ERAGORISTICS

 

Eragrostis – also known as hay - can be used as livestock fodder. The seeds appear to be of high nutritional value for some animals, but they are also very tiny. This type of grass can be compared to grass found where horses graze in the veld. It is a basic fodder and is excellent for general feeding when grazing is scarce.

 

TEFF

 

Teff is a fine grain—about the size of a poppy seed—that comes in a variety of colours, from white and red to dark brown. The grain has a very mild, nutty flavour, and it packs a serious nutritional punch. Teff has an excellent balance of amino acids, and it is also high in protein, calcium, and iron. Ground into flour, teff is used to make the traditional bread, injera: a flat, pancake-like, fermented bread that complements the exotic spices found in the regional food. It can also be ground into flour to make excellent gluten-free flour alternative, and can be used to make pie crusts, cookies, breads, and an assortment of other baked goods. Teff can also be eaten whole and steamed, boiled, or baked as a side dish or a main course. Teff has a slightly higher nutritional value compared to Eragrostis. This type of fodder has a slightly finer texture and can be fed when extra nutrients are needed.Teff also contains a slightly smaller distinguished seed and price may be higher than that of other forage.

 

LUCERN

 

Alfalfa - also called lucerne - is a flowering plant in the pea family which is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It superficially resembles clover and is native to warmer climates. It has been cultivated as livestock fodder since at least the era of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Lucerne is rich and also has greater nutritional value than that of eragrostis. Care should be taken when feeding this type of grass to your horse as it may upset the digestive system if not used to. It is a great form of forage to feed to all animals – in moderation of course – as it is an absolute spoil to horses, sheep and game.

 

HOMINY CHOP

 

Hominy chop is a by-product of the maize industry and is a mixture of the kernel’s bran (“husk”) and maize germ. Because the kernel’s starch / endosperm portion is removed (used for maize for human consumption manufactured), the starch content is about 20% lower than in maize. The fat and protein content is higher in chop than in maize so the total energy content of hominy chop measures up to that of maize meal. Hominy chop is commonly used as animal feed, but the quality of the product varies. With a good quality chop the fat content is around 10% of dry matter basis.

 

WHEATEN BRAN

 

While many people think of brans as little more than “roughage” or fibre, the truth is they hold a lot of nutrition. Bran is the outer covering of a grain kernel. It is higher in fibre and lower in starch than the kernel itself, but still packs a few calories and generous levels of minerals. In fact, brans are higher in proteins, similar in calories and much richer in minerals than plain oats.

 

Bran is very palatable and can be used to tempt very picky eaters.

 

Low calcium and generous phosphorus and magnesium levels help to balance the reverse situation found in most hays.

 

It is a dense source of calories (similar to grains, about twice as high as average grass hays), but with much less sugar and starch than grains.

 

It is a rich source of plant antioxidants important to bowel health and a good natural source of B vitamins and vitamin E.

 

The choice of wheat bran vs. rice bran depends on why you are feeding it. If the goal is to decrease sugar and starch in the diet, rice bran is preferred. If the diet needs a strong phosphorus boost (e.g. if you’re feeding lucerne), wheat bran is best. Be sure to get professional advice about how much you need.

 

As with any new feed, you need to introduce bran slowly because this will give the intestinal tract organisms a chance to adjust to the new food. This is especially true with wheat bran where feeding too much too quickly can produce a laxative effect because the fibre within is more difficult for the microorganisms to break down.

 

EQUINE NUTRITION

 

Correct and balanced nutrition is a critical component of proper horse care.

Horses are non-ruminant herbivores of a type known as a "hindgut fermenter." This means that horses have only one stomach, as do humans. However, unlike humans, they also have to digest plant fibre (largely cellulose) that comes from grass and hay. Therefore, unlike ruminants, which digest fibre in plant matter by use of a multi-chambered stomach, horses use microbial fermentation in a part of the digestive system known as the cecum (orcaecum) to break down the cellulose.

 

In practical terms, horses prefer to eat small amounts of food steadily throughout the day, as they do in nature when grazing on pasture. Although this is not always possible with modern stabling practices and human schedules that favour feeding horses twice a day, it is important to remember the underlying biology of the animal when determining what to feed, how often, and in what quantities.

 

The digestive system of the horse is somewhat delicate. Horses are unable to regurgitate food, except from the oesophagus. Thus, if they overeat or eat something poisonous, vomiting is not an option. They also have a long, complex large intestine and a balance of beneficial microbes in their cecum that can be upset by rapid changes in feed. Because of these factors, they are very susceptible to colic, which is a leading cause of death in horses. Therefore, horses require clean, high-quality feed, provided at regular intervals, and may become ill if subjected to abrupt changes in their diets. Horses are also sensitive to moulds and toxins. For this reason, they must never be fed contaminated fermentable materials such as lawn clippings. Fermented silage or "haylage" is fed to horses in some places; however, contamination or failure of the fermentation process that allows any mould or spoilage may be toxic.