Two experiments were carried out to evaluate the nutritional utilization of soybean hulls for growing horses. In the digestibility assay, four colts, averaging 11 months of age and 350±26kg, were used to determine the nutritional value of diets with soybean hulls. The experimental design was square latine (4 x 4). Four diets were used, one as a reference and three as test diets, where the soybean hulls replaced 33.3, 66.6 and 100% of the Tifton 85 hay of the reference diet. Total feces collection was used to determine the apparent digestibility coefficients of the diets. Effects on the apparent digestibility coefficient of the dry matter were observed (62.48, 66.35, 79.49 and 82.77%; 66.08, 65.16, 75.41 and 74.09%; 62.59, 62.62, 75.17 and 74.05% and 61.12, 57.15, 73.34 and 72.27%, respectively, for the test diet and the diets with 33.3, 66.6 and 100% of soybean hulls replacing the Tifton 85 hay). No effects on the apparent digestibility coefficients of crude protein were observed (69.67, 71.95, 74.08 and 75.03%, respectively, for the test diet and the diets with 33.3, 66.6 and 100% of soybean hulls replacing the Tifton 85 hay. In the development experiment, 16 colts, averaging 15 months of age and 255.19±21.12 kg, were used. A completely randomized design with four replications and four animal by each experimental unit, for a period of 75 days, was used. The trials consisted of a reference diet and three levels of substitution (33.3, 66.6 and 100%) of hay by soybean hulls, formulated to be isoprotein and isocaloric. No diet effects on the perfomance variables were observed in growing horses. It was concluded that diets for equines can be formulated with total substitution of hay for soybean hulls without affecting development.
digestibility coefficient; development; foals; grass hay; soybean hulls
