Alfalfa

[twilightranch]

Which do you preffer to feed?? Thanks Brittney

 

[Marty]

I got some gorgeous alfalfa hay in bales this year (08) sorry. I usually mix it with their orchard grass hay.

I also have alfalfa pellets too.

I don't like the cubes at all.

They will choke on them if they aren't soaked properly and I just prefer not to mess with them but they seem to be popular and a lot of people do use them here.

 

[twilightranch]

Ok, thank you for the info

!

 

[kaykay]

I always prefer fresh hay in a bale. but we do use pellets when we cant get bales.

 

[kathey]

I feed TOA and soaked alfalfa cubes. It is not much trouble to soak them. I have a bucket half way full of water ( I like to use warm water in winter, cool in summer) and a large strainer and I added a rope handle to it. I put the cubes in the strainer let it soak in the water for 30 minutes (while I am getting their feed ready). I then pull the strainer up and let it drian the water off. My strainer has a metal lip on the side so all I do is set it on the top side of the bucket. I also feed hay first to everyone then I go back and add the cubes (now which is moist and the cubes fallen a part) to the feed. I then pour the half bucket of water out.

 

[Tenltraining]

I like to use alfalfa orchardgrass hay in bales. I think the horses benefit greatly from having long stemmed hay, that is very important for their digestive systems. I also believe its more natural for them of course.

I know in some areas though its hard to get the hay and you have to use something else. With the cubes be very careful so that they break up well as stated in earlier replies. My vet has said he has had to help horses that choked on the cubes before. If they are really moist and have sat for bit with water and broken up and checked they are alright though.

I have not used the pellets before. I have been told by nutrionalists though that more closer to long stemmed the better as that is best for the natural digestion of the feed and horses need it.

 

[Casnos Minis]

I haven't activley looked for alfalfa hay, but get some hay with alfalfa mixed in it, I do gice alfalfa pellets to all my horses in the winter though.

Christy

 

[LowriseMinis]

I was soaking alf cubes for a while and got kind of tired of that. I just use some alfalfa hay and feed a little bit with our grass hay. Just picked up some nice, fine bermuda today,

 

[desertgal]

I use both ~ second cut a/t/g/b mix bales and the A&T cubes (soaked overnite) and added to the feeds.

 

[Reble]

Hope you do not mind me asking this question?

Why do people feed horse crunch, apple and carrot pieces which can also make horses choke. But will not feed alfalfa mini hay cubes without being soaked?

Just wondering? thanks

 

[BigDogs & LittleHorses]

 

[Reble]

Oh used to love that show.

 

[Minimor]

Why do people feed horse crunch, apple and carrot pieces which can also make horses choke. But will not feed alfalfa mini hay cubes without being soaked?

Where does one get mini alfalfa cubes??? We can only get one kind of alfalfa cubes here, and they are the standard size ones...often too hard to be (in my view) easy for a small Mini to eat if they are dry...never mind the risk of choke...

mine seldom get carrots and never apples or crunch, but when they do get carrots they are cut up smaller and they don't get any great number of them. Small risk of choke. In comparison I would be giving a 2 litre tub of alfalfa cubes...hard to eat, higher risk of choke just because of amount fed even if you don't take into account the dryness of the cubes..so yes, here Minis get only soaked cubes.

 

[Reble]

they make them here in Ontario and our feed store carries them, I believe you can also get them order in at TSC stores now...more than half the size of the regular hay cubes.

I just read:

Never feed whole oats to your mini, always ask for crimped or steamed oats.

The husk on whole oats will cause them to choke.

 

[whitney]

I've used each type the best is probably the cubes soaked as it gets additional water into them in the winter. However the easiest and cheapest is hay if you can find a 60/40 mix. This winter I'm feeding the pellets.

 

[Leeana]

I like to use alfalfa orchardgrass hay in bales. I think the horses benefit greatly from having long stemmed hay, that is very important for their digestive systems. I also believe its more natural for them of course.I know in some areas though its hard to get the hay and you have to use something else. With the cubes be very careful so that they break up well as stated in earlier replies. My vet has said he has had to help horses that choked on the cubes before. If they are really moist and have sat for bit with water and broken up and checked they are alright though.

I have not used the pellets before. I have been told by nutrionalists though that more closer to long stemmed the better as that is best for the natural digestion of the feed and horses need it.

I feed hay basically the same as Laura, our hay guy is just great, he mixes out hay up at around 75% orchard grass and 25% alfalfa, our hay is soft sweet and nutritious.

I also have the show horses on alfalfa cubes soaked into the mush, however i think i may give the pellets a try, which cutts back on the actual hay amount i feed.

 

[Bess Kelly]

Personally, I feel the pellets only add the nutritional side of the alfalfa and not the roughage. Soak a few and see what you have.

My current supplier has alfalfa/timothy cubes from Canadian co. The are truly softer than the "usual" alfalfa ones I've seen/bought. Partly from the mix but, also from the lack of some of the additional binders. I can break up 95% of them with my own hand/fingers, so I feel that the horses powerful jaws can, too.....and they do. Plus, I have wet them to see what I have in there. Much more leaf than stalk, so I am pretty happy with that! Pricey but, very useable.

I have several older ones and they can still chew well but, the longer cut hays are not as appealing. Even tho I use the 2nd cuttings, some are just not as easy for them to chew out. They love this moistened cube, however. They don't have to be soaked a long time either, about 80% will just expand like a beet pulp pellet when sprayed heavily.

Bio-Cube. They are checking to see if this co makes the "mini" cubes. WOW, if they did I'd probably switch to very few bales of actual hay next year and use the cubes. I would always keep hay for some busy eating but, do have pasture about 8 months of the year.

 

[twilightranch]

Thank all of you for the replys and info

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