Home
Resource
Integrated warm- and cool-season grass equine rotational grazing systems: pasture production, grazing behavior, metabolism, and the gut microbiome
PDF
PDF format is widely accepted and good for printing.
Plug-in required
PDF-1(12.48 MB)
Citation & Export
View Usage Statistics
Staff View

Citation & Export
Hide

Simple citation

Weinert-Nelson, Jennifer Rose. Integrated warm- and cool-season grass equine rotational grazing systems: pasture production, grazing behavior, metabolism, and the gut microbiome. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-8217-0q28

Export

Click here for information about Citation Management Tools at Rutgers.

Statistics
Hide

Description

TitleIntegrated warm- and cool-season grass equine rotational grazing systems: pasture production, grazing behavior, metabolism, and the gut microbiome
NameWeinert-Nelson, Jennifer Rose (author); Williams, Carey (chair); Malinowski, Karyn (member); Watford, Malcolm (member); Bello, Nicholas (member); Meyer, William (member); Biddle, Amy (member); Rutgers University; School of Graduate Studies
Date Created2022
Other Date2022-01 (degree)
SubjectAnimal sciences, Rotational grazing, Crabgrass, Equine, Microbiome, Non-structural carbohydrates, Pasture, Summer slump
Extent480 pages : illustrations
DescriptionIncorporating warm- and cool-season grasses (WSG, CSG) into an integrated rotational grazing system (IRS) may address challenges presented by the “summer slump” typical of traditional CSG horse pastures. This project evaluated production implications of IRS as well as effects on grazing behavior, glycemic and insulinemic responses, and the fecal microbiota of grazing horses. Crabgrass (CRB) integration resulted in greater summer yield. Monoculture establishment of CRB produced greater yield than interseeding. The EquiWatch System was validated for reporting grazing activity and was utilized for subsequent investigations of pasture forage preference. Results of preference trials and assessments of circulating glucose and insulin (CRB vs. CSG) were inconsistent between small-plot or restricted-area grazing experiments and responses in the full-pasture setting, with minimal differences found in full-pasture setting under normal grazing management conditions. Glycemic responses to oral sugar tests were greater for horses adapted to WSG vs. CSG, but insulinemic responses did not differ. All GLU and INS were within normal ranges for all experiments. Fecal microbial structure and composition were stable across transitions between WSG and CSG within IRS, but differed following adaptation to individual forages. Forage crude protein and non-structural carbohydrates influenced fecal microbial composition. Interrelationships were found between these nutrients, glycemic responses, and Akkermansia and Clostridium butyricum. These bacteria were also enriched in horses adapted to WSG. Overall, these findings support implementation of IRS for increasing summer pasture yield and indicate minimal impacts on metabolic status of healthy grazing horses. Horses may be transitioned between WSG and CSG in IRS without substantial impacts on the gut microbiota, but shifts in the microbiota are apparent after adaptation to differing forages within IRS.
NotePh.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Genretheses
Persistent URLhttps://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-8217-0q28
LanguageEnglish
CollectionSchool of Graduate Studies Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
Version 8.5.5
Rutgers University Libraries - Copyright ©2024