•Respondents preferred to buy small square bales, most commonly mixed grass.•Roughly half of respondents used hay feeders to reduce waste.•While few test their hay, there is high interest to do ...so.•Top factors in hay selection include absence of mold and weeds, and smell.•Areas for education include hay testing, feeders, treatments, and round bales.
Existing data on the equine hay market and buying preferences in Pennsylvania (PA) is outdated and more recent data is needed. The objective of this project was to characterize the practices and attitudes of PA horse hay buyers. An online survey was created and distributed. It received 435 total responses (of these, 346 were complete responses) from PA horse hay buyers from October 2021 to February 2022. Data presented (descriptive statistics) represents the percentage of respondents answering that question. Most (76%) respondents were in the recreational sector of the horse industry and the majority (62%) purchased hay for 2-5 horses. Small square bales (2-string) were most commonly purchased (93%), and most respondents bought their hay exclusively by the bale (75%). The most common reasons for not purchasing large bales were not being able to transport or handle them (70%), followed by not having adequate storage (60%). Horse owners were most likely to buy hay directly from local farmers (90%) than any other source. The top three most important factors when purchasing hay were absence of mold, absence of weeds, and smell (rated “very important” by 98, 53, and 52% of respondents, respectively). Most respondents did not use hay feeders in stalls or outside (38 and 50%, respectively). Most hay buyers (63%) never have their hay analyzed for nutrient content. The data collected from this survey can help hay producers understand buying practices of horse owners and help equine nutritionists identify areas of need for horse owner education about hay.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Asthma, hay fever (or allergic rhinitis) and eczema (or atopic dermatitis) often coexist in the same individuals, partly because of a shared genetic origin. To identify shared risk variants, we ...performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS; n = 360,838) of a broad allergic disease phenotype that considers the presence of any one of these three diseases. We identified 136 independent risk variants (P < 3 × 10
), including 73 not previously reported, which implicate 132 nearby genes in allergic disease pathophysiology. Disease-specific effects were detected for only six variants, confirming that most represent shared risk factors. Tissue-specific heritability and biological process enrichment analyses suggest that shared risk variants influence lymphocyte-mediated immunity. Six target genes provide an opportunity for drug repositioning, while for 36 genes CpG methylation was found to influence transcription independently of genetic effects. Asthma, hay fever and eczema partly coexist because they share many genetic risk variants that dysregulate the expression of immune-related genes.
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IJS, NUK, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Existing data on the equine hay market and buying preferences in Pennsylvania (PA) is outdated and not statewide. More recent data is needed to inform those who advise horse owners on hay and ...nutrition. The objective of this project was to characterize the practices and attitudes of PA horse hay buyers. An online survey was advertised via e-mail lists, social media, and print advertisements. It received 435 total responses (of these, 346 were complete responses) from PA horse hay buyers from October 2021 to February 2022. Data presented (descriptive statistics) represents the percentage of respondents answering that question. Most (76%) respondents were in the recreational sector of the horse industry and the majority (62%) purchased hay for 2–5 horses. Small square bales (2-string) were the most commonly purchased (93%), and most respondents bought their hay exclusively by the bale (75%) rather than exclusively by the ton (4%) or either (21%). For those who did not purchase large bales (round or square), the most common reason was not being able to transport or handle them (70%), followed by not having adequate storage (60%). Horse owners were most likely to buy hay directly from local farmers (90%) than any other source. They were more likely to exclusively pick up their hay than to require delivery, while some would consider either (40, 33, and 26%, respectively). The 3 most popular hay species were mixed grasses (64%),orchardgrass (38%), and timothy (35%). Buyers slightly preferred second or later cuttings to first cutting or did not care about cutting (53, 43, and 30%, respectively). Most (47%) believed that second or later cuttings were higher quality than first cutting, but 38% believed that all cuttings can be high-quality. The top 3 most important factors when purchasing hay were absence of mold, absence of weeds, and smell (rated “very important” by 98, 53, and 52% of respondents, respectively). Most respondents did not use hay feeders in stalls or outside (38 and 50%, respectively). Those who did use hay feeders used them primarily to reduce hay waste (56%). Most hay buyers (63%) never have their hay analyzed for nutrient content, but those that are interested in testing hay report wanting to balance the horse's diet around the forage quality and to check certain nutrients for specific health concerns (37 and 34%, respectively). To get answers to hay-related questions, most respondents ask hay producers or veterinarians (25 and 22%, respectively). The data collected from this survey can help hay producers understand buying practices of horse owners and help equine nutritionists identify areas of need for horse owner education about hay.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
5.
From the archive
Nature (London),
06/2023, Volume:
618, Issue:
7965
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ
Hay nets are a commonly used management practice to decrease intake rate and reduce hay waste but can create unnatural foraging conditions that may impact horse health. The objectives of this study ...were to compare hay usage, dental wear, and dental conditions between horses fed with or without hay nets. Researchers hypothesized horses consuming hay from hay nets would use less hay and have no differences in dental health compared with horses fed without hay nets. In September 2021, 13 mature adult horses were blocked by bodyweight (BW) and randomly assigned to a hay net or no hay net treatment for one year. Horses were housed in adjacent dry lots with shelter, ad libitum water, and free choice access to grass round bales with or without hay nets (4.45cm openings) depending on assigned treatment. Blinded dental work was completed for all horses by an equine veterinarian and dentist in September 2021 (baseline) and 2022 (conclusion of year 1, start of year 2) and included measurements of incisor and canine lengths and recordings of dental conditions before and after dental work. After dental work in 2022, horse groups switched treatments. Horse BW, body condition score (BCS), and softtissue damage on their gums or lips were assessed and recorded monthly. Round bales were weighed before being placed in the dry lot and the date fed was recorded to calculate hay usage (intake and waste). Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED in SAS with significance set at P ≤ 0.05. Horse BW, BCS, and hay usage were greater in horses consuming hay without hay nets (P ≤ 0.05). When pre- and post-length of incisors were evaluated, no differences were observed between treatments (P > 0.05). Incisor length between 2021 and 2022 increased by 3.77 and 3.19mm for horses feeding from no hay net and a net, respectively. Presence of incisor bevels after one year and notation of monthly soft tissue damage did not differ between treatments (P > 0.05). These preliminary data suggest that hay nets do not result in negative impacts on dental health over one year but can significantly reduce hay usage and help control horse BW. This study is ongoing and will be completed in September 2023.
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Stalled horses frequently experience respiratory disease. Soaking or steaming hay before feeding is a common strategy to reduce exposure to irritants. However, the effects of hay treatments on water ...intake and fecal dry matter (DM) are not well understood. We hypothesize that water intake is higher when feeding dry hay compared with feeding soaked or steamed hay and that fecal DM is related to water intake and DM intake. This study also evaluated preference for steamed, soaked, or dry hay when given a choice. Six mature horses (>3yr; 3 mares and 3 geldings, avg weight 558 kg, range 528–624) of mixed breeds were used. Horses were randomly assigned to either soaked, steamed, or dry hay for 5 d then treatments were rotated weekly with a 2 d washout between treatments. Hay (1.3% of BW, DM) was soaked for 30 min at room temperature or steamed (reaching 76°C by 90 min). Hay treatments were grab sampled weekly. Water intake and hay intake were measured gravimetrically each morning after horses were stalled overnight. Each morning, recently voided feces were collected from each horse. Hay and fecal samples were dried to a steady weight (24 h at 55°C) to determine DM. A preference study was conducted with the 6 adapted horses and 6 new horses. Horses were offered all 3 hay types simultaneously (1 kg each type for 1 h) and remaining hay was recorded. Data were analyzed using mixed model ANOVA with day as arepeated measure and treatment and day as main effects (SAS 9.4). There was a main effect of treatment on water intake (P = 0.0001). Horses fed dry hay drank more water compared with horses fed soaked hay (2.57 ± 0.290 and 1.10 ± 0.290 L/100 kg BW, respectively; P < 0.05). Moreover, DM intake was not influenced by hay treatment (P = 0.4463) but there was a change in DM intake over time (P = 0.0019). DM intake was the lowest on d 1 then increased by d 5 (0.96 ± 0.024 and 1.05 ± 0.034 kg/100 kg BW, respectively; P < 0.05). There was a positive relationship between DM and water intake (r = 0.2106; P = 0.0464) and a negative relationship between DM intake and fecal DM (r = −0.2395; P = 0.0230). The preference study revealed that non-adapted horses tended to consume more steamed hay compared with horses adapted to steamed hay (P = 0.0676), whereas horses adapted to treatments tended to consume more soaked hay compared with non-adapted horses (P = 0.0946). Overall, these results indicate that water is an important management consideration when feeding horses dry, steamed, or soaked hay. Moreover, when modifying hay types or treatments in a horse's diet, time for adaptation is necessary to ensure adequate intake to meet nutrition requirements.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Feeding strategies are known to affect equine behavior. Hay nets made of rope or canvas are used in the equine industry to slow consumption rates and prevent forage waste. Hay net design varies by ...material and opening size to restrict or extend forage intake. However, the effect of hay net usage on equine behavior has not been entirely elucidated. A randomized block design 84-d pilot study used 8 mature, stock-type horses (5 mares and 3 geldings with BW and body condition used as blocking factors) to evaluate the impact of hay net use on equine behavior. Horses were randomly assigned to treatment control (CON) and net (NET) and individually housed for 16 h/d (1500 to 0700) in 8.22m by 2.74m dry runs. At 0700 and 1500 0.75% BW as-fed coastal bermudagrass hay and a pelleted commercial feed (Equilene® Pellets) at ≤ 0.35% BW was offered. Horses were group housed (n = 4 hd/treatment) with ad libitum access to water and salt between feedings (8 h/d) to allow enrichment and natural behavior. Control horses’ hay was provided in a tub on the ground. Hay for NET was provided in UV-resistant nylon mesh hay nets (Texas Hay NetTM, 14.5 cm2 openings), nets were hung ∼1m from the ground. Each horse was filmed for 1h, bi-weekly during hay consumption and individual behavioral data were collected by 2 researchers to confirm and quantify behaviors defined by an ethogram. Behaviors studiedwere drinking water, startles, maintenance (scratch, stretch, and shake), vocalizations, stall vices (pawing and pacing), aggression, duration of head position while chewing, and frustration with the feeding system (biting at, pinning ears, or kicking out). Data were analyzed using a Chi-squared analysis within R Statistical Program? with expected thresholds for each behavior being based on the projected change for the mean of the treatments. Results were considered significant at P < 0.05. Treatment did not have an effect on forage intake (P = 0.874). Control horses spent more time eating with their heads below their withers when compared with NET (P < 0.001). Observations of startle response were similar to expected values (expected = 4.5, CON = 5, NET = 4). Frustration with the feeding system, pawing, and pacing were increased (P < 0.001) for NET compared with CON. The CON horses exhibited more trips to a water trough (P = 0.035), while NET horses displayed more shaking, scratching, and stretching (P = 0.035). The use of slow-feeder hay nets increased frustration, stall vices, and maintenance behaviors in horses over 84 d, indicating that feeding from hay nets may result in negative feeding habits. These negative habits include kicking and biting at the feeding system, and increased pawing and pacing.
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