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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 685
  
Location: Arkansas | Why don't you like them?? I don't mean to steal the other feed threads going on, but why is everyone so anti-purina? I've noticed this ever since I got my membership on this site and was very curious to hear why. Ive been feeding Omolene 200 for about 4 years and never had any issues; so please explain this to me! I am by no means a feed guru and would love to learn a little more about it if yall care to share! Thanks! |
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 Regular
Posts: 60
Location: Oklahoma | I am equally as curious!!! I have always had strategy recomended to me and people I know who feed it, their horses look perform great! |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
 
Location: Kansas | I can get my grain custom mixed 500 lbs at a time from our local CO-OP for less than $10 per 50 lb bag, while Purina feeds around here cost closer to $20 a bag. I don't really have anything against Purina feeds, but it's not financially smart for me to drive farther to buy their products at a higher price than the CO-OP 5 miles from home. |
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Regular
Posts: 60
Location: Oklahoma | rodeowithjoker - 2014-02-27 10:21 PM I can get my grain custom mixed 500 lbs at a time from our local CO-OP for less than $10 per 50 lb bag, while Purina feeds around here cost closer to $20 a bag. I don't really have anything against Purina feeds, but it's not financially smart for me to drive farther to buy their products at a higher price than the CO-OP 5 miles from home.
This is why we dont feed Purina. We work closely with out CO-OP here and get a mix of feed that has similar health benefits and is a lot cheaper. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 685
Location: Arkansas | henderson78 - 2014-02-27 10:23 PM rodeowithjoker - 2014-02-27 10:21 PM I can get my grain custom mixed 500 lbs at a time from our local CO-OP for less than $10 per 50 lb bag, while Purina feeds around here cost closer to $20 a bag. I don't really have anything against Purina feeds, but it's not financially smart for me to drive farther to buy their products at a higher price than the CO-OP 5 miles from home. This is why we dont feed Purina. We work closely with out CO-OP here and get a mix of feed that has similar health benefits and is a lot cheaper.
Purina, that is....
Edited by Brrlracengirl 2014-02-27 10:40 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 448
Location: lone star state | http://caselaw.findlaw.com/tx-court-of-appeals/1322271.html |
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 Expert
Posts: 5293
| I feed the ultium with a lot of success! |
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 Super PIckle
Location: Where ever | There are dislikes of every feed out there! If you want to feed it then do. All I can get out here an haven't had any problems. Runs about 16.00 a bag! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1430
Location: Montana | I accidentally did a "feed trial" when Strategy came out.
The story they were putting out then was that this was going to be their really premium feed and it was the best anyone could have.
First we were raising/weaning and wintering 6-8 foals a year then by the same stud - My Indian Money, the one pictured beside here. That's significant because we were used to feeding his colts and he's 16.1 and was a racehorse. His foals are growthy and fairly fast maturing. They are heavy boned and have a lot of muscle. Like any growthy colts they are prone to physitis if they aren't fed right so we watch them carefully.
We were feeding Woody's Complete C then - and that's good foal feed. However, it can be very difficult to keep a steady supply on hand. We ran out and our order was delayed and delayed. So we tried Strategy. In just two weeks, those colts fell apart. They got pot bellied, lost muscle over the topline and even down their butts/back legs, and worst, they got bumpy/square looking ankles (from physitis).
Would everyone look at this colts and notice a difference? Most people would but not everyone. We watch them closely. But if you knew what you were looking at, the difference was horrifying. I think my husband drove to Dickinson to the Woody's plant and made them cough some up . . . .
Now growing colts, especially fast growing colts, will tell you way more about the inside of your feed bag than adult horses will. They cope better and can look good on a lower quality feed. We have fed some half cowhorse foals the last couple of winters and I am amazed at how they don't show the results of dips in feed (weaning etc) remotely like a straight racebred will. So when someone tells me they feed Purina and their colts look great . . . I ask about their breeding. Sure enough, they will be cowbreds.
We feed Progressive now. It's similar to Woody's and still difficult to get but it's always available 80 miles from us. Either is good feed. That's been our experience.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
| I have fed it with no problems. I feel good hay and pasture and good clean water also contirbute as much if not more than just the grain alone, along with exercise and deworming.
The mare I have now I got 6 months ago and she was on Omolene 200 when I got her and is still on it now with me. But she is getting a a decent quality alfalfa hay vs the grass hay she was getting with the previous owner....Amazing the difference in her muscle tone and top line...I wish I had before and after pictures!
But I could see how someone could have blamed the omolene 200 for how she looked before I got her or how it 'could have done wonders' for her after I had her... Where I feel it was the pasture and the alfalfa hay and the 4-way supplement I give her that made a big difference in her looks and energy level and just overall attitude.
To each their own!
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 Ms. Poutability
Posts: 2362
Location: In my own world | I feed Purina products to my horses. Here is what I have learned as to why people don't like it:
Moslty because it is not a fixed formulan (Please note some of their feeds are fixed), meaning they can and may change the ingredients of some of their feeds to keep the cost down. One might have more Soybean meal next batch may have more wheat mids. Now the issue with that for some is that they feel it should be consistent from bag to bag and the company only does this to make $$. Some people feel the ingredients in general used, wheat mids, or any byproduct of an ingredient is junk. Some think Purina started mad cow disease by using byproduct meal from animals, like bone meal. I do not know if any of the above is true, I am no expert on by products and whether or not they do a horses gut good or bad. Byproducts in general are not fillers, its what is left after a process has been performed on a grain, that doesn't mean it is GASP bad, but like I said, I do not know whether or not is has a nutritional benefit to the horse.
With all that being said and after doing some digging I have found this:
Purina Ultium Growth and Ultium Compete are FIXED Formuals. Fixed formulas list the ingredients right on the bag, the others have a tag sewn on the bag so they only have to print new tags not new bags when ingredients are changed. I have 2 vets that have recommended and feed Purina. I feed Strategy Healthy Edge, I do not like plain Strategy, I had lots of bags moldy. I do not feed anyting that is textured or has mollasses. One of mine is old and cant' eat textured and my yearling went bonkers on the textured. My vet said get her off the sugar high. I feed the 2 ultium products also.
I will put my flame suit on now. I personally think Purina is a decent feed. I have been feeding it for 4 yrs now, never a colic problem. I think some like to bash it because they don't feed it and theirs is of course better, had a bad experience with it, and its the cool thing to do on here. Companies can try to change for the better, I don't think they purposely make crap feed to watch horse owners have problems!! I however and always open to finding a better feed and research the others listed on here. I have tried some with no change in appaerance and some are just not available in my area |
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12708
| I used to feed Omolene 200. I loved it, the horses loved it, and it used to be somewhat affordable compared to other similar feeds. Then I couldn't get it anywhere within a reasonable drive. So I went with TC. Used several products in that line until it went to over $22 per bag. Got disgusted with the $$$'s I was spending and the horses still not looking really good.
Last year I did the math on both nutrition and $$'s and swapped out bagged feed for top quality alfalfa. NOW my guys look good. And my pocketbook is healthier too! |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | I'm not buying the Purina and race bred theory, sorry. I don't feed it to my race bred babies, but I did feed Ultium growth to my 16 hand long yearling...until he was a 16.3 hand 2yr old and he was FANTASTIC. He was on an Omelene when I got him (but not a fan of any of the Omelenes. He was getting 2yr old grass hay free choice besides. I fed this because of the leading AQHA breeders that raise and show 17.2 hand hunter under saddle horses as 2 yr olds at Congress. 99.9% of them feed Ultium Growth when I asked around what was a good feed for a fast growing colt. Mine has very little TB, sire is out of a TB and dam's sire is out of a TB, but most of these hunter under saddle prospects are by stallions that are 1/2 TB and the dams are TB.
So while I don't feed everything on the place Purina, I will stick with the Ultium for this guy at least for now. As he matures and gets older I may change. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 685
Location: Arkansas | Thanks for the replies!! I just feel like purina is always doing research and trying to make their products better... they have a farm dedicated to just that! I would like to switch to a different feed to reduce his molasses intake. He seems to get a little hot at times and then not have the endurance to finish a run or handle a long haul then perform. I've never fed a pelleted feed (scared of colic) but wouldn't mind giving it a try!! How much does the ultium run per bag? |
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Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Brrlracengirl - 2014-02-28 1:31 PM Thanks for the replies!! I just feel like purina is always doing research and trying to make their products better... they have a farm dedicated to just that! I would like to switch to a different feed to reduce his molasses intake. He seems to get a little hot at times and then not have the endurance to finish a run or handle a long haul then perform. I've never fed a pelleted feed (scared of colic) but wouldn't mind giving it a try!! How much does the ultium run per bag?
Here in WY it is $25-$28 a bag  . During the show season I feed him what the bag says (partly because he is on older home raised grass hay) but during the winter I just feed about 1/2 what it says and he still looks fat and sassy.
Sign up for their coupons, they are a lifesaver |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 685
Location: Arkansas | wyoming barrel racer - 2014-02-28 2:44 PM Brrlracengirl - 2014-02-28 1:31 PM Thanks for the replies!! I just feel like purina is always doing research and trying to make their products better... they have a farm dedicated to just that! I would like to switch to a different feed to reduce his molasses intake. He seems to get a little hot at times and then not have the endurance to finish a run or handle a long haul then perform. I've never fed a pelleted feed (scared of colic) but wouldn't mind giving it a try!! How much does the ultium run per bag? Here in WY it is $25-$28 a bag . During the show season I feed him what the bag says (partly because he is on older home raised grass hay) but during the winter I just feed about 1/2 what it says and he still looks fat and sassy.
Sign up for their coupons, they are a lifesaver
Thanks! Ill have to look that up! Id like to try something different just to see if he will do better on it... |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | I have fed Omelene 200, Strategy GX, Ultium Complete, and Equine Senior in the past. While I was not a fan of the first two, I did like the Ultium a LOT. The senior is okay.
I don't think Purina is "junk". I do like Triple Crown products better myself. I am a fan of a beet pulp base. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 685
Location: Arkansas | barrelracr131 - 2014-02-28 2:54 PM I have fed Omelene 200, Strategy GX, Ultium Complete, and Equine Senior in the past. While I was not a fan of the first two, I did like the Ultium a LOT. The senior is okay. I don't think Purina is "junk". I do like Triple Crown products better myself. I am a fan of a beet pulp base. Im seriously thinking of switching to the Ultium. Do you really need to feed 9 lbs. of the Ultium a day?? thats what's recommended for my 1200 lb horse, but in the breakdown of the feed, it talks about how the feed is so nutrient dense that you can feed much less... um, i feed 6 lbs a day now lol
Edited to say...
well I just looked at the recommended amount on the website for omolene and its about the same as the Ultium.... but when the purina reps came to the house, they told us to feed 6 lbs... hmmmm.....
Edited by Brrlracengirl 2014-02-28 3:08 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | We've fed the Omolene and the Ultium. They both seem to be solid feeds. I tend to only feed about half of the recommendation on the bag though because ours get very good quality grass hay and alfalfa. My husband feeds his primarily horseman's edge. All of our horses are healthy and happy. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | I fed about 6-7 lb a day plus hay to my 1300 lb guy eta of ultium
Edited by barrelracr131 2014-02-28 3:27 PM
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