Abstract

ZANINE, A.M. et al. Comparison of food habit of horses and mules under grazing. Arch. zootec. [online]. 2009, vol.58, n.223, pp.459-462. ISSN 1885-4494.

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the difference among horses and mules in grazing behaviour on coast-cross pasture. A completely randomized experimental design with tree categories (horses, mares and mules) as treatments, each with seven repetitions. The experiment lasted 40 days, being 25 for animal adaptation and 15 for evaluation, that consisted of three replicates, with duration of 24 hours each, in intervals of five days. The t test showed that horses grazed less time during the day (6.38 hours) than mares (8.85 hours) and mules (7.33 hours). In relation to the total grazing time, the mules spent more time (14.77 hours), while the horses grazed during 11.60 hours. Horses stayed larger time in idling than mares and mules, emphasizing the smallest nutritional demand of horses. There was no difference between horses and mares, regarding the number of bites per minute. The mares and mules increased the time of grazing in order to reach their nutritional demands, since there was no difference in the frequency of mouthfuls.

Keywords : Mare; Horse; Mule; Bite rate.

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