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 Georgia Peach
Posts: 8338
    
Location: Georgia |
What is important when feeding a 3 year old that is still growing? I've had mine on a 12% protein, 10% fat, and 18% fiber pelleted feed. I'm going to switch her to a 14% protein to hopefully give her a much needed boost. One question I have is how important is fiber and fat in their diet? I've essentially narrowed it down to two different feed choices. One has 6.5% fiber with 10% fat and the other has 15% fiber with 6% fat. Which is better? I'll add the links.
Feed Choice #1: https://www.southernstates.com/catalog/p-4727-southern-states-solution-p-50-lb.aspx
Feed Choice #2: https://www.southernstates.com/catalog/p-7565-triple-crown-14-performance-textured-horse-feed-50lb.aspx I also give this filly a supplement by SmartPak: https://www.smartpakequine.com/ps/smartvite-thrive-pellets-11446 |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas |
What matters most is what hay and how much you are feeding. Also, how much grain you will be feeding. It is important to evaluate Total diet, not just feed to feed. Protein, fat, and fiber are not all that descriptive. The ingredients that get you to those numbers along with their intended use in the entire ration. For example 10 lbs of a high forage feed with 3% fat will give you a slightly higher fat amount in the entire diet, than 3/4lb of 18% fat rice bran. Again you need to consider ingredients and what you want to feed. A bag of feed with identical base numbers can be very different and give drastically different results, based on quality, digestibility, etc.
Generally, a high fat, low fiber feed should be fed in much smaller amounts than a lower fat, higher fiber feed. I prefer higher fiber and lower fat. I am not a fan of high fat feeds myself. I always look at ingredients and it doesnt seem to list them. |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | you could get away with a 14/6 and if you felt like you needed more fat top dress with a fat supplement or oil.
I would be feeding a 14% protein feed to a 3YO. I'm in the process of switching feeds too I think.. I'm just feeding a ton of feed to get the results I want and I never had this problem before. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| Protein is the nutrient that is necessary for growth an muscle development. Fat is necessary for endurance. If you are riding in these long trail rides like 100 mile in one day, I would make sure that the horse is getting enough fat. Fiber is an energy source used for everyday maintenance metabolism and it helps to move food through the intestines. Fiber is a necessity for this reason. |
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Georgia Peach
Posts: 8338
Location: Georgia | Tdove - 2017-03-07 12:03 PM What matters most is what hay and how much you are feeding. Also, how much grain you will be feeding. It is important to evaluate Total diet, not just feed to feed. Protein, fat, and fiber are not all that descriptive. The ingredients that get you to those numbers along with their intended use in the entire ration. For example 10 lbs of a high forage feed with 3% fat will give you a slightly higher fat amount in the entire diet, than 3/4lb of 18% fat rice bran. Again you need to consider ingredients and what you want to feed. A bag of feed with identical base numbers can be very different and give drastically different results, based on quality, digestibility, etc.
Generally, a high fat, low fiber feed should be fed in much smaller amounts than a lower fat, higher fiber feed. I prefer higher fiber and lower fat. I am not a fan of high fat feeds myself. I always look at ingredients and it doesnt seem to list them.
Thank you for this. I am having such a hard time getting this filly to grow. She is put together nicely and looks very healthy. I know the growth potential is there, so I constantly question her feed regimen. I was feeding her alot of grain at one point and she got heavy so I had to back her off. Thats when I added the supplement. I suppose I should have switched her feed then to one with a lower fat content. Maybe thats the direction I should go, like you were saying. I think I'm at the point now where I could bump her grain intake back up because I am riding her 3-4 times a week. She weighs about 850 lbs. How muich grain should she be getting daily? She gets fed twice a day and is on free choice bermuda hay.
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Georgia Peach
Posts: 8338
Location: Georgia | streakysox - 2017-03-07 12:15 PM Protein is the nutrient that is necessary for growth an muscle development. Fat is necessary for endurance. If you are riding in these long trail rides like 100 mile in one day, I would make sure that the horse is getting enough fat. Fiber is an energy source used for everyday maintenance metabolism and it helps to move food through the intestines. Fiber is a necessity for this reason.
Thank you for this breakdown. So if I were to cut her fiber in half, what will that do to her digestion? Should I be concerned about possible colic? Obviously it would be a gradual change, not all at once.
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Georgia Peach
Posts: 8338
Location: Georgia | casualdust07 - 2017-03-07 12:04 PM you could get away with a 14/6 and if you felt like you needed more fat top dress with a fat supplement or oil. I would be feeding a 14% protein feed to a 3YO. I'm in the process of switching feeds too I think.. I'm just feeding a ton of feed to get the results I want and I never had this problem before.
See, everyone I talk to with youngsters have to pour grain to them. I dont have that issue because mine stays on the heavier side (because she only grows out) so I feel like she may be missing out on important nutrients that she actually needs to grow tall. She always hits a growth spurt around April so I'm hoping if I switch her feed now she will have a BIG one this year lol. Now that I'm working I think I can bump up her feed without having to worry about her getting heavy again.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | On free choice Bermuda, I would go with at least a 14% protein feed. Growth is based on genetics and nutrition. You cannot feed a horse to grow more or faster than they genetically will. Personally, I like an alfalfa based product to compliment Bermuda, but they can be hard to find as soy is generally more widespread in its inclusion. There are a lot of opinions and preferences on the question you are asking. Since I have designed a complete ration feed, it is clear what my preference and opinion is. Many people disagree with me on the fat issue because high fat feeding is all the rage now. I think 2.5-4% fat (total diet) is all that one ever needs, and even then, I am very particular about types of fat, as I am a firm believer in high Omega 3 ratios.
Youngsters getting higher grain to me means yearlings only. I feed the same thing to every horse from weaning to geriatric. The only difference is I double the oats to yearlings, giving them at total of 30% oats in their total ration. For two year olds and above I feed 15% oats.
Edited by Tdove 2017-03-07 11:39 AM
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Georgia Peach
Posts: 8338
Location: Georgia | Tdove - 2017-03-07 12:28 PM On free choice Bermuda, I would go with at least a 14% protein feed. Growth is based on genetics and nutrition. You cannot feed a horse to grow more or faster than they genetically will. Personally, I like an alfalfa based product to compliment Bermuda, but they can be hard to find as soy is generally more widespread in its inclusion. There are a lot of opinions and preferences on the question you are asking. Since I have designed a complete ration feed, it is clear what my preference and opinion is. Many people disagree with me on the fat issue because high fat feeding is all the rage now. I think 2.5-4% fat all that one ever needs and even then I am very particular about types of fat, as I am a firm believer in high Omega 3 ratios. Youngsters getting higher grain to me means yearlings only. I feed the same thing to every horse from weaning to geriatric. The only difference is I double the oats to yearlings, giving them at total of 30% oats in their total ration. For two year olds and above I feed 15% oats.
Thank you Tdove! You have been very helpful!
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Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| Runninbay - 2017-03-07 11:22 AM
streakysox - 2017-03-07 12:15 PM Protein is the nutrient that is necessary for growth an muscle development. Fat is necessary for endurance. If you are riding in these long trail rides like 100 mile in one day, I would make sure that the horse is getting enough fat. Fiber is an energy source used for everyday maintenance metabolism and it helps to move food through the intestines. Fiber is a necessity for this reason.
Thank you for this breakdown. So if I were to cut her fiber in half, what will that do to her digestion? Should I be concerned about possible colic? Obviously it would be a gradual change, not all at once.
Not all fiber is created equal. Here is a nice article about fiber that is easy to read and understand.
Gotta love THE HORSE MAGAZINE
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/10561/fiber-facts |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 639
Location: God's country...aka TEXAS | I feed my 3 yr old 3/4 lbs of renew gold, grass and alfalfa hay twice a day. He is a big guy too- about 16 hands already. This keeps him filled out and looking good. The renew gold has 15% protein and 15% fat. Good quality hay is also very important. |
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You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | Runninbay - 2017-03-07 11:27 AM
casualdust07 - 2017-03-07 12:04 PM you could get away with a 14/6 and if you felt like you needed more fat top dress with a fat supplement or oil. I would be feeding a 14% protein feed to a 3YO. I'm in the process of switching feeds too I think.. I'm just feeding a ton of feed to get the results I want and I never had this problem before.
See, everyone I talk to with youngsters have to pour grain to them. I dont have that issue because mine stays on the heavier side (because she only grows out) so I feel like she may be missing out on important nutrients that she actually needs to grow tall. She always hits a growth spurt around April so I'm hoping if I switch her feed now she will have a BIG one this year lol. Now that I'm working I think I can bump up her feed without having to worry about her getting heavy again.
We're having trouble with all our age grouped horses... Everything from our babies to older ones has needed a big increase in feed to maintain. I know its winter and theres no grass but in years past we never had to do this.
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | generally all of our horses get the same oats, flax and woodys summer heat, however, when I've had a youngster around I like to switch out a pound of summer heat for a pound of woodys futurity blend and then throw them a flake of alfalfa. Not a big switch because i only feed about 3 pounds of grain a day but it seems the added protein really shapes them up nicely. (we always have pretty nice hay and or pasture) |
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 Expert
Posts: 1611
Location: bring on the heat, NV | I wouldnt sweat the small stuff to much Runninbay. If she is healthy and maintaining well she is probably in a good place. You cant change genetics to much just support her like you are. My 3 yo is 14.2 at the withers and 15 at the hip and weighs 1030lbs. He breathes air and gets fat. He gets good grass alfafla mix and max .5 lb of whole oats with THE performance when he is not growing THE muscle mass when in a growth spurt. Free choice salt plenty of turn out etc. I do need to treat him for ulcers. He is just a bit accident prone ugh and one to many follow up antibiotics. Side note: the book Beyond the Hay Days by Rex Ewing has great info and is great reading. has formulas to calculate total protein etc in diets. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: Georgia | My open horse is blooming on practically nothing, 1 lb renew gold, free choice grass hay (which they barely touch thanks to alfalfa), and 1 flake alfalfa, free choice loose mineral. My 3yo was just not looking good on that so I started giving her 1lb RG twice a day and right now im adding 2lb of Purina Ultium Growth twice a day, plus the same hay. In a week she already looks way better. Once she gets bulked up ill prob drop to 1lb Growth and 1lb RG twice a day. |
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Feeding a 3 year old...what is important?