Estimation methods and correction factors for body weight in Mangalarga Marchador horses

• Autor(a) principal: Souza, Felipe Amorim Caetano de
• Data de Publicação: 2017
• Outros Autores: Muniz, Joel Augusto, Fernandes, Tales Jesus, Cunha, Fabiana Oliveira, Meirelles, Sarah Laguna Conceição, Souza, José Camisão de, Moura, Raquel Silva de
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: LOCUS Repositório Institucional da UFV
• Texto Completo: https://locus.ufv.br//handle/123456789/31608
• topic: Animal production; Equine; Foal; Nutrition; Pregnancy

The objective was to evaluate the accuracy of six body weight (BW) estimating methods in Mangalarga Marchador horses (MM) (n = 318): method A - tape placements at three different positions around the thoracic girth; B - Crevat and Quetelec’s formula; C - Hall’s formula; D - Hintz and Griffiths’ table; E - Santos’ table; and F - Cintra’s formula. For additional analyses, gender, age, and gestational stage were considered. Estimated average BW was compared to the actual scale weight by the paired T test, mean predicted error, and determination coefficient. In the general population, methods A (position 3), B, and C estimated BW that were different from that of the scale. Method A, at positions 1 and 2, was more accurate in predicting the scale weight results compared with all other methods. For pregnant mares, the tape in positions 1 and 2 in method A did not differ from those of the scale. Method A in positions 1 and 2 and the table (method E) may be used to estimate the BW of males and females of different ages and/or gestational stages. To use Methods B and C, correction factors are necessary to precisely estimate the body weights in this breed.