Does Copper Supplementation or Feed Form Affect Growth in Young Horses?

This experiment was designed to examine the effect of three levels of copper on growth and bone development in weanling horses.

Twenty-two Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse weanlings were fed three levels of copper supplementation and two forms of concentrate, extruded and pelleted, in a 112-day feeding trial.

Bermudagrass hay was also fed. The weanlings were fed to appetite during two feeding periods each day. Copper supplements in pelleted form were fed prior to the regular portion of concentrate.

Gains in height, weight, girth, and length were recorded, as were feed and hay intakes and feed efficiency.

Copper supplementation level did not influence weight, height, girth, or length gains. There was no influence of copper supplementation level on joint condition. There was no difference in bone density between groups. There were some early differences in weight gain by concentrate form, but these decreased with time. Serum analysis was not indicative of level of bone mineralization. Bone density analysis did not reveal differences between levels of supplemental copper.

This report of research conducted in 1987 by Joe D. Pagan, Ph.D., and coworkers was published in Proceedings of the 10th Equine Nutrition and Physiology Society Symposium.

Read the entire research paper, titled Influence of Copper Supplementation and Pelleted Versus Extruded Concentrate on Growth and Development of Weanling Horses.