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 Veteran
Posts: 209
| Alright, I recently moved my horse to a new boarding facility because I got a new job. I need some help with feed suggestions. My problem is at the old facility she was getting straight alfalfa, extremely high quality morning and night and during the day was turned out with a grass round bale. For grain she was getting about 3lbs morning and night of a special mix which was cracked corn, oats, minerals and little bit of a pelleted feed. Where she is at now she is on grass hay that has a little alfalfa but probably not more then 30% and is on straight oats for feed. I know that grass hay is predominately a filler and no nutritional value and that they get that from alfalfa so what should I be adding to her feed to make up for that?
Just a side note, in my area I have access to mills that will make a special mix, and access to most brands of feeds. | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
 
Location: West Texas | Is it a grass hay/alfalfa mix or are they giving alfalfa and grass separately? If a mix, what kind of grass is in the mix?
If the hay is good quality and they are being fed enough of it, I would doubt you need to add anything. If you wanted, you might put in a mineral block in her pen. | |
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Veteran
Posts: 209
| Tdove - 2015-09-22 11:27 AM
Is it a grass hay/alfalfa mix or are they giving alfalfa and grass separately? If a mix, what kind of grass is in the mix?
If the hay is good quality and they are being fed enough of it, I would doubt you need to add anything. If you wanted, you might put in a mineral block in her pen.
Its a mix hay, the actual type of grass is a good question. I am not as well versed on that and cannot tell exactly from looking at the hay. It is coming from northern Midwest if that helps. She does have a mineral block currently :) I am just concerned that she may be missing something in her diet due to lack of alfalfa or she may drop weight. She has been there about a month now and has dropped some weight but she needed to, she was a bit chunky before LOL. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | I have had great experience with meadow brome/alfalfa mix. The brome grown with the alfalfa makes some of the strongest grass you can get. I've personally seen it outperform straight alfalfa on broodmares.
If she continues to lose weight, I would makes sure I knew exactly how much she was getting fed. All the quality or type of feed can never make up for quantity. The opposite is also true, all the quantity cant make up for poor quality. You have to have both.
Nutritionally, she is getting what she needs. If they are not giving her enough, calorically, I would ask them to feed more hay. If they wont or you want to add something. Alfalfa cubes or pellets would be my recommendation. They are easy to add and compliment what she is already being fed. Or, you might want to add a high fat feed at about 2 lbs a day (several to choose from). You really have a lot of choices, depending on availability and personal preference. I would stay away from traditional concentrate (she really doesn't need that) and weight builders (they do very little because of low feeding rates).
Edited by Tdove 2015-09-22 11:44 AM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 617
Location: London Ontario | If you want more alfalfa you can always get the cubes or pellets to supplement what she is already getting. I have my 3 yr old on CocoSoya Oil, a pro biotic powder, Tribute Kalm N Ez, two flakes of second cut at night and free choice second cut during the day. | |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
 
| Lyric203 - 2015-09-22 11:14 AM
Alright, I recently moved my horse to a new boarding facility because I got a new job. I need some help with feed suggestions. My problem is at the old facility she was getting straight alfalfa, extremely high quality morning and night and during the day was turned out with a grass round bale. For grain she was getting about 3lbs morning and night of a special mix which was cracked corn, oats, minerals and little bit of a pelleted feed. Where she is at now she is on grass hay that has a little alfalfa but probably not more then 30% and is on straight oats for feed. I know that grass hay is predominately a filler and no nutritional value and that they get that from alfalfa so what should I be adding to her feed to make up for that?
Just a side note, in my area I have access to mills that will make a special mix, and access to most brands of feeds.
Grass hay isn't necessarily a "filler"
My horses are on Timothy/brome/orchard grass, and the protein content is 12%.
My square bales I buy are Timothy, and other grasses the protein content is 8%, I had my colts on this plus whole oats all winter! they actually ate less! wasted less! and were chubby coming out of winter.
The guy I buy my squares from had strictly orchard grass test at 18% protein.
Before jumping to any conclusions, I would ask what it is testing at, and looking at the body condition of the horses at the stable. If the body conditions are good, I wouldn't worry | |
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