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 The Crazy Mom
Posts: 2132
  
Location: Ainsworth, NE | Do they eat the cubes slower? do they waste less with cubes? Pros and cons of each please!
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 330
| http://forums.barrelhorseworld.com/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid...
light=long+stem+forage&highlightmode=1&action=search#M7054773
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 330
| Cubes count as "long stem forage" so I prefer cubes for that reason alone. This means that you can directly replace hay with these cubes, pound for pound, and its the same thing as feeding that many pounds of alfalfa hay. When they chew long stem forage, they produce more saliva, and the saliva acts as a buffer in the gut (this is one of the reasons forage is so healthy for gastric health).
Pellets don't count as long stem forage, although they are considered fiber and will provide additional calories.
Regarding soaking:
I just cover the cubes with about 2" of water and they WILL soak all of that up. I don't drain any excess off, if it's not soaked all the way in, I feed it sloppy.
In the months that are not too hot (because if left in the heat with water they will start to ferment): I will mix up my AM feeding the night before. So, cubes in bucket, add water, they are ready to feed in the morning. Repeat in the morning so cubes that night are already soaked and ready to feed.
In the hot months, I will put the cubes with water when I get to the barn, and by the time I'm done riding they are ready to feed.
In the winter, I have to drive to the barn, so I bring a bucket of them home with me at night, and in the morning before I leave for work, I add hot water and in 20 minutes they are soaked and ready to feed by the time I get to the barn.
I don't think there is a certain time they NEED to be soaked, and you can technically feed them dry if you have a horse that doesn't bolt them down whole. However, soaking them is a GREAT way to get more water into them anyhow, and its also a great way to hide any supplements and medications. |
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  JMHO
Posts: 1869
 
Location: Oklahoma | I love the cubes. I always wet them down and my ponies like there "mush". No waist. |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | I also use the cubes over pellets when I feed it which is usually only when I can't get good quality alfalfa in the winter.
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Expert
Posts: 1695
Location: Willows, CA | I prefer that straight alfalfa cubes be fed wet. When we used to haul almost every day we fed a mixed alfalfa / Timothy cube from Canada that was very soft and broke up easily. We fed these dry with great results. Both are preferred over alfalfa pellets if you have a choice. Pellets do have real value with Bermuda if you can't get cubes or have time to soak them. In that case they provide energy and will also slow the hind gut to allow a little more time for better digestion of the Bermuda. |
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Alfalfa Cubes vs Alfalfa Pellets?