马房护理：草料小知识(上篇)

Every Winter, when I am in my horse barn feeding sweet smelling, nutritious, grass or alfalfa hay to my horses, I am reminded of an old children’s story called “The Little Red Hen”. Like many such stories there is a moral to the tale which teaches farming and horse owning people this lesson “All your hard work in the Summer time accumulating good quality feed for your animals pays big dividends in the Winter”. A horse that is fed and exercised well through out the Winter will be healthier and more likely to win the first competitions of the Spring season.
每到冬季，当我在马厩中为我的马添加甘甜、滋补的营养剂，草或者苜蓿草时，我总是想起那个孩童时期听来的故事“红色小母鸡” 。 同许多寓言故事一样，这个同时教育我们作为农耕者和马主非常重要的一课“夏季里为你饲养的动物积累优质的饲料所付出的辛劳，会在冬季收到丰厚的回报”。被精心饲喂和训练的马，经历冬季也依然会更健康，更有机会在开春的第一场比赛中获胜。

Hay can be made from any type of forage such as native (wild) pasture grasses or from plant species with more nutritious profiles. Modern farmers grow crops which are planted specifically for growing quality hay for horses and contain forage species such as alfalfa, red clover, timothy or orchard grass.
无论是本土野生牧草，还是营养更丰富的品种，任何草都可以做成干草。 现代农耕者种植专供马的高质量草作物，这类作物有：苜蓿草，红色三叶草，梯牧草，鸭茅。

草的结构Forage composition

Plants are composed of two components, plant cell contents and cell walls. Cell contents contain most of the protein and all of the starch, sugars, lipids and such nutrients. These are the easily digestable nutrients that the horse can digest by himself. In contrast, the plant cell wall contain cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Horses cannot digest the plant cell wall, they need help. The microbes living in the horses hind gut provide this help by breaking down the cell wall, thereby releasing nutrients absorption by the horse. Quite a clever system isn’t it? In fact, the name for this system is “symbiosis”.
植物由两部分组成：植物细胞内含物和细胞壁组成。 细胞内含物主要是蛋白质、淀粉、糖、油脂等营养物质。 这些营养物质对马来说 是能被它们自身很容易就消化、吸收的物质。 相反，植物细胞壁包含纤维素、半纤维素和木质素（植物的结构物质）。 马自身不能消化植物细胞壁，需要额外的帮助。
马尾肠的微生物能通过分解细胞壁来提供帮助，从而让马能够吸收所释放出的营养物质。 这是一个聪明聪明的系统，不是吗？ 实际上，这套系统的名字是 “共生关系”。

评估牧草

When Assessing Forages… What is “Quality”?
当评估牧草时……，“优质”的判断标准是什么 ？

The nutritive value of forages is determined by two factors:
1: Fibre content - the proportion of the plant that is composed of cell wall, and
2: Fibre quality - the degree of lignification of the cell wall.
牧草的营养价值由以下两个因素决定：
1 ： 纤维含量比例- 植物的组成部分细胞壁的比例
2 ： 纤维的质量 - 细胞壁的木质化程度。

These factors are important because the horse can digest practically all of the cell contents contained in forages, but microbial fermentation can digest only 50% or less of most plant cell wall. The degree to which plant cell wall is digestible is largely dependent on the amount of lignin that it contains.    
这些因素之所以重要，是因为马几乎能消化植物全部的细胞内含物，然而微生物发酵只可能消化 50%，有时候甚至只能消化细胞壁无足轻重的一小部分。 植物细胞壁能被消化的程度，很大程度上取决于植物的木质化含量。

Almost all hay I have seen fed to horses in China is too mature, i.e. has too much lignin. This is classified as “poor quality hay”. High lignin or poor quality hay presents the horse with a problem because high lignin hay is difficult to digest, wears down the horses’ teeth which can lead to numerous gut problems.
我在中国见过的大部分给马吃的干草都过度成熟，即木质素含量过高。 这类草被归类为“劣质干草”，高度木质化或者劣质干草会给马带来问题，因为高度木质化的干草不但难以消化，还会磨损马的牙齿，从而可能导致多种肠道问题。

Many other factors also affect the quality of forage. Most important of these are:
1. The species of plant,
2. Stage of maturity,
3. Location of where the plant was grown,
4. Content of inhibitory substances.
5. Storage and age of the hay.
其他许多因素也会影响干草的质量。 其中比较重要的因素有：
1. 植物的种类
2. 成熟的阶段
3. 植物所生长的地点
4. 所含的抑制物质
5. 干草的存贮和存储的时间。
        
All of these factors should be considered when assessing the suitability of particular forage for horses. In addition pesticide and herbicide use on the hay crop may cause allergic or metabolic problems in sensitive horses.
当我们评估针对马的干草时，我们应该综合考虑所有的因素，此外种植这些草的时候所用的杀虫剂和除草或许会导致一些敏感的马出现过敏或新陈代谢的问题。

草的种类

Most plants that serve as forages for horses can be divided into two different categories, grasses and legumes. Grasses contain much structural matter in their leaves and leaf sheaths, and this can be as important as or more important than the stem in holding the plant erect. Examples of grass forages used for horses include temperate species such as timothy grass, orchard grass, brome grass, and fescue and tropical species like Pangola, Guinea, Bermuda, and Kikuyu grasses. Legumes, on the other hand, tend to be treelike, though on a miniature scale. Their leaves have very little structural function and form on the ends of woody stems. The primary legumes used as horse forage are alfalfa and clover.
大多数喂给马的植物可以被分为两个种类：普通草和豆科草。普通草的叶片和叶鞘中的含有许多结构物质（纤维素 、半纤维素和木质素 ），它们相起支撑作用的茎干相比同等重要甚至更为重要。用于喂马的普通草包括温带物种（猫尾草，果树草，雀麦草，羊茅草），热带物种（盘固拉草，猪笼草，百慕大草，隐花狼尾草）。豆科草类与前者相反，形态上更像树，当然，是形态上迷你版的树。它们的叶子和茎干顶部几乎不含结构物质（纤维素 、半纤维素和木质素 ）， 用于喂马的豆科草的首选是苜蓿草和三叶草。

At a similar stage of maturity, legumes tend to be higher in protein, energy and calcium than grasses.
在同样的成熟阶段，豆科草更倾向于比普通草富含更多的蛋白质，能量和钙。普通草中的木质素，纤维素和半纤维素的含量比豆科草更高。

Lignin + cellulose + hemicellulose is much higher in grasses than legumes. This is because grasses contain a great deal more hemicellulose than legumes. Remember, hemicellulose is typically only 50% digested in the horse, and cell contents solubles are almost completely digested.
这是因为普通草相比豆科草所含的半纤维素要高的多。要知道，马只能消化50%的半纤维素，而细胞内含物几乎能被全部消化。

The fiber in legumes tends to be less digestible than the fiber in grasses, largely because legumes tend to have higher lignin content per unit of total fiber. This means that the digestible fiber content of grasses is much higher than it is in legumes of similar maturity.
豆科草中的纤维跟普通草中的纤维相比，更加难以消化。主要原因是豆科草中的纤维中木质素所占的比例更高。这意味着，当普通草和豆科草处于相同的成熟度时候，普通草所含的可消化纤维的含量比豆科草的更高。

Because of these factors, legumes contain 20- 25% more digestible energy than grasses at the same maturity. In certain instances, the amount of legume hay fed may be limited so that the horse doesn’t get too fat. This can result in intakes of digestible fiber that are below optimal levels, particularly in extremely high- quality alfalfa hays.
基于这些因素，当普通草和豆科草处于相同成熟度时，豆科草含有的可吸收能量比普通草的高20-25%。在某些特定情况下，喂给马的豆科干草的分量或许应该被限定在一定范围，马才不会变的过胖。然而，需要注意的是，尤其是在采用质量特别好的苜蓿草时，可能导致马摄入的可消化纤维的低于理想水平。

成熟阶段

Generally, as plants mature they become less digestible because a greater proportion of their mass becomes structural. Legumes tend to mature by decreasing leafiness and increasing the stem-to-leaf ratio. Alfalfa leaves maintain the same level of digestibility through- out their growth. Their stems, however, decrease dramatically in digestibility as they mature be- cause they become highly lignified to support the extra weight of the plant.
随着植物不断的成熟，就变得相对不易消化，因为它们组成物质中的大部分转变成了结构物质（纤维素 、半纤维素和木质素 ）。随着豆科草的成熟，它们叶子的比例降低，同时茎秆的比例增加。随着苜蓿草的生长，其叶子的可消化度保持在同一水平。苜蓿草的叶子的易消化程度，从始至终都是一样的。然而，随着苜蓿草的成熟，它们的茎杆的可消化度急遽降低，因为它们的茎杆变得高度木质化，才能支撑该植物自身的重量。

The leaves of grasses serve more of a structural function than in legumes. As they mature, these leaves become more lignified and less digestible. Since the stems of certain grasses serve a reserve function, they may actually be more digestible than the leaves of these grasses at a later stage of maturity.
普通草相比豆科草，前者叶子的功能包含了一项结构功能。随着它们的成熟，这些叶子的木质化程度更高变得较为不易消化。 因为某些普通草的茎杆具有储备功能，实际上这个阶段的茎杆或许比进入成熟期后期的叶子更容易消化。

纬度的影响

The digestibility of tropical forages is much lower than temperate forages. Plants that grow in the tropics have been genetically selected for a larger proportion of protective structures such as lignin to avoid predation. At the other extreme are the perennial plants in the far northern regions of the world. These plants have very short growing seasons and need to store energy in reserves as sugars and fructans rather than in irretrievable substances such as lignin and cellulose. Care should be taken when feeding high-fructan forages to horses since these compounds are poorly digested in the small intestine and may lead to colic or laminitis due to excess lactic acid fermentation in the hindgut.
纬度的影响。 热带的牧草的可消化程度相较于温带的牧草低的多。生长在热带的植物经历了基因的筛选，其保护性结构，例如木质素，占的比例更大，才能避免被食用。另一个极端是生在地球最北部的多年生植物。这类植物的生长季节非常的短，不同于转化成“不可回转的物质”，比如木质素或纤维素，它们是以糖份和聚果糖的形式存储能量。在给马吃聚果糖含量高的牧草时，应该特别小心，尾肠中过量的乳酸发酵或许会导致腹痛或蹄叶炎。

抑制物质

Besides lignin, a number of other substances in forages can reduce digestibility of fiber and minerals. Silica is used as a structural element that complements lignin to strengthen and add rigidity to cell walls. Alfalfa and other temperate legumes restrict absorption of silica and contain little in their tissues. Cereal straws – oat hay for example, are quite high in silica. This gives the straw a clean, glassy appearance, and it also reduces its digestibility.
There are also substances contained in forages that can inhibit mineral digestibility.
抑制物质。 除木素以外，牧草中还有一些别的物质会降低纤维等材质的可消化度。二氧化硅是结构元素，能强化木质素和细胞壁。苜蓿菜和别的温带牧草几乎不吸收二氧化硅，它们的组织体中几乎不含二氧化硅。麦秆，例如燕麦干草，所含有的二氧化硅就较高。这让麦秆拥有干净光滑的表面，这同样也降低了它的可消化程度。

Two that are particularly important are phytate and oxalate. Phytates contain phosphorus in a molecular-bound form that is undigestible for the horse. Phytate may also inhibit the digestibility of other minerals such as calcium, zinc, and iodine. Oxalates can reduce the digestibilityof calcium in forages if the calcium-to-oxalate ratio in the forage is 0.5 or less on a weight- to-weight basis. This is a common problem in tropical forages that tend to be high in oxalates and low in calcium. Low calcium availability in tropical forages can lead to nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism or “big head” disease. Therefore, when tropical forages are fed to horses, supplemental sources of calcium should be available.
牧草中还有含有一些物质能抑制矿物质的可吸收性。其中特别重要的两种物质是植酸和草酸。植酸含有分子键形式的磷，这种形式是马不能消化的。植酸或许还会抑制别的物质的可吸收性，例如钙，锌，碘。 如果牧草中同重量的钙与草酸的比值小于等于0.5，草酸能降低牧草中钙的可吸收性。这在热带牧草中是一个常见问题，热带牧草倾向于含草酸高，含钙低。热带牧草中钙的可用性低可能导致营养继发性甲状旁腺功能亢进症（secondary hyperparathyroidism），即“大头病”。因此，当我们用热带干草喂马时，应该确保给马添加补充钙的营养补充剂。

干草的存贮

Hay should be fed the same year it is harvested for optimum nutrient preservation. Hay condition at the time of baling is important. Mown hay should be allowed sufficient drying time in the field before baling. Hay that is square-baled at more than 20% moisture is subject to mold growth, making it unfit for consumption by horses. There is also a risk of fire due to the heat generated by decomposition after baling.
营养价值最丰富时被收割的干草在当年就应该被食用。打包的时机对干草的状况也很重要。被收割的草在被打包前，应该有足够的，让其变干的时间。打包成方捆的干草如果含有20%的水份就会发霉，导致干草质量不好，不宜给马食用。打包后由于分解而产生的热量还会导致火灾隐患。

Hay needs to be stacked so that air can circulate freely as the hay continues to lose moisture. Measures to help ensure proper drying include stacking square bales on edge, leaving narrow gaps between rows of bales, alternating bale orientation in each layer, and keeping stacks no more than four or five bales high. Moisture and heat should be monitored for about two weeks after new hay is stacked in a barn or shed.
干草需要被堆叠着存储，以便在干草继续流逝湿气时，空气能自由地流通 。恰当的能保证干燥的措施包括：在堆叠方捆的干草时，堆叠成方形的，在方捆之间留下小缝隙，在交替变化每一层的方捆排列方式，每一个大草堆的堆叠的层数不超过4层或5层。新的干草被堆放在仓库的两周后，应该监控湿气和热量。

A caramel odour may indicate that the hay is becoming hot. A metal pipe or rod driven into the center of the stack can be pulled out from time to time to feel for heat. Hay that is extremely hot or beginning to steam often smolders until the stack is pulled apart, at which time the increased oxygen can cause the bales to burn more rapidly, so caution is advised if there is a reason to   this condition.
焦糖气味或许意味着干草在发热。将一根金属管子或标尺插入草堆的中心，并不时的拔出来用于检查热度。热度极高的干草，或开始冒蒸汽的干草在散开前或许会闷燃，突然散开后接触大量空气，能导致干草堆被迅速烧掉，因此，格外谨慎的检查草堆的情况是必要的.

Stored hay must be protected from ground moisture and rain. Stall storage is convenient and safe if the bales are placed on pallets or racks to avoid contact with the ground. Some managers point out the danger of storing flammable hay in a stable where horses are housed, preferring to build separate sheds or barns for hay storage. These structures should be designed to allow easy access to stables and feeding areas, as well as to provide protection from dust, rain, and light.
被存放的干草必须要同地面的湿气和雨水隔离。在马厩中储存干草既安全又方便，前提是干草被堆地下垫着木隔离架，从而避免干草接触地面。有些管理者指出，在马厩中储存易燃的干草，其危险之处在于马也生活在这个储存区。因此他们更倾向于建造单独的棚子或仓库，专门用于存储干草。这类建筑，在设计时候就应该考虑到，既要方便将干草运入马厩和饲喂区域，同时又能保护干草不受灰尘、雨水、光线的破坏。鼠患的控制也非常重要，让猫能在马场中自由活动，是一个既简单又经济控制方法！

Rodent control is also very important hence the almost ubiquitous presence of cats at horse farms, a cheap and easy means of mouse control!
因此啮齿类动物控制也是非常重要的猫几乎普遍存在的出现在马农场，老鼠控制一个便宜和容易的手段!

Except in very dry climates, plastic tarps or other coverings are often used to protect bales from dust, sun, and rain. The stack should be designed with a peak at the top or center so that rain will run off instead of pooling.
除了非常干旱气候以外，塑料篷布或其他覆盖物常被用于保护干草堆，让其免受尘土、太阳和雨的损害。 设计的时候，应该在顶端的中心有一个凸起的顶，这样雨水才能顺着顶部留下来，而不会聚集在顶部。



来源： 关于马的一切——Dr.K的小课堂