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A highly regarded human nutritionist of the 1930's said, to the
effect,
"Energy out should equal energy in." The same is essentially
true for equine!
Sugarcane Molasses & Equine
Feed
By Chet Fields, Ph.D, PAS and Patrick Whidden,
M.S., PAS.
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The use of molasses in livestock feeds dates back into the 19th
Century. Since then, sugarcane molasses products have been popular
ingredients in equine sweet feeds. In 1945, Frank Morrison reported
in the 20th edition of Feeds & Feeding that in sugar producing
regions of Louisiana as much as nine pounds (approximately ¾
of a gallon) of molasses per head per day was fed to mules.
That's a lot of molasses! Contemporary equine diets typically
only contain 2% - 3% molasses in the total ration; some specialized
diets can contain 10%, depending on the feed formulation. |
What
is appropriate and realistic based on current knowledge? Perhaps
first, a brief overview of what molasses is and how it is produced
may be helpful. Essentially, molasses is syrup produced by "boiling
down" juices from the processing of various products. There
are types of molasses produced from sugar beets, sugarcane,
citrus, sorghum, pulp wood and starch, such as corn or other
grains. Sugarcane molasses is the type used most to produce
equine feed products. Sugarcane, which is a grass, is grown
primarily to produce sugar for human consumption. Thus, sugarcane
molasses is a valuable by-product of sugar production especially
in South Florida. Still the question begs "Why feed sugarcane
molasses?"
Attributes of sugarcane molasses |
Sugarcane
Molasses |
Experience
by the equine feed industry over many years has indicated that
sugarcane molasses is extremely effective in reducing the inherent
dustiness of grain-based feeds, which in turn can reduce respiratory
disorders. Molasses also prevents separation of feed ingredients
in equine diets and enhances the palatability of feed ingredients.
This prevents "sorting" of feed ingredients by finicky-eater
type horses. Sugarcane molasses is also effective in pelleted
feeds as a natural "binding agent" and adds a pleasant
aroma and increases palatability.
Nutritional attributes of sugarcane molasses
Sugarcane molasses contains nutritionally significant levels
of calories, the essential minerals potassium, calcium, magnesium,
sulfur, chloride, and iron, and the B vitamin biotin. The low
levels of protein and very low levels of phosphorus, fiber,
fat soluble vitamins, and most trace minerals give it an "environmentally
friendly" feed ingredient characteristic. |
The
digestible energy concentration of blackstrap (straight from
the sugar mill) sugarcane molasses is about 1.25 Mcal per lb.
compared to Number1 Oats at 1.36 Mcal per lb. The major contributors
of digestible energy in most feedstuffs are digestible carbohydrates
(including sugars). The major contributors of digestible energy
in molasses are the sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose) that
occur naturally in all plants that are typically fed to equines.
Sugars, fructans, starches and other readily available carbohydrates,
regardless of dietary source have at times been associated with
"colic," "hyperactivity" and "insulin
resistance" in horses. However, many feeds containing molasses
have lower levels of starches and sugars than straight oats.
And if high levels of performance (physical exertion) are required,
the diet must be high in energy to prevent loss of body condition.
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Seminole Victory! Sweet Feed by
Jill Haight |
Managing the high dietary energy requirement
Horses are herbivores and forage is their natural primary feed.
However, it is important to recall that "in nature,"
the horse's only strenuous exercise or performance requirement
was the ability to escape danger. Through domestication and
eventual genetic selection, the modern horse has various performance
requirements including physical activity, profitable reproduction
(ie, a foal every year) and growth. These production requirements
generally cannot be effectively met by forage alone. Therefore,
the feeding of more energy dense feedstuffs has evolved, is
accepted and widely practiced. This is the basis of the modern
equine feed industry. There are volumes of scientific studies
and generations of practical applications to substantiate that
the practice of feeding some amount of high energy feedstuffs
works. In one of the most recent scientific studies, Kronfeld
et al, (2005) based upon well controlled research trials concluded
that readily available energy from high energy feedstuffs (such
as grain and molasses) can be safely utilized when fed not more
than about 0.2% to 0.4% of body weight at one meal. This equates
to about 2 lbs to 4 lbs of a high energy "sweet feed"
per meal for a 1000-pound horse. Many experienced and successful
horsemen practice this by feeding at least two or three times
a day.
To put different feedstuffs into perspective, consider the contribution
various feedstuffs make to "readily available" carbohydrate
(sugar + starch) in a "typical" equine ration. With
typical hay in the diet, the hay contributes about four times
more sugar and five times more readily available carbohydrate
than molasses; and the oats contribute over three times more
readily available carbohydrate than the molasses. Of interest
to people managing horses in a grazing system, fresh forage
is higher in sugar content than hay. Sugar, per se, is rarely
a problem in typical equine diets. On average, a fortified molasses
based mill-mix product would be approximately 40% sugar; this
would equate to a range of 2% to 5% sugar in the finished horse
feed.
In conclusion, molasses contributes less sugar and starch in
a typical equine feed than oats and other grains and it is a
good source of calories. For most horses, the benefits of molasses
as part of a total equine diet, far out weigh the risks of feeding
straight oats or grains alone. |
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