Research Output
Validating the alkane pair technique to estimate dry matter intake in equids.
  The estimation of dry matter intake (DMI) using the alkane pair technique has been validated in ruminants, but not in equids. The current paper reports the finding of three comparative validation studies carried out using a total of 12 cattle, 29 donkeys and 10 horses during which directly measured intake was compared to estimated intake using the alkane pair technique. Two methods were developed to dose the even chain alkanes that were used as external markers. Study I, carried out in Zimbabwe, compared the accuracy of estimated intake with measured intake in cattle and donkeys using hexatriacontane (C36) as the external marker. Studies II and III were carried out in the UK with horses and donkeys and compared the accuracy of estimated intake with measured intake using dotriacontane (C32) as the external marker. Study III also tested the effect on the accuracy of intake estimates of two marker dosing levels (mean daily dose of 224 mg per animal and 448 mg per animal) and two dosing frequencies (2

  • Type:

    Article

  • Date:

    30 November 2006

  • Publication Status:

    Published

  • Publisher

    Cambridge University Press

  • DOI:

    10.1017/S0021859607006788

  • ISSN:

    0021-8596

  • Library of Congress:

    SF Animal culture

  • Dewey Decimal Classification:

    590 Animals (Zoology)

Citation

Smith, D., Mayes, R. W., Hollands, T., Cuddeford, D., Yule, H. H., Ladrero, C. M. M. & Gillen, E. (2006). Validating the alkane pair technique to estimate dry matter intake in equids. Journal of Agricultural Science. 145, 273-281. doi:10.1017/S0021859607006788. ISSN 0021-8596

Authors

Keywords

Donkeys; dry matter; feedstuff; alkane pair technique;

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