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Regular
Posts: 60
| I have been feeding purina healthy edge for a few years and loved it but this year with all the rain pasture isn't coming in good more weeds then anything and hay is hard to come by. My horses just don't look good this year. What is the best thing to help out with the lack of hay and pasture? I am thinking of switching to a more complete feed and adding something. I have been researching and there is just so much conflicting information. I am searching for decent bales of hay but no promises as to what will be found. In my area we have triple crown feed, nutrena, purina, adm, and Seminole feed. I don't mind "mixing" my own feed if it is what's best for them.
Also, as far as pasture goes what is the best thing to spray on them this far in the game the weeds are pretty established and there is also briars. They would be more established by the time it's dry enough to spray anything on them.
Edited by Almostafarm 2014-04-29 11:25 PM
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Good Ole Boys just Fine with Me
Posts: 2869
  
Location: SE Missouri | Almostafarm - 2014-04-29 10:58 PM
I have been feeding purina healthy edge for a few years and loved it but this year with all the rain pasture isn't coming in good more weeds then anything and hay is hard to come by. My horses just don't look good this year. What is the best thing to help out with the lack of hay and pasture? I am thinking of switching to a more complete feed and adding something. I have been researching and there is just so much conflicting information. I am searching for decent bales of hay but no promises as to what will be found. In my area we have triple crown feed, nutrena, purina, adm, and Seminole feed. I don't mind "mixing" my own feed if it is what's best for them.
Also, as far as pasture goes what is the best thing to spray on them this far in the game the weeds are pretty established and there is also briars. They would be more established by the time it's dry enough to spray anything on them.
Is this a dry lot or pasture? Clover or just grasses? We use pasture pro in dry lots and pastures that we aren't worried about killing clover.. Are you overgrazing an that's why the grass isn't keeping up? Maybe time to fertilize and reseed. We use a hybrid rye grass for winter grazing and then have orchard grass, red clover, Timothy, and some native Bermuda for summer grazing. Plus hoping to put in 5-10acres of Bermuda in another spot. |
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Regular
Posts: 60
| No it's not being overgrazed it keeps being flooded with all the rain we are having :( |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | I would spray your pasture call the county extension agent for help. As far as feed, if you can't find hay look into beet pulp and alfalfa cubes to help replace at least some of what is missing. I've looked into the complete feeds and while I think they are pretty good I also think they are very expensive. But, you know what your hay is going to cost you so pencil it out and see which is the best way to go. |
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Mrs. Txdad
Posts: 14084
Location: the fantasy txdad married | Just curious, where do you live that 'hay is hard to come by'? |
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 Ms. Poutability
Posts: 2362
Location: In my own world | Mowing weeds before they go to seed will also help them from spreading if it's too wet to spray. Be careful if you switch feeds. I have read on here tons that Purina is crap so I switched to Progressive. Suppose to be fixed formula and all the good stuff. My old mare now looks like crap. Lost a ton of weight. Went to the vet and he said progressive does not have enough fiber in it for my mare. Now she is old and my young horses seem to do fine on the progressive but they were also doing fine on the purina. So I'm switching back because of the fiber. I fed the healthy edge |
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Regular
Posts: 60
| 1left2right - 2014-04-30 11:14 AM
Just curious, where do you live that 'hay is hard to come by'?
I live in South GA. Last year we had a lot of rain so hay cutting schedule didn't go good. I have been calling around for hay and am told it will be June before more is available. One suppliers hay barn was flooded with the rain earlier in the month. |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Any senior feed is good but triple crown SR is 10 fat so I like it best. you can also add soaked beet pulp .. Triple Crown or ADM is best imho |
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 Toy Story Fanatic
Posts: 4148
Location: Oregon | I am in Oregon....rain happens here about 2/3 of the year. LOL! It was much better when we could do a controlled burn on hayfields here in controlling weeds and insects. However now we can't. So, every spring and sometimes fall..depending on how the dandelions/queen anns lace and briars are setting up. Along with a few unknowns but they are broadleaf. Go get Crossbow-spray when you are going to have a dry stretch. I usually wait a couple days for everything to dry out then hope for at least 2 days after to get a good kill. Doesn't matter if they are established. My neighbors field was BAD. I hit it wih crossbow-3 oz to a gallon of water after I hayed it. Pretty much wiped them out. Crossbow will not harm the grass but will kill all broadleaf weeds. This spring I only used 2 oz per gallon of water. I have a good handle on them so no need to up it. |
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 Damn Yankee
Posts: 12390
Location: Somewhere between raising hell and Amazing Grace | South Georgia sucks for pasture even when it's not raining all the time. The soil just isn't great for growing anything, and yes I get that hay can be very very hard to find....spent quite a bit of time in GA.
There really is no replacement for a good forage....you can try different grains but hay is such a vital ingredient to a good diet.
Have you thought about substituting some standlee hay products instead?
Even with the great hay I can now get out here in MO I still use standlee alfalfa pellets for my good horse. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | It sounds like you need to replace or add to the forage. so I would be less concerned about switching feeds and more concerned about either finding some decent hay or like others have said would add in some alfalfa cubes or pellets to get that extra good forage in them. You can usually get that at your local TSC so that should be an easy option. Not cheap but easy to get your hands on. |
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