Feeding 100 % on grass is possible and it is economical
Horses are herbivores. Grass is, and should be the basis of their diet when living and weather conditions allow it. One of the possible levers to improve profitability is to control feeding costs. The cheapest food today is grass, whether it is the green grass in pastures or in the form of hay and haylage. The cost of production, as well as the feed value of grass is often ignored, this is why it’s frequently under-used in rations.
- Grass eaten by horses
- Nutritional value of grazing grass
- Maximum quantities consumed
- Production cost of grass
- Grass ration cost
- Feeding with grass only, but under certain conditions
Grass eaten by horses
Fresh grass
Grazed grass constitutes the essential food for 6 to 10 months of the year depending on the type of animal, its use and the environmental conditions.
There are several types of meadows:
- Natural or permanent (most frequent) composed of several species, either naturally or by old sowing of legumes and grasses.
- Temporary, seeded with grasses or a mixture of grasses and fodder legumes for a period of 6 months to 5 years.
| Advantages | Disadvantages | |
|---|---|---|
| Grazing grass | - Does not require storage space - Low production cost - No manure management from stabling | - Requires very good technical management : so as not to generate waste (roughs) ; to be eaten at a vegetative state corresponding to an optimal nutritional value (leafy stage) - grass growthis tightly linked to climatic conditions |
Nutritional value of grazing grass
Les valeurs nutritionnelles de l'herbe (15 à 20% de matière sèche) varient en fonction :
- The plant species that make up meadows (temporary meadows that are richer in legumes such as alfalfa or clover have a higher protein value. However, be careful not to exceed 50% of legumes);
- The vegetative stage at which it is consumed (the youngerthe stage at which grass is eaten, the higher its nutritional value in energy and protein content).
| Variations in nutritional value | ||
| FU (kg Dry Matter) Energy content | DE (g / kg Dry Matter) Protein content | |
| Natural grassland | 0.5 to 0.8 | 45 to 110 |
| Temporary meadow | 45 to 180 | |
Maximum quantities consumed
Ingestion capacity is the quantity of feed that a horse fed ad libidum can voluntarily ingest.
Daily amounts consumed vary with weight, production (milk, growth, work) and stage of gestation or lactation.
In the example below, a horse of 500kg can consume between 60 to 70kg grass per day.
| Equine type | For a pony weighing 200 kg | For a warmblood horse weighing 500 kg | For a draft horse weighing 800 kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantities consumed | 24 to 28 kg | 60 to 70 kg | 96 to 112 kg |
Production cost of grass
The following grazing grass production costs are taken from references established by the Limousin Chamber of Agriculture from the Limousin 2015 regional mutual aid scale. In these costs, labor is not taken into account.
| Grazing grass | Criteria taken into account for the calculation of the production cost | Production cost for a Ton of DM and a Ton of RM |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Meadow (NM) | - Electric fencing, - Fertilization (15 units of nitrogen + 2T of marl) and management (mechanization and associated costs: mowing of rejects and scavenging | 14,75€/t of DM 2,20€/t of RM |
| Temporary Meadow (TM) | - Electric fencing, - Fertilization (15 units of nitrogen + 2T of marl) and management (mechanization and associated costs: mowing of droppings and roughs - Depreciation of the implementation over 5 years (cost of seeds and sowing) | 27,13€/t of DM 4€/t of RM |
Grass ration cost
Example of the GAEC du Chaudron in Creuse (France)
Activities: around 150 suckler cows and 4 Breton draft mares weighing 1000kg with around 200 ha of UAA (Utilised Agricultural Area)
Management
- • Mares on grass all year in common meadows in spring then alternated (after the cattle).
- • No supplementation with dry fodder in winter
Cost of daily ration for a 1000 kg draft mare (mineral supplement not included) from the Limousin support scale:
- Beginning of gestation : consumption of around 80kg* gross of grass, corresponding to 0.18€/day for 6 months,
- End of gestation : consumption of around 87kg* gross of grass, meaning 0.19€/day for 3 months
- A brood mare with a newly suckling foal: consumption of around 120kg* gross of grass, meaning 0.30€/day for 3 months
*Consumption based on recommended quantities
Around 80€/mare/year
Other examples
Two structures following the equi-grazing program feed their animals only on grass.
- A sport horse breding stud in Normandymaintains its retired horses on pasture all year without any supplement when weather conditions are good.
- A pony breeding stud in the Center region, also maintains them without any additional supplements.
Feeding with grass only, but under certain conditions
It is possible to feed with grass only, but under certain conditions, the following should be respected :
- An average load of 1 to 1.5 LSU/ ha on grass surfaces. (LSU: LiveStock Unit, ex: suckling warmblood mare = 1.2 LSU)
- Technical management that optimizes loading to avoid waste or overgrazing (rotational grazing in spring, then more extensive in summer).
- Preferably use grass with high nutritional value (at leafy stage for horses with high needs).
- Climatic and soil conditions favorable to a long grazing period.
Know more about our authors
- Translated from french by : Karen DUFFY Translator
- Charlotte GEYL Development engineer IFCE
Bibliography
- MARTIN-ROSSET W, coord., 2012. Nutrition et alimentation des chevaux. Savoir-faire, éditions Quæ.
- Chambre d'agriculture du Limousin, 2015. Coûts comparatifs, Herbe et fourrages Limousin.
