Alfalfa Pellets

[eagles ring farm]

I just got a bag of stanlee alfalfa pellets and want to give our preggo mares

some they have been getting grass hay and just a small handful of alfalfa hay on top

they would still get grass hay but what recommendations as to the amount of pellets per feeding

we also feed purena miniature horse feed 3 cups 2x's a day (I forget what a cup weighs now)

Mares are due in March - April

how do you do your alfalfa pellets?

 

[chandab]

I don't use a lot of alfalfa, but most of mine are getting 1/2 cup daily; one is getting more. The standlee pellets are about 5-6 oz per cup. Any one who is thinner could work up to 25-30% of their hay ration as alfalfa pellets, any that are just right or chubby, then probably 15-20%. I don't use a lot of alfalfa, so this is just my opinion; I'm sure those that use more alfalfa than I do, would say give them lots more. [i might have one pregnant mare, the rest open but last year's hay was a bit iffy (homegrown), so adding timothy and/or alfalfa pellets to improve the fiber and protein quality in their diet.]

 

[disneyhorse]

I like to feed up to 50% of their roughage as alfalfa if the horses are breeding or being worked heavily for showing or competing. It's got more protein and calories than grass and is very nutritionally dense. You can probably feed a pound per feeding on top of what they are getting and they will simply eat less grass. I'd continue on up until they foal and while they are nursing.

 

[disneyhorse]

I do want to mention that for minis I'd soak the pellets briefly in water before offering... Even 15 mins will be adequate... Especially small foals can choke and even mature horses.

 

[eagles ring farm]

would anyone else like to share how you feed alfalfa pellets?

 

[Minimor]

The alfalfa pellets I buy are fatter, softer pellets (they are meant for rabbits but are 100% alfalfa, nothing in them but alfalfa, so are perfectly good for horses too. I use them

Only when I need something extra for someone--I do not feed them regularly as my hay often has alfalfa in it. Last winter I fed somE pellets because I had only crappy slough hay and the horses lost too much weight. I was giving each horse 1 pound of pellets twice a day. Indeed them dry. As I said these are softer pellets, I'm not worried about choke with them.

When I used to buy bulk alfalfa cubes from a local mill I got some of their alfalfa pellets--those things were smaller (typical pelleted feed size) and rock hard. I wouldn't feed those dry--they would be much too hard and would be more likely to cause choke when fed dry.

 

[eagles ring farm]

thank you for the heads up on the fact they are hard I haven't opened the bag from Stanlee yet but will check them out

 

[chandab]

Standlee's aren't excessively hard. I have one mare that gets 2 cups of alfalfa and 2 cups of timothy pellets from Standlee daily, I feed them dry and she has no trouble with them. My stallion gets a cup of dry timothy pellets in his Nose-It toy daily and he has no problems with them. One gelding gets alfalfa pellets from the elevator, as he won't eat the standlee; he prefers the smaller elevator pellets; go figure.

 

[eagles ring farm]

Thank you Chanda

 

I pretty much always fed an equal part of pellets with whatever ration you feed in grain/supplement -- but at least 8-10 cups. I always fed dry, with no problems. In the summertime, if the heat was extreme, I soaked them briefly to get more water in the horses that were not great drinkers. Basically, a very short soak -- scooped out the pellets, poured water over them, scooped out the grain for 4 horses at a time, and tossed the pellets on top. Probably not even a 5 minute soak. My horses hated 'sloppy' food, but they ate that just fine!

 

[happy appy]

I always feed dry to the young ones that need a little more protein in their diets or for ones that need a little weight gain.

 

[Miniv]

We have fed the 1/4 inch size alfalfa pellets dry, mixed in with their grain with no problem. We do the 50/50 ratio, ie. if a horse is getting 2 cups of grain, they get 2 cups alfalfa pellets added to it.

When we do feed the alfalfa pellets, it's for weight gain, pregnant or lactating mares, or youngsters during their first year.

 

[eagles ring farm]

thank you everyone it really helps me knowing how much to feed our pregnant mares

we have been using baled alfalfa just a little with their grass hay, but bought a bag of pellets this time around

 

[chandab]

One really nice thing about the pellets (or even cubes), they are a lot easier to weigh and know exactly how much you are giving. Whereas a handful of hay could vary greatly (or if you have help feeding, a scoop of pellets is easier for help to get right).

 

[Tab]

My preggy is pretty fluffy so I just give her a treat of the alfalfa pellets. While I am loving the standlee products I am always a little cautious about mares and too much protein before foaling. I'm thinking about the foals legs, and angular limb deformities. I would rather have a slightly windswept foal than a contracted foal. An excellent supplement until foaling, and then I will increase the alfalfa pellets during lactation.

 

[Marty]

During the winter I feed them as a lunch treat only when the weather is bad and they are stuck inside. I fix a beet pulp mash and give them about 1 cup in it. Makes them like me better.