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| I am not a fan of Bermuda grass for its colic risks. But I am paying 28.00 a bale for high quality Orchard grass. If I was able to mix the two, or put the bermuda in a slow feed net for my horses just as a filler, would that be OK? I have heard the colic issues come with the fine stem bermuda. You would think that if they were eating orchard along with it, it should prevent that balling up? Bermuda is I think 14 dollars a bale. Thanks! |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
 
Location: In the Hills of Texas | The fine stem hay is what causes problems.
If I were you I would get some good alfalfa and give a flake of that a day to keep things moving. |
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Expert
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| Only problem with Alfalfa for me is my one horse get SUPER fat on it. I already give 2 pounds of alfalfa pellets a day. Im going to go after work and see just how fine stem the bermuda is I can get. Thanks! |
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 Elite Veteran
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| FLITASTIC - 2014-09-24 9:57 AM
I am not a fan of Bermuda grass for its colic risks. But I am paying 28.00 a bale for high quality Orchard grass. If I was able to mix the two, or put the bermuda in a slow feed net for my horses just as a filler, would that be OK? I have heard the colic issues come with the fine stem bermuda. You would think that if they were eating orchard along with it, it should prevent that balling up? Bermuda is I think 14 dollars a bale. Thanks!
lemme guess...you live in California? Uggh. |
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I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | FLITASTIC - 2014-09-24 12:57 PM Only problem with Alfalfa for me is my one horse get SUPER fat on it. I already give 2 pounds of alfalfa pellets a day. Im going to go after work and see just how fine stem the bermuda is I can get. Thanks!
I would cut out the pellets and give them real alfalfa instead as there is no comparison in the two. |
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Expert
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| Yep, good ol California. LOL Orchard has to come from Oregon or Washington. Bermuda and Alfalfa are grown locally. |
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Veteran
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Location: Good ole SE Mo | As long as your horse is drinking plenty of water, he should be fine with the Bermuda. I also never wanted to feed it cuz my Dad's rope horse coliced (sp) on it a few times years ago when he was hauling him. As long as Roanie drank lots of water he was fine. This year I have started feeding Bermuda squre hay as that is what I have access too. I have one horse that has some in front of her all the time and she is doing just fine with it. The other I only feed it when I am hauling, they have a little grass still. When I move all my horses will be on it all the time.
If that is all you have access too (and can afford) maybe just make sure they drink lots of water to keep it moving through their system? Might have to add salt their feed to ensure this. That's what Dad did for Roanie on the road.
I am no expert or probably don't even know what I am talking about but this is what I know :) |
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 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | I have only fed bermuda for years. My stud coliced on alfalfa so I never feed it. I have NEVER had a problem with bermuda (knock on wood) but my horses get a bran mash with mineral oil once a week. |
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| To many maxed out credit cards and trips to chino... And getting my head chewed of by multiple vets lol |
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| I found some decent (Not to green) Alfalfa yesterday and I'm mixing it with my orchard. THe actual alfalfa/orchard mix hay is going for 27.00 a bale around here. So I figured I can mix it myself. LOL |
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Expert
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Location: Willows, CA | When you see a colic situation with Bermuda there is usually a teeth issue along with it. Bermuda can be good horse hay if the horse chews it well. If it is not comfortable for the horse to chew because its cheek or the side of its tongue is irritated from teeth that need attention, the horse will chew less than it normally would. This, in turn, causes the horse to swallow the hay without completely breaking it up. The long strands then wrap around each other starting the base for an impaction and colic. If the Bermuda is chewed well a digestive issue is very. very rare. |
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I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | winwillows - 2014-09-25 4:17 PM When you see a colic situation with Bermuda there is usually a teeth issue along with it. Bermuda can be good horse hay if the horse chews it well. If it is not comfortable for the horse to chew because its cheek or the side of its tongue is irritated from teeth that need attention, the horse will chew less than it normally would. This, in turn, causes the horse to swallow the hay without completely breaking it up. The long strands then wrap around each other starting the base for an impaction and colic. If the Bermuda is chewed well a digestive issue is very. very rare.
But there is the problem...even horses without any teeth issues can tend not to chew the fine coastal hay and is the reason it is the #1 reason for colic in our area followed by pelleted feed. |
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Expert
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| FLITASTIC - 2014-09-26 8:43 AM
I found some decent (Not to green) Alfalfa yesterday and I'm mixing it with my orchard. THe actual alfalfa/orchard mix hay is going for 27.00 a bale around here. So I figured I can mix it myself. LOL
Are you up by Palmdale or closer to phelan? I just got alfalfa orchard mix for 22 it was 20/80 and they had a 50/50 |
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Expert
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| winwillows - 2014-09-26 2:17 PM
When you see a colic situation with Bermuda there is usually a teeth issue along with it. Bermuda can be good horse hay if the horse chews it well. If it is not comfortable for the horse to chew because its cheek or the side of its tongue is irritated from teeth that need attention, the horse will chew less than it normally would. This, in turn, causes the horse to swallow the hay without completely breaking it up. The long strands then wrap around each other starting the base for an impaction and colic. If the Bermuda is chewed well a digestive issue is very. very rare.
That's good and all but he doesn't have a chewing problem nor the mare that impacted
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| Nevertooold - 2014-09-26 3:00 PM
winwillows - 2014-09-25 4:17 PM When you see a colic situation with Bermuda there is usually a teeth issue along with it. Bermuda can be good horse hay if the horse chews it well. If it is not comfortable for the horse to chew because its cheek or the side of its tongue is irritated from teeth that need attention, the horse will chew less than it normally would. This, in turn, causes the horse to swallow the hay without completely breaking it up. The long strands then wrap around each other starting the base for an impaction and colic. If the Bermuda is chewed well a digestive issue is very. very rare.
But there is the problem...even horses without any teeth issues can tend not to chew the fine coastal hay and is the reason it is the #1 reason for colic in our area followed by pelleted feed.
True |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 696
Location: Sunny California | When I lived in Texas the only 2 types of grass hay I could get were coastal bermuda and praire grass. I mixed the two and added a flake of alfalfa and didn't have a problem. Now that I'm back in California I feed orchard mixed with alfalfa. |
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Expert
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Location: Willows, CA | You are missing my point here. Horses with no teeth can't break Bermuda up, and it should not be fed to them. As to not having a chewing problem, they don't stop chewing their hay, they just are uncomfortable enough that they chew it less. The teeth don't need to be really bad to cause this. Many Vets don't take the time to look at the inside of the cheek, or side of the tongue for irritation that causes this. This results in the Bermuda not being chewed completely, which can result in the problems commonly blamed on Bermuda. I am not a Bermuda fan, but it can be used safely and is the only practical hay available for many horse owners across the Southern states. In the vast majority of diets that I have worked with that had a problem with Bermuda there was enough ridge on the outside of the uppers or inside of the lowers to cause this irritation. If you have no other option but Bermuda it is important that your horses teeth are in proper condition to avoid this issue. |
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Bermuda Grass......... Mix with Orchard?