Five crossbred mares (averaging six years and 480 kg BW) were allotted to latin square experimental design. The objective was to evaluate the utilization of diets containing triticale grains (dry or ensiled) in substitution of corn in the feeding of equine feeding, using assay of gastrointestinal transit and digestibility. The treatments consisted of three levels of triticale grains in substitution of corn grains (0, 50 and 100%), and two conservation forms of triticale grains (dry or ensiled). The diets were isoproteic (12.5% CP), with aDM intake by the animals of 2,0% BW (forage to concentrate 50:50). The apparent coefficients of digestibility (aCD) of the DM, OM, CP and NDF were determined by indirect method. The parameters of the gastrointestinal transit were: k1 (passage rate in the large intestine); k2 (passage rate in the stomach); TT (transit time); TMR (mean time retention) and TMRT (mean total retention time). No difference was observed for aCD of DM, OM, CP and NDF among the experimental diets, with means values of 64.31, 65.14, 74.13 and 57.25%, respectively. Considering the kinetics of the solid and liquid phases, it was found effect only to the k2 for the solid phase of digesta, whose values in the diets containing 100% triticale (dry or ensiled) was of 19.63%/h and the control diet of 23.72%/h. An increasing linear effect was observed for TT in the solid phase of digesta, as the levels of substitution of corn grain by ensiled triticale grain increased. In conclusion, the concentrates for equines may be formulated with dry or ensiled triticale grains in total substitution of corn grains. The inclusion of the triticale grains in the equine feeding promoted slow transit of the digesta.
horse; marker; passage rate; silage
