28/07/2021

Automatic forage stations

This study addresses the questions how to introduce horses to an automatic forage station, and how forage intake rate may vary between horses using such a station. The authors describe the process of training 22 horses introduced to a transponder-controlled automatic forage feeding station and the consequences for forage intake rates. The authors observed that horses quickly learned how to use an automatic forage station. Two-thirds of horses that participated in the study achieved this within 7 days. However, the horse’s forage intake rate should be measured at least four times. This number was based on the evaluation of the number of intake measurements needed to set a representative average ration in the automatic station for an individual horse.  

Reference

  • Kjellberg, L. and K. Morgan. 2021. Introduction to automatic forage stations and measurement of forage intake rate in an active open barn for horses. Animal 15 (3): 1751-7311. Publisher.
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