A met a woman who swore by Safe Choice (original) in 2008 and her Arabs looked awesome on it. When I first switched to it, it was expensive compared to a lot of other feeds - but I liked that I could get it anywhere with my "wonky" hours. I could also get it out of state. My ponies and arabs did great on it!
In 2012, we tried the Special Care for some of our seniors. The first bag smelled so bad that I turned away gagging. The feed store I'd gotten it from was already closed (it was after 7 pm by the time I got it home and opened), but I was able to return it the next day and replace it w/ a different bag. The smell wasn't the same - but to me was still not good. The ponies thought it not good either - I usually feed wet & mushy - add water to that and it was instant slime even at a 1/4 ratio w/ old feed. The ponies wouldn't touch their feed. So I dumped it in the compost heap and did their regular feeds and offered them a cup of the new feed dry/freechoice in a pan in the pen they were in. They happily munched thru the Original - but not the Special Care. Eventually, the two seniors did start eating it - but they just never seemed to like it - eating seemed like it became a "chore" rather than something they were happy with. The ROUND Arab mare, not really a senior yet - also wouldn't eat it.
I gave that up - I think a total of 4 bags went into the compost heap.
I tried one of the other Safe Choice lines and that didn't work either - same issue. I love pelleted feed (over grains) and I've just stayed with Safe Choice Original. I've also used some of the other Nutrena feed lines - an extruded sweet feed think it was called X10 or something (was in a purple bag). The ponies LOVED that and the herbs that were in it were GREAT smelling. The feed store(s) quit carrying it or it was switched out many years ago - can't remember. That was more than 10 years ago - and when I moved and was shown the SC Original - I switched from the feed I was feeding to it.
I currently LOVE Safe Choice Original for the ponies and horses (I add Mare + for our broodmares in last trimester and while lactating). I add alfalfa pellets for some if I feel they need extra "bloom" or weight and beet pulp w/o molasses. I also feed Nutrena pellets and crumbles to our chickens - they go crazy over it!
I like that I can get Nutrena Feeds out of state when I go else where - I don't have to carry a lot with me or if I run out, I can get more readily. Right now, our feed store is offering a special - for every 10 bags of Nutrena feed - you get a free bag. I feed a lot of feed so usually get a couple free bags every month. With the cold - chickens are eating more - I ended up getting 4 free bags in January and looks to be 4 this month too. That helps A LOT when feeding this many critters!!
