Effects of Digestawell Fiber-Power On In Vitro and In Vivo Digestibility of Forages in Horses and Characterization of Native Grasses
General Material Designation
[Thesis]
First Statement of Responsibility
Perron, Brittany Susanne
Subsequent Statement of Responsibility
Splan, Rebecca K.
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
Sul Ross State University
Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.
2019
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Specific Material Designation and Extent of Item
100
DISSERTATION (THESIS) NOTE
Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree
M.S.
Body granting the degree
Sul Ross State University
Text preceding or following the note
2019
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
Enhanced microbial fermentation of feedstuffs in the equine large intestine would improve nutrient extraction, decrease waste, and increase the value of low quality forages. If the microbiota are supplied with cofactors required for fermentation, their efficiency may improve. A new commercial supplement, DigestaWell Fiber-Power (DF; Equinutrix Nutrition Solutions LLC., St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada) is a combination of fibrolytic cofactors including Aspergillus niger, methionine and B vitamins designed to support forage digestion by promoting equine hindgut microbiota activity. A series of research trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of DF on in vitro and in vivo DMd, NDFd and ADFd of a variety of forages. Trial 1 evaluated the effects of DF on in vitro DMd, NDFd and ADFd of alfalfa and coastal bermudagrass hays incubated with fecal inocula for 48h or 72h. Trial 2 tested 1) the in vivo ability of DF when fed and total fecal excretion collected and 2) to improve in vivo digestibility in horses fed alfalfa or coastal bermudagrass hays using feces as inocula. The objectives of trial 3 were to determine the following 1) effects due to stage (dormant, green-up, seedhead in boot, mature) and species (blue grama, Bouteloua gracilis; black grama, B. eriopoda; buffalograss, Buchloë dactyloides) on nutritional composition, 2) dietary adequacy for horses at maintenance, and 3) the in vitro effects of DF in order to improve digestibility. Taken together, and combined with previous findings, these results provide further evidence that DF improves digestibility of forage species, especially those of low quality, presumably due to improved microbial fermentation in the equine hindgut.