{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/35026"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/35026","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Effects of Diet and Probiotic Supplementation on Stress during Weaning in Thoroughbred Foals","abstract":"This study investigated effects of diet and probiotic supplement on stress in Thoroughbred foals at weaning. Twenty foals, whose dams were paired by age and breeding date, then randomly assigned to one of two diets prior to parturition, were used. Two groups were maintained on mixed grass pastures and fed supplements, one high in sugar and starch (SS) and one high in fat and fiber (FF) that met or exceeded NRC requirements. Half the foals on each diet were fed a commercial probiotic (Probios) containing lactic acid bacteria, while the rest were given a placebo. Plasma, fecal samples and behavioral ethograms were collected for four days pre- and post-weaning, and an ACTH response test was administered 48 h post-weaning. Cortisol, lactate, IgG, IgA and a-tocopherol were analyzed in plasma, volatile fatty acids and pH in feces. Foals fed FF had higher concentrations of IgA (P = 0.006), IgG (P = 0.012) and a-tocopherol (P = 0.005). Butyric and valeric acid concentrations were higher in feces of SS but not FF foals (P = 0.052), which may reflect better adaptation to forage in FF foals. Foals supplemented with probiotic had higher fecal lactate (P = 0.002) and lower fecal acetate (P = 0.0003) concentrations, suggesting that the lactic acid bacteria survived to the hindgut. Probiotic supplementation did not appear to benefit foals at weaning. Supplementation with FF may improve immune status and encourage a more diverse intestinal microbial population, enabling foals to better cope with the physiological stresses of weaning.","abstract_html":"This study investigated effects of diet and probiotic supplement on stress in Thoroughbred foals at weaning. Twenty foals, whose dams were paired by age and breeding date, then randomly assigned to one of two diets prior to parturition, were used. Two groups were maintained on mixed grass pastures and fed supplements, one high in sugar and starch (SS) and one high in fat and fiber (FF) that met or exceeded NRC requirements. Half the foals on each diet were fed a commercial probiotic (Probios) containing lactic acid bacteria, while the rest were given a placebo. Plasma, fecal samples and behavioral ethograms were collected for four days pre- and post-weaning, and an ACTH response test was administered 48 h post-weaning. Cortisol, lactate, IgG, IgA and a-tocopherol were analyzed in plasma, volatile fatty acids and pH in feces. Foals fed FF had higher concentrations of IgA (P = 0.006), IgG (P = 0.012) and a-tocopherol (P = 0.005). Butyric and valeric acid concentrations were higher in feces of SS but not FF foals (P = 0.052), which may reflect better adaptation to forage in FF foals. Foals supplemented with probiotic had higher fecal lactate (P = 0.002) and lower fecal acetate (P = 0.0003) concentrations, suggesting that the lactic acid bacteria survived to the hindgut. Probiotic supplementation did not appear to benefit foals at weaning. Supplementation with FF may improve immune status and encourage a more diverse intestinal microbial population, enabling foals to better cope with the physiological stresses of weaning.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Swanson, Carrie A."],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Animal and Poultry Sciences","degree_department":"Animal and Poultry Sciences","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Kronfeld, David S.","Hoffman, Rhonda M."],"committee_members":["Splan, Rebecca K."],"year":2002,"date_issued":"2002-08-23","date_published":"2002-08-23","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:57Z","subjects":["Vitamin E","Weaning","Fat","Probiotics","Horses"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-09122002-152947"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-09122002-152947","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/35026","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Kronfeld, David S.","Hoffman, Rhonda M."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Splan, Rebecca K."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Animal and Poultry Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Swanson, Carrie A."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T20:45:18Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T20:45:18Z","2003-10-14"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2002-08-23"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Animal and Poultry Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Vitamin E","Weaning","Fat","Probiotics","Horses"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-09122002-152947"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/35026"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study investigated effects of diet and probiotic supplement on stress in Thoroughbred foals at weaning. Twenty foals, whose dams were paired by age and breeding date, then randomly assigned to one of two diets prior to parturition, were used. Two groups were maintained on mixed grass pastures and fed supplements, one high in sugar and starch (SS) and one high in fat and fiber (FF) that met or exceeded NRC requirements. Half the foals on each diet were fed a commercial probiotic (Probios) containing lactic acid bacteria, while the rest were given a placebo. Plasma, fecal samples and behavioral ethograms were collected for four days pre- and post-weaning, and an ACTH response test was administered 48 h post-weaning. Cortisol, lactate, IgG, IgA and a-tocopherol were analyzed in plasma, volatile fatty acids and pH in feces. Foals fed FF had higher concentrations of IgA (P = 0.006), IgG (P = 0.012) and a-tocopherol (P = 0.005). Butyric and valeric acid concentrations were higher in feces of SS but not FF foals (P = 0.052), which may reflect better adaptation to forage in FF foals. Foals supplemented with probiotic had higher fecal lactate (P = 0.002) and lower fecal acetate (P = 0.0003) concentrations, suggesting that the lactic acid bacteria survived to the hindgut. Probiotic supplementation did not appear to benefit foals at weaning. Supplementation with FF may improve immune status and encourage a more diverse intestinal microbial population, enabling foals to better cope with the physiological stresses of weaning."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Effects of Diet and Probiotic Supplementation on Stress during Weaning in Thoroughbred Foals"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Kronfeld, David S.","Hoffman, Rhonda M."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Splan, Rebecca K."],"dc:contributor.department":["Animal and Poultry Sciences"],"dc:creator":["Swanson, Carrie A."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T20:45:18Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T20:45:18Z","2003-10-14"],"dc:date.issued":["2002-08-23"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study investigated effects of diet and probiotic supplement on stress in Thoroughbred foals at weaning. Twenty foals, whose dams were paired by age and breeding date, then randomly assigned to one of two diets prior to parturition, were used. Two groups were maintained on mixed grass pastures and fed supplements, one high in sugar and starch (SS) and one high in fat and fiber (FF) that met or exceeded NRC requirements. Half the foals on each diet were fed a commercial probiotic (Probios) containing lactic acid bacteria, while the rest were given a placebo. Plasma, fecal samples and behavioral ethograms were collected for four days pre- and post-weaning, and an ACTH response test was administered 48 h post-weaning. Cortisol, lactate, IgG, IgA and a-tocopherol were analyzed in plasma, volatile fatty acids and pH in feces. Foals fed FF had higher concentrations of IgA (P = 0.006), IgG (P = 0.012) and a-tocopherol (P = 0.005). Butyric and valeric acid concentrations were higher in feces of SS but not FF foals (P = 0.052), which may reflect better adaptation to forage in FF foals. Foals supplemented with probiotic had higher fecal lactate (P = 0.002) and lower fecal acetate (P = 0.0003) concentrations, suggesting that the lactic acid bacteria survived to the hindgut. Probiotic supplementation did not appear to benefit foals at weaning. Supplementation with FF may improve immune status and encourage a more diverse intestinal microbial population, enabling foals to better cope with the physiological stresses of weaning."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-09122002-152947"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/35026"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Vitamin E","Weaning","Fat","Probiotics","Horses"],"dc:title":["Effects of Diet and Probiotic Supplementation on Stress during Weaning in Thoroughbred Foals"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Animal and Poultry Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:57Z"}