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Veteran
Posts: 233
 
| Would I be totally crazy for having feed custom milled? Cheap horse feed has too much sugar for my liking, and low nsc feed seems too spendy for what it is. . . . my feed guy says if I get an ingredient list and a analysis I want to hit the feed mill will do a special run as long as I do somewhere between 1-3 tons, most of the time.
For those of you who buy a lot of feed at a time, how do you store it? Bags on a pallet would be nice, but I would be a little worried about them staying fresh for 4-6 months. What about 55 gallon drums? |
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 I Want a "MAN"
Posts: 3610
  
Location: MD | We do a mix of black oil sunflower seeds, oats and alfalfa pellets. We get a ton made at a time usually lasts us about a month. We feed 2 scoops twice a day. We store it on a pallet in those white bags they come in. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
| I have mine custom mixed in 1500 lb batches. Lasts around 3 weeks. I store mine in chest type deep freezers that I have taken the insulation out of the top. I keep the top slightly propped in the summer during the day to make sure no heat builds up. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2258
| I use to have mine custom mixed but the local mill closed years ago. Last year I bought a barrel mixer and can mix 100 lbs at a time so I just buy my ingredients and mix my own. I feed a fair amount but doesn't take long to make a batch or two. This way I know exactly what I am using and can adjust for different horses if needed. I love it |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| Ok so I'm going to add my OP for whatever its worth. I worked in a feed mill for 3 years that makes store feed and custom feed. I also had a mix made there for a while because like you, I couldn't find what I wanted in a commercial feed that didn't cost $20/bag.
From my experience having a custom feed done this is the issues both I (and customers) ran into: 1. Feed not ready on time- you run out even when you call ahead. 2. The feed is NEVER 100% accurate. They will NEVER get it right on the money. They can't. Its not possible. 3. If the feed store is out of a particular mineral that goes in your feed, they will make it ANYWAYS. 4. 9/10 times any custom mix you are going to come up with is going to be high in starch because its grains, not processed.
Some of the above sounds crappy and scary but it really is the reality. I'm not sayign people who have their feed made are making bad choices, I'm just saying those are the risks you take. Some have amazing mills that really take care of them, but I would put my next paycheck on the fact that if they were out of ______ mineral when your feed order came up, they are making it and selling it to you.
Aaaallllll of this being said, these are what I switched to: I feed a plain 14/8 pellet made by Nutrena for my feed store. When Nutrena contacted my (boss at the time), he ask me, as a horse person what is the most important thing I want in this pellet while keeping cost in mind. I said just balance the phos/cal and give me high fat and moderate protein. Thats exactly what this pellet is. No minerals added to it. I think they put vit A & D in it though. I have to supplement a vitamin/ mineral with this feed if I want them to be getting a truly "complete" feed.
I wish I could afford the fancy feed. I love Blue Bonnet personally. I tried RG, I had to feed 3lbs per day to keep my mare looking decent (my hay and alfalfa is award-winning). Not saying its bad, just didn't work for me at $1.00+/ lb. I have tried various others but for the cost I have right now, and the results? Nope. I'm good. I will say that my weanling (coming yearling) that was orphaned at a month old is still on Blue Bonnet Intensify Growth and I don't have plans to take him off of it soon. I think my feed program is great for a horse 3 and up (one done doing the massive growing and bone development).
Here's my breakdown if anyone cares:
50lb bag of feed is $10. They get about 6lbs per day ( 1 scoop 2x day) so 1.2/day per horse
Manna Pro Show Glo is $10 per horse per month, so .33/day per horse
Free choice teff round bale cost me $80 each (1.5 bales/ month) so .80/day per horse
Riding horses get a flake of alfalfa about once a day (usually on the days I ride) so about .34/day per horse
I spend ~$2.70 per horse per day feed & hay included and I know they are getting everything they could possibly ever need. It's not fancy, and the pellets aren't high fiber or low starch, but they don't get much of it and the cost is amazing. If I buy 40 bags at a time, its $9.00/ bag.
As for staying fresh, if you can, get an old chest freezer that doesnt work anymore. I wouldn't keep bags out for fear of mice. At my place anyways lol.
I added pictures of my horses to show what the above feeding looks like. Just my 2 cents. Bay is almost 3, sorrel with big stocking is same age, darker sorrel is 9 and the pal is the one on blue bonnet. He's 9 months in that picture.
Edited to fix terrible grammar
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I would worry about spoilage in that time frame depending on what you wanted in it. The only places I’ve been where custom milling was worth it were boarding barns where they went through a high volume of feed. We did get “semi-custom” milled feed for a while when we just had a couple - the local mill did a basic run of oats, corn, alfalfa pellet, and a touch of molasses for dust at the beginning of each month. Since so many people fed it they could make a big batch.
If you have friends or neighbors who might also be interested in a custom run, could you spilt the run with them so you were only keeping 2 months tops on hand?
For what it’s worth, we feed Purina Ultium for its caloric density and low NSC. They have free choice grass hay and get a flake or 2 of alfalfa when in work and we supplement with regular Platinum. Rough math for 4 head comes out to about $1.60-$1.70/day for the Ultium. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | If you live in a high humid area I would worry about the humility spoiling your feed over that time of 4 to 6 months, thats a long time for feed to be sitting. If you do this I would have this feed stored in a climate controlled room..
Edit for spelling..
Edited by Southtxponygirl 2018-02-17 8:44 AM
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 Saint Stacey
| Better find out of the mill does medicated cattle feed. If they do, you’d better run away. Most smaller, local mills have monesin pellets to use in cattle feed. The equipment is contaminated and not safe for horses. |
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| SKM - 2018-02-17 8:47 AM
Better find out of the mill does medicated cattle feed. If they do, you’d better run away. Most smaller, local mills have monesin pellets to use in cattle feed. The equipment is contaminated and not safe for horses.
This. I fed a custom blend for a year or so, the price was sure right and the quality was good, but they accidentally gave me a load (1000 lbs or so??) of medicated feed. Looked the exact same as what I was feeding; not sure how it happened. Thankfully, they realized it a couple hours after they dropped it off, before I had fed any. I know the guys that work there, they are conscientious and try hard to please. Honest mistake, but I can’t take that risk.
Edited by jenagarwood 2018-02-17 2:52 PM
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Expert
Posts: 2122
Location: The Great Northwest | I suggest replacing with Hemp seed oil and meal. You would supply the diet with a essential fatty acids and all 10 essential amino acids. I sell Hemp products. |
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