Nutritional status of the endangered Pantelleria donkey breed

Abstract

An evaluation of the nutritional status of 30, on the 58 existing endangered Pantelleria donkeys, fed with meadow hay and oats, independently by the sex, age, and physiological state, was carried out through the study of some haematic parameters, BCS, faecal consistency and undigested fraction. Data were processed in relation to the sex and age (ANCOVA) and physiological state (pregnant vs. non pregnant, ANOVA). Comparing the sex, significant higher values for NEFA (254.09 vs. 108.28 μmol/l; P<0.001) were observed in the males probably in relation to their temperament with, consequently, higher lipid mobilisation, as confirmed by the significant (P=0.006) higher ALT activity (6.29 vs. 4.90 UI/L). Comparing the age, the most significant (P<0.01) differences were observed for urea which showed higher values in the younger animals probably for the worse nutritional status of these animals which resort to the amino acid deamination to obtain energy. Comparing the physiological state, the highest values of NEFA (120.21 vs. 99.87 mol/l), and beta-hydroxybutyrate (0.23 vs. 0.16 mmol/l, P=0.023) of the pregnant females could be due to the negative energetic balance and to the unbalancing of the forage/concentrate ratio as also confirmed by the lower BCS value (2.5). Undigested fraction has shown in the faeces the presence of integral seeds of oats, due to the scarce utilisation of the feed, confirmed also by the faecal consistency which was 3.5 (solid faeces), therefore index of an unbalanced ration in favour to the fibre. Results show a not good nutritional status of this animals, an indispensable factor for the safeguard of this important animal germplasm.