Nutrient Requirements and Balancing Rations for Horses

Author: L.A. Lawrence, Extension Animal Scientist, Horses, Virginia Tech

Publication Number 406-473, July 1996

Table 9.

Example Nutrient Contents of Typical Feedstuffs for Horses

                               Digestible   Crude
                   Dry Matter    Energy    Protein  Lysine   Calcium    Phosphorus
Animal                 %         (Mcal)       %       %         %           %
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alfalfa hay          90.5         2.24      18.0     0.81      1.28        0.09
   Early-bloom

Alfalfa hay          91.0         2.07      17.0     0.80      1.24        0.22
   Mid-bloom

Alfalfa hay          90.0         1.97      15.5     0.79      1.08        0.22
   Late full-bloom

Brome, smooth hay    87.6         1.87      12.6      *        0.25        0.25
   Mid-bloom

Brome, smooth hay    92.6         1.57       5.6      *        0.26        0.22
   Mature

Orchardgrass hay     89.1         1.94      12.8      *        0.24        0.3
   Early-bloom

Orchardgrass hay     90.6         1.72       7.6      *        0.24        0.27
   Late bloom

Timothy hay          89.9         1.83       9.6      *        0.45        0.25
   Early-bloom

Timothy hay          88.9         1.77       8.6      *        0.43        0.20
   Mid-bloom

Timothy hay          88.3         1.59       6.9      *        0.34        0.13
 Late bloom

Barley, grain,       88.6         3.17       9.7     0.27      0.05        0.34
   Pacific coast

Corn, grain          88.0         3.38       9.1     0.25      0.05        0.27

Oats, grain,         90.9         2.91       9.1     0.33      0.10        0.31
  Pacific coast

Soybean meal,        89.1         3.14      44.5     2.87      0.40        0.71
   44% protein
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Blank space indicates that data are insufficient to determine a requirement or 
    maximum tolerable level.

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