CONSIDERING COPROPHAGY IN
THE FOAL
Stacey Chartrand
Coprophagy, or the
ingestion of fecal material commonly raises great concerns in horse owners and
handlers. To the uninformed, the behavior
appears disgusting and maladaptive. In
the foal, however, this is an integral component of growth and development and
is therefore not considered abnormal, rather essential.
THE BEHAVIOUR AND ITS BENEFITS
In the foal, coprophagy is seen as a
temporary behavior where the foal consumes small amounts of its mare's
feces. The mare's feces contain a
compound or pheromone that prompts such a response from her foal. The behavior is usually seen in its highest
frequency for the first few weeks of the foal's life and continues until five
or six months of age.
Coprophagy benefits the young foal
by helping to establish the micro flora of the gut. By ingesting the stool of the mare, the foal will receive the
normal population of microorganisms that are necessary for the maintenance of
the gastrointestinal tract. The
consumption of fecal material throughout the first three weeks of life may also
be of nutritional value. By eating
small amounts throughout the day the foal receives a plethora of vitamins and
minerals that may otherwise be lacking in their diet. This behavior does not satisfy hunger, but delivers those
nutrients required in small amounts.
Along with compensating for
nutritional deficiencies, this behavior also acts to introduce a critical compound
that the foal lacks. Deoxycholic acid
is a bile acid that is passed from the mare to the foal through fecal
ingestion. This compound acts as a
protective substance that enhances the ability of the gut to fight off viral
and bacterial infections. Without this
compound the foal is susceptible to enteritis that commonly manifests itself as
diarrhea. Along with increasing the
immunocompetence of the gut, deoxycholic acid is fundamental in the development
and function of the nervous system.
Apart from the nutritional and
physiological benefits, stool eating in foals is a means of developing the
ability to graze selectively; that is to select grasses and avoid consuming
poisonous plants. Studies suggest that
identical food preferences are seen between offspring and parents. The highest rate of coprophagy in foals
corresponds chronologically with the foal learning about food plants. Close association between foal and mare may
also allow the foal to visually perceive what plants its dam consumes. Food selection learning, however,
corresponds to a time in development during which the observed distance between
the mare and foal was the greatest.
Food selection, therefore, is thought more likely to result from
coprophagy than from mare-foal spatial associations (Marinier & Alexander,
1994).
CONCERNS AND TREATMENT
Regarding coprophagy, owners are
typically concerned with the possibility of an increased load of parasites or
intestinal worms on the foal's system.
Foals, however, usually eat only fresh stools. An incubation period is necessary for parasites to become
infective and as a result the fresh stool is unlikely to be contaminated. Nevertheless, a regular deworming program is
always recommended.
While this behavior is normal in
young horses, it is not in the older horses.
Coprophagy in adult horses can be related to an inadequate diet; low in
protein or fiber. Treatment would be to
address the horse's diet by augmenting the amount of roughage and protein. Apart from nutritional causes, horses practicing
stool eating are usually enclosed in box stalls or have recently undergone a
change in their daily routine.
Increasing the amount of daily exercise may also aid to rectify
coprophagy in the adult horse. While it
is better to remedy this behavior, control of it may also be achieved by
muzzling or cross tying the horse.
Depending on the age of the horse,
coprophagy can be considered either a normal or abnormal behavior. Awareness and appreciation of the benefits
of coprophagy in the foal is key to understanding and accepting this as a
normal behavior. While it may remain
repulsive to the uninformed, to the foal's owner, coprophagy should be a
desired behavior and not discouraged.
Coprophagy is, therefore, an advantageous and essential behavior that
aids in maximizing the health and development of foals.
REFERENCES
Crowell-Davis SL,
Caudle AB: Coprophagy In Foals:
Recognition of Maternal Feces.
Applied Animal Behavior Science 24:267-272. 1989
Crowell-Davis SL,
Houpt KA: Coprophagy In Foals: Effects of
Age and Possible Functions. Equine
Vet J 17:17-19, 1985
Hintz HF: Coprophagy. Equine Practice 17:10, 8-11, 1995
Marinier SL, Alexander
AJ: Coprophagy as an Avenue for Foals of
the Domestic Horse to learn Food Preferences from their Dams. J Theoret Biol 173:121-124, 1995
Soave O, Brand D: Coprophagy In Animals: A Review. Cornell-Veterinarian 81:4,
357-364, 1991