28th Annual Student Research Conference
Evaluation of length of total fecal collection on fecal output and dry matter digestibility
Elizabeth F. Miller
Dr. Kelly Walter, Faculty Mentor
Total fecal collection (TFC) is currently the most reliable method of ascertaining the digestibility of feedstuffs in horses. Determining the appropriate length of a TFC period will ensure more accurate calculations for future equine nutrition experiments. A five-day TFC of twelve horses was conducted to compare both fecal output and dry matter digestibility across each of the collection days. Using a students T-test, mean fecal output and dry matter digestibility will also be compared across averages of three, four, and five day collection periods to determine if the length of the collection period changes those means. We predict that a minimum of four days will be the appropriate length of a collection period to ensure the most accurate representation of fecal output to use for digestibility in order to account for diurnal variations.
Keywords: Equine, Total fecal collection, fecal output, dry matter digestibility
Topic(s):Agricultural Science
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 1-4
Location: GEO-SUB
Time: 3:30