Abstract
Abstract Sixteen Quarter Horses (mean±SEM; 12±5 yr; 5.1±1.0 BCS; 579±9 kg BW) were used to test the hypothesis that mare body fat was related to colostrum composition. Mares received a commercial concentrate to meet NRC (2007) requirements and to maintain a BCS between 5 and 7. Horses were group-housed in dry lots with ad libitium access to coastal Bermudagrass hay. Within 1 wk of expected foaling date, ultrasound images were obtained to determine rump fat, intramuscular fat (IMF), and longissimus dorsi area and fat thickness (LDF) at the 13th/14th and 17th/18th ribs. At parturition, colostrum was collected by hand and evaluated for Brix%, immunoglobulin (Ig) concentrations by commercial ELISA, and concentrations of protein, fat, lactose, somatic cell count, urea nitrogen, and non-fat solids (NFS) by a commercial laboratory. Correlations were determined using PROC CORR in SAS (v9.4). Significant correlations are presented in Table 1. Overall, mare LDF was correlated with protein, lactose, and NFS but was not related to Ig concentrations. Further, the common on-farm test for colostrum quality (Brix%) positively correlated with Ig, protein, and NFS levels.
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