Fiona Watkins, Indpendent Equine Nutritionist, BSc, Pro Dip.
Chennels West, Brook Lane, Albury Heath, Guildford, Surrey. GU5 9DH.
Telephone:- 07919 994634
Email:- Fiona@thehorsenutritionist.co.uk
The Hidden Benefits of feeding Sugar Beet Pulp
Sugar beet pulp is all too often labeled as a traditional feedstuff for the winter;
representing a fantastic, cheap way of adding some bulk! Whilst this is true in
part, to look at sugar beet pulp in that way, neglects its nutritional
characteristics and the benefits that these can bring to your equine.
What is Sugar Beet Pulp (SBP)?
Sugar beet is a root vegetable. The pulp, a by-product of sugar production, is
dried (sometimes mixed with molasses), and is usually soaked before being
fed. It is available in a number of different forms – shreds, pellets/cubes and
micronized flakes. The shreds are generally soaked for 12 hours; the pellets/
cubes for 24 hours and the flakes, as little as 10 minutes.
The Nutritional Benefits for Equines
- Digestibility
SBP contains high levels of soluble fibre, including pectins, which are highly
fermentable - thus, it is termed, a ‘highly digestible fibre’ or even, ‘superfibre’ as the dry matter digestibility is approximately 80%. (Hyslop, et al., 1998)
- Calcium Content
SBP can easily replace cereal grains in the diet as it is a more balanced
feedstuff. It is a ready source of calcium and has a calcium to phosphorus
ratio of approximately 6:1, meaning it can help to balance the incorrect
calcium to phosphorus ratios of cereal-based feeds. (MacLeod, 2007)
- Crude Protein (CP)
The CP of SBP is associated with the cell wall fraction of the plant and
therefore, unlike other sources of protein, it is not digested in the small
intestine, but instead, rapidly fermented in the hindgut – acting as a protein for
the microbial population present there. This increases their productivity and
as such, SBP effectively acts as a natural pre-biotic.
In studies, this has been shown to stimulate fermentation, and as such,
feeding SBP with a less digestible fibre (such as low-grade hay) can produce
higher degradation values for the hay than if it was fed alone. (Moore-Colyer,
2008)
- Energy
As discussed, SBP is highly fermentable and digestible and therefore, higher
in energy than traditional fibre feeds, such as hay or straw, both of which are
rich in cellulose and not particularly fermentable.
The energy levels in SBP are similar to a medium-energy compound feed, yet
the starch levels are much lower.
- A More Natural Feeding Choice
Starch-laid cereal grains (present in most compound feeds) are not natural
feeds for horses. None of the grasses or plants that equines will chose to
consume in a feral situation are particularly high in starch. SBP is a more
natural alternative as a high-fibre food.
The Myth that SBP Contains Too Much Sugar / Protein
- Sugar
As the by-product of sugar production, SBP is what is left behind after the
sugar has been extracted. As such, unmolassed sugar beet has a low sugar
content - 6.4% of the dry matter. (Moore-Colyer, 2009)
Molassed sugar beet has molasses added after processing; usually
approximately 20%, which is equivalent to a total sugar content of 30% sugar
in the final product. (Macleod, 2007)
- Protein
SBP provides approximately 10% protein.
When compared to other feeds, both of these values (molassed or not) are
not particularly high in either sugar or protein.
The actual amount of a feed constituent (in this case, sugar) that a horse
receives depends upon the amount of dry matter that is fed. SBP tends to be
soaked in about 4 times its weight in water. Therefore, 1 kg of soaked SBP
supplies just 200 g of actual sugar beet.
Nutrition Comparison
The following table highlights nutritional values of typical cereals in
comparison to SBP.
Cereal
Oats
Barley
Maize
Bran
(Wheat)
Sugar-beet
pulp
Nutritional values as a portion of a straight-based diet for
the working horse (i.e., what they contribute to the diet)
DE Energy
Crude
Moisture %
Ca g/kg
P g/kg
(MJ/kg)
Protein %
11-12
9-12
12-15
0.7
3
12-13
9-10
12-15
0.6
3.3
13-15
8-9
12-15
0.2
3
10-11
13-15
10-15
1
12
11-12
9-11
(88-90 dry),
15-25,
soaked or
boiled
Table 1 – Nutritional values of cereals and SBP.
(Adapted from Bishop, 2005)
6
1
Conclusion
SBP can offer a number of nutritional benefits to the equine diet and can be
considered as a vital ingredient in rations, all year round.