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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 599
 
| What are the differences in feeding alfalfa pellets vs cubes? I've always soaked - is it NECESSARY to soak? |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
 
| Cubes can be substituted for forage. Some cubes such as Omni cubes are NOT supposed to be soaked as they also have whole flaxseed in them. I don't soak the Mustang Sally cubes, but I do the Standlee cubes because they are a harder cube. My sister doesn't soak hers. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 599
| My horse is currently on alfalfa and Timothy pellets. I was wondering if it would matter or make any difference if I switched the alfalfa to cubes? |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| I really don't know. I am really paranoid about colic so when I switched mine over I did it as if I was switching feeds. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | I feed Standlee cubes and do not soak. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
Location: MN | BamaCanChaser - 2017-02-09 3:39 PM I feed Standlee cubes and do not soak.
Are they softer? Or do you go through and break them up a bit? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1165
Location: California | I feed alfalfa pellets and never soak. I use the Bryant pellets, they are a softer and smaller pellet. I fed cubes for a while but they are more expensive and the set up I have now I can't just separate horses as easily. So I pull out the ones that get "grain" and put them back when they are done. They are less bulky so easier to store as well. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | I use the Wyoming Cubes in the white bag. I do not soak. My mare loves them.
I've always heard pellets don't have as much hay in them as the regular cubes. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas | From my understanding... Pellets are not considered "long stem" so are used in smaller quantities like a feed and NOT used as a full hay replacement. Cubes ARE considered "long stem", similar to hay, and CAN be used as hay replacement pound for pound. I would LOVE to use alfalfa cubes, but I can't get my one horse to eat them unless I hand feed them to him like a treat. :(
Edited by TBone 2017-02-09 4:23 PM
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 Texas Taco
Posts: 7499
Location: Bandera, TX | TBone - 2017-02-09 4:22 PM From my understanding... Pellets are not considered "long stem" so are used in smaller quantities like a feed and NOT used as a full hay replacement. Cubes ARE considered "long stem", similar to hay, and CAN be used as hay replacement pound for pound. I would LOVE to use alfalfa cubes, but I can't get my one horse to eat them unless I hand feed them to him like a treat. :(
This...
however mine love them and I do feed them as their main ration. I love Hay Rite cubes and do not soak them. |
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Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | Kay-DRacing. - 2017-02-09 3:44 PM
BamaCanChaser - 2017-02-09 3:39 PM I feed Standlee cubes and do not soak.
Are they softer? Or do you go through and break them up a bit?
They are soft. The horses and even my pony have no problem breaking them up themselves. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 795
Location: GODS country | If I do not have access to excellent quality alfalfa hay I will feed soaked alfalfa cubes to mine.
Summer time since they are on pasture 24/7 I don't feed alfalfa, but will "grain" with alfalfa pellets with their Renew Gold. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
Location: MN | BamaCanChaser - 2017-02-10 9:16 AM Kay-DRacing. - 2017-02-09 3:44 PM BamaCanChaser - 2017-02-09 3:39 PM I feed Standlee cubes and do not soak. Are they softer? Or do you go through and break them up a bit? They are soft. The horses and even my pony have no problem breaking them up themselves.
Wow. And no problems with choke? My horse can be a bit piggy at times. He choked on me last summer eating alfalfa pellets so now im a worry wart  |
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Expert
Posts: 1207
| I have used both at some point. Right now I use the Omnis cubes and you do not soak nor do you have to. I have a 27 year old that has no trouble at all eating them. I also use the Sandlee alfalfa/oat cubes they are softer than just the regular alfalfa cubes. I soak these in the morning so that their supplements stick to them. I also use the alfalfa/burmuda cubes and soak them also. I use the Bluebonnet alfalfa pellets as they are smaller and softer and you do not have to soak them. My horses all like the Omnis cubes and are doing well on them (too well). |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Kay-DRacing. - 2017-02-10 12:09 PM BamaCanChaser - 2017-02-10 9:16 AM Kay-DRacing. - 2017-02-09 3:44 PM BamaCanChaser - 2017-02-09 3:39 PM I feed Standlee cubes and do not soak. Are they softer? Or do you go through and break them up a bit? They are soft. The horses and even my pony have no problem breaking them up themselves.
I also will feed Stanley alfalfa/timothy cubes along with flaked alfalfa. Mine will not eat them if I soak them, I can sprinkle a little water to get supplements to stick but if they get mushy they won't touch them. So far I have had no issues and I feed everthing off the ground which is suppose to help. |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | I can't speak for the special cubes with ingredients other than alfalfa, but I do soak alfalfa cubes when I feed them. To me, it's a insurance policy. I've seen them choke on alfalfa cubes, and, it helps them increase their fluid intake. That's just me personally. I don't bother soaking pellets because of their small size. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 439
Location: Ohio | When feeding alfalfa cubes, be sure to buy the cubes that are bentonite free!!! Bentonite Clay is used as a binding agent. Which in small quantities is fine. However when feeding cubes as a supplement or as the only forage, keep in mind a good cube will only have the Alfalfa and a preservative. Bentonite is generally used in a hay that isn't as leafy or as good as quality as a cube that is free of bentonite. A lot of people talk about the water their horses drink when feeding alfalfa cubes. Well, if you feed say 20lbs of cubes, which is typically when feeding a 1000lb horse, your horse will have to consume 4 more gallons of water to make up the amount of water the clay has absorbed out of the horses gut!! Again bentonite is fine is small quantities and has many great uses. But when fed in large amounts, it absorbs a lot of water the horse may need to keep there guts functioning properly. I know Rural King carries alfalfa cubes that are bentonite free. I think they are Top Of The Rockies brand but would have to double check. You can feed them wet or dry. Each horse has their own preference. Mine all eat them dry and do just fine ;) |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Vegas - 2017-02-10 11:10 PM
When feeding alfalfa cubes, be sure to buy the cubes that are bentonite free!!! Bentonite Clay is used as a binding agent. Which in small quantities is fine. However when feeding cubes as a supplement or as the only forage, keep in mind a good cube will only have the Alfalfa and a preservative. Bentonite is generally used in a hay that isn't as leafy or as good as quality as a cube that is free of bentonite. A lot of people talk about the water their horses drink when feeding alfalfa cubes. Well, if you feed say 20lbs of cubes, which is typically when feeding a 1000lb horse, your horse will have to consume 4 more gallons of water to make up the amount of water the clay has absorbed out of the horses gut!! Again bentonite is fine is small quantities and has many great uses. But when fed in large amounts, it absorbs a lot of water the horse may need to keep there guts functioning properly. I know Rural King carries alfalfa cubes that are bentonite free. I think they are Top Of The Rockies brand but would have to double check. You can feed them wet or dry. Each horse has their own preference. Mine all eat them dry and do just fine ;)
What is the mold inhibitor that Top of the Rockies used do you know? On the web site they list it as an ingredient but I didn't see where they said what specifically it was. |
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Nut Case Expert
Posts: 9305
Location: Tulsa, Ok | I feed my 35 year old Standlee alfalfa/oat cubes because he is no long able to consume a sufficient amount of hay. I do break them up before feeding as a precaution against choking. I do not soak, as he will walk away from anything that is wet or soaked. |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | While there is no question that a cube is a better replacement for forage, I don't think you can say that pellets *can't* be used that way. If that was the case, senior feeds would not be considered forage replacements. |
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