Very dark manure from Purina Mini horse feed?

[welovemini's]

Has anyone used the mini horse and pony feed and noticed a change in maure? I have noticed that my 2 geldings have very dark, "clumped" manure. It seems very dry and they just don't seem like themselves since they have been on it. I think I will go back to just plain old oats. I was just wondering if anyone else has noticed this?

 

[Marty]

Yes its darker than the Strategy we have previously used. We have no problems with the Miniature Horse and Pony Feed and we do have plenty of energy too. Oats has a lot of sugar and starch.

 

[mdegner]

We have been using it now for over a year and now that you mention it, their poop is a little bit darker than when fed oats, hay and beet pulp only. However, we have had great results with it. Good weight and in the right places, lots of energy, glossy, healthy coats and no health problems with the horses. A couple of the horses didn't really like it when we first started but got over that within a week.

I don't know what else you feed but if you are seeing dry poop, I might suggest a cup or two of soaked beet pulp with their meal. Keep everything moist and is a great anti-colic measure. Just my thoughts....

 

[Joanne]

We switched about 9 months ago and are very pleased with the results on all our horses.

 

[rimmerpaints]

Thats what I feed and am very pleased with the feed

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I stopped feeding this because my horse started to become lethargic, dull coat, low performance, and that he stopped eating it! Found out after paying a huge vet bill later all he wanted was a different type of food. This horse is not a picky eater so for him not eat it sends me a red flag. Also had to feed him a whole lot more of grain. He was on it over 60 days, at least past the 60 day challenge and I will say he started looking really good being on it for a month, this was in July, but then I noticed a slight decline and at Nationals in September you could really notice a difference and I would say at least a week after Nationals he stopped eating it. The vet and I thought ulcers and after getting checked out he had no ulcers or healing ulcers. Now he is getting just hay with minerals, along with Karbo Combo and a joint supplement and he is doing great. The grain I've switched too is Glo feeds by ADM.

I never noticed any dark dry manure but I would make sure that they are drinking plenty of water, getting plenty of forage. Did you do the change slowly? How much hay are they getting? If they aren't feeling too good I would definitively keep my eye on them in case of colic, too much dry manure can cause an impaction.

 

[circlesinthesand]

I dunno about the mini feed but I've found all Purina feeds to be very inconsistent in the last few years. I'm a lifelong purina customer in various ways but after this year I'm probably not going back. I've had problems with the dog food in the past, to where I no longer feed it at all. I was still feeding the horse feeds until this winter. JMHO but if there is another option I'd take it. I actually ended up switching my other horses to one of the cheapest pellet feed I could find and my old mare actually gained weight within a week on it. I thought she was just on a downward slope from age ,she's 25 and was a working ranch horse for many years, used hard, and I couldn't keep weight on her. I was worried this was her last winter. We had a very mild winter, grass was available all year as was hay and I had her on various feeds increasing in 'quality' (which of course always = more$$) til I couldn't afford the feed bill so I switched my other guys who are young healthy and easy keepers and get most of what they need from supplements and grass to a lesser feed that I'd feed just to preoccupy them while my old mare ate the very best stuff I could get (=Purina as we don't have alot of consistent feed options here) She'd leave her feed to go eat theirs (separated, but they can eat droppings through a pipe fence) I was pumping everything into her that my money could buy and all it took was getting off of Purina feeds. She's still too thin, IMO and it will probably take time to get her back to where she was but she's gaining on that cheap feed. She's gaining muscle, not fat and she has a bloom to her new summer coat she hasn't had in a few years and that's all that matters to me...I feel guilty for not realizing I needed to change feeds sooner.

I'm in the process of learning what to feed these mini's. Right now they're mostly on hay and that same 14% pellet but I'm doing my research and for as long as I can avoid Purina, I will.

 

[Mareish Mom]

I have nothing but good things to say for the Purina mini horse and pony feed. Not only for my mini but it's proven to be a great "diet" feed for my big fat mare. Cheaper and more effective than low starch big horse feeds. I am able to feed enough for her to get all the vitamins and minerals and she has never looked better, at a good weight and shiney and energetic. Mini looks great, lots of energy and slowly losing her big belly, glossy coat and strong hooves. She looks 5 years younger. Been feeding it for over 6 months. My other biggies get Purina Omolene 200 and are thriving on it. Haven't noticed any inconsistencies. Before I could get Purina I fed Southern States feeds and had big problems with inconsistent feeds and even molding! Will stick with the Purina even though it costs $$$$.

 

[Jill]

We get a feed from our local co-op that is formulated by Kentucky Equine Research and available in many locations across the USA. The line of feeds is called Pace-Maker at our co-op. Really like it a lot and have been using it now for several years on all adult horses. Only horses who don't eat it here are mares as they approach foaling and our growing horses (who get a KER complete senior pellet). The feed is a low starch, high fat pellet and the horses look awesome on it w/o getting fat, no cresty necks even on the stallions, etc. It's called "Fat & Fiber" and we've tried so many feeds over the years and had some we liked, but none as well as this. I think it's an ideal feed for miniature horses. I know this is a little off topic, but for anyone reading and looking for recommendations, this gets two thumbs up from us!

http://www.cfcfarmho...10&mid=51&pid=2

 

[horsenut50]

Haven't noticed darker manure but I use Purina Mini horse feed and have had good results with it.

 

[chandab]

I always find it interesting (and to some degree amazing) how differently people feel about the same feed. And, also its interesting how different everyone's feed programs can be.

I was feeding Progressive Nutritions grass balancer til the price went way out of my budget, so changed my feed program, last September: my senior stallion is on senior feed, the other boys are on a low sugar/starch pellet (one is Cushings), and the mares are on an extruded feed. I initially changed everyone to the extruded feed, except the senior stallion and the gelding that was later diagnosed as Cushings, they were both on a mix of senior feed and beet pulp-based sweet feed (per the manufacturers directions). When the gelding was diagnosed with Cushings, he had to get off all the sweet feed, so I bought the low sugar/starch pellet for him; and tried to move the senior stallion over to the extruded to simply my feed room. The extruded didn't work for the senior stallion, so he went back on the senior feed without the sweet mixed in, and is now looking pretty darn good. The three feeds seem to be working well for me, so hopefully, I won't have to change again, anytime soon. The only thing I've added is some ground flax seed for the normal horses (and a joint supplement for the couple that need one); the Cushings gelding has a few other supplements.

 

[welovemini's]

thanks everyone, this was the only recent change so I was "assuming" that's what was causing the change in their manure. What else could cause very dark manure?

 

[JMS Miniatures]

It could be a sign of bleeding in the upper GI tract and you may be dealing with ulcers, or it could also mean cancer. Or it may simply be the forage your giving them and may be not enough or not good quality. I would take a sample in to the vet and ask.

 

[lucky]

I have been feeding purina for about 6 months to our gelding with good results. We just got a mare that I changed to purina, now the mares poop is dark too along with are gelding. The mares mane is really growing now. I am happy with results and feed.

 

[patrpbfl]

I tried the Purina mini and pony feed this past winter because I was soooo tired of frozen fingers from wet beet pulp. I have two minis that have been overweight forever and my mare has foundered in the past, but my gelding has NEVER been sore. Within three feedings, my mare came down with laminitis again and my gelding was sore. I just added ONE OUNCE each to their beet-pulp mixture to try to convert over, and they both became sore. It was the only change to their diets, NOTHING ELSE! Purina feed ingredients are changed from batch to batch according to what's available in the processing area; only the feed analysis is guaranteed, not the ingredients. This is from the Purina rep I called to see what ideas she had about the situation with my minis. Maybe my minis were out of the norm, but I will never try it again. It took over two months to get my gelding comfortable again and I never want to go through that again. My mare is actually feeling better than my gelding right now.

The vet suggested I try chopped forage for my two little guys and I can't believe the difference! The have both dropped weight easily and they get more to eat. Beet pulp may work for many, and it did for mine for the sore feet, but I could never get much weight off, and they only got 2 ounces per feed! I use the Seminole chopped forage for metabolic horses and it has been a lifesaver for me. I also give Orchard/Timothy hay for chewing time and they are both thriving. These feeds are both more expensive than what I was feeding, but the results are well worth the expense, especially what it will save me in vet bills.