2% of the mare’s weight

Last 3 months The last three months or trimester is the most important time for fetal growth The fetus will increase 1 lb/day during this time, accounting for 2/3 of growth

Last 3 months Because of the large increase in fetal growth, the mare’s dietary needs are going to increase… Rations will go from 80 – 90% forage to 70% forage and 30% concentrate Based on the breeding season for a Thoroughbred, when does the last trimester occur? Remember to always evaluate the forage and adjust the diet as needed to make up for poor quality During winter, when pasture is lacking and hay may be lacking due to long storage or scarcity

Feed Example - Broodmare Many feeds that are acceptable for growing horses are often labeled for breeding stock due to higher levels of DE, protein, Ca, P, and trace minerals If a mare needs more condition we can look into a fat supplemented feed in order to increase body reserves

Last Trimester Nutrients We want to be evaluating and adjusting the diet slowly but consistently – we don’t want to get to the lactation stage and have the mare still receiving early pregnancy DE levels – the goal is to stay in front of the curve! Notice which categories have higher nutrient needs and how it works in a stair-step fashion

The most common error with the pregnant mare is underfeeding Knowledge Check The most common error with the pregnant mare is underfeeding True False Incorrect The most common error we see with broodmares is overfeeding the pregnant mare and underfeeding the lactating mare Correct!

Which stage is going to have the greatest nutrient increase? Knowledge Check Which stage is going to have the greatest nutrient increase? 1st 3 months 4th – 5th month 6th – 7th month Last 3 months Incorrect, Try Again Incorrect, Try Again Correct! Incorrect, Try Again

Feeding the Lactating Mare

Lactating Mares Lactation causes the mare to have significant increases in nutrient requirements… Their needs are greater than any other class of horse except those in very heavy exercise The mare must recover from: Stress of birthing Producing milk Re-breeding

Lactating Mares Lactation causes the mare to have significant increases in nutrient requirements… Their needs are greater than any other class of horse except those in very heavy exercise A mare will have increases in: Water Protein Energy Ca & P A lactating mare’s energy needs increase 80% above maintenance requirements!

Stress of Lactation A normal healthy mare will produce about 3% of body weight in milk per day during the 1st three months That is 30lbs for a 1,000lbs broodmare! Failure to meet the mare’s nutrient needs will affect body condition, milk production, and ability to successfully be rebred

Feed Example – Lactating Mare At weaning, reduce the feed further to assist her in “drying up” from milk production As the mare’s milk production decreases (reaching the 3rd month of lactation), her feed intake should as well

Knowledge Check The needs of the lactating mare are greater than any other class of horse except those in very heavy exercise True False Incorrect Lactation is an extremely stressful process on the mare and requires the greatest increase in nutrient requirements, especially in energy Correct!

Knowledge Check The mare will produce ___% of body weight in milk per day during the 1st 3 months 1 3 2 4 Incorrect, Try Again Incorrect, Try Again Correct! Incorrect, Try Again

Feeding the Breeding Stallion

The Breeding Stallion The breeding stallion is an intact male whose purpose is to breed Based on the purpose, the main nutrient increase a breeding stallion faces is energy Frankel The amount of exercise, temperament, and number of covers (breedings) can affect the DE required A breeding stallion’s energy requirements are similar to those under light or moderate exercise Giant’s Causeway

The Breeding Stallion A breeding stallion typically covers mares during a certain part of the year and then has the remaining time off… Nutrition then can be based on the stallion’s two phases: Breeding season (Feb. – July) Off-season

Meeting the Needs During the off season, high quality forage will meet the majority of the stallion’s needs Prior to breeding or during the breeding season, concentrate may be needed to maintain body condition The ideal body condition score is 5 – 6 Fat supplemented feeds are beneficial for the stallion because it might reduce excitability Sources of Omega 3 might also be helpful in improving sperm quality and motility

Overfeeding While the stallion seems fairly simple, they are a difficult class to feed because the most common issue is overfeeding Regular exercise, such as hand walking or even riding if the horse is sound, can make the stallion easier to handle and help with weight loss Depending on the management, some stallions also do not always receive a good deal of turnout time that allows for free exercise One of the difficulties is judging energy intake, we often overcompensate and that results in a heavier horse Obesity predisposes the stallion to: Laminitis Soundness issues (particularly in the hind legs) Fatal aortic rupture Possible lower libido Utilize the overweight nutritional strategies discussed in the body condition scoring lecture to correct this issue

Nutrient Needs Notice the slight increases in energy and protein when going from off season to breeding season

The main nutrient increase for the breeding stallion is energy Knowledge Check The main nutrient increase for the breeding stallion is energy True False Incorrect Covering/breeding mares is a physical activity, so the main nutrient increase for a breeding stallion is energy – they will have similar energy needs as a horse in light or moderate exercise (depending on temperament) Correct!

Underfeeding is a common issue with the breeding stallion Knowledge Check Underfeeding is a common issue with the breeding stallion True False Incorrect Overfeeding is a common issue with the breeding stallion – this can be from misjudging the energy required or from inadequate exercise Correct!

Finish

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