Näringsbehov hos moderlösa föl

Abstract: No summary of feeding recommendations for foals exists today, which is why this subject was chosen for a literature study. The aim of this study was to describe nutrient requirements of healthy full term foals and how the feeding should be designed to raise foals if they lose their mother. Mare milk composition changes during lactation to meet the requirements of the suckling foal. Foals are born with enzymes in their small intestine and the concentrations of these follow the consumption patterns of the foal. Microbes colonizes the gut as the foal becomes older and these changes cause foal diarrhea. Foals are born with a digestive tract incapable for digestion of grass but the large intestine grows and develops for a long period of time which gives the foal a higher capacity to digest fiber the older it gets, partly stimulated by growth factors in the mare milk. Orphan foals shows a temporarily lower growth after weaning but thereafter undergoes a compensatory growth. By looking at the nutritional values in mare milk the nutrient requirements of foals could be estimated and compared to three commercial milk replacers and cow’s milk with 1,5 % fat.