When can Bailey eat

[maplegum]

He's 12 months old now and is still on the same diet he was on as a wealing. He gets steam extruded pelleted feed made for mares and foals, along with unlimited hay, grass and pickings of lucerne/alfalfa.

At what age do I introduce a more 'senior' feed? He's looking really good at the moment on what I'm feeding him, but worry about nutrient levels.

Leonie

 

[maplegum]

*BUMP*

Anyone?

 

[chandab]

I don't know much about the feeds you are feeding, however, most commercial "junior" feeds recommend to keep feeding them until 18-24 months of age. Did the mare and foal feed come with feeding recommendations? How much to feed and for how long? That would be a good place to start as too how long you should feed it.

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

New Bolten center (U of Pa.)told me to feed my minis a senior pellet, that it is fine for any age, and easy to digest. I supplement with a good hay, and adjust the amounts to the horse, and give vitamin/mineral supplements along with electrolyes. My horses are in good weight.

 

[Jill]

I feed my "foals" Purina Equine Junior (a complete pellet) for their first year, but then I switch them over to the complete senior pellet from my local co-op (it was engineered by Kentucky Equine Research). I feed that senior pellet and orchard grass hay to all my horses 12mos old and up. It is higher in fat and protein than a regular adult pellet, and I like that it's formulated to be easier for horses to get all the nutrients out of a senior pellet (vs. adult pellet or sweet feeds).

 

[Miniv]

We are like Robin and Jill, who just posted above. We feed a Senior Pelleted feed, and it's considered a "complete feed", so contains vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and beet pulp.......etc.......etc......... That is our primary grain for all ages. We also feed a high quality grass hay, and leave out a mineral salt block.

Try taking your ingredient tag from the grain you are currently feeding to the local feed store and do some comparing. You might be surprised.

MA

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I don't use foal feed at all so I have no idea where the idea that young horses cannot eat adult feed came form.

My foals are weaned onto grain and beet pulp and go on form there.

My weaned foals at present are getting a stud mix of grain and vitamins and beet pulp and chaff + BOSS and Soy.

They look great on it too, though I do say so myself!!

I would change him to whatever you want but I would not stress about it too much, feeding is more a matter of what the horse looks like than age.

If he looks good stay as you are. if he is starting to lose ground, change it around a bit.

Feeding is interesting but it is not rocket science!!

 

[Sandy S.]

We just changed all 32 of ours over to senior feed. Only about 4 were getting it before. With the hay shortage and cutting back the senior feed is a complete feed so that is helping conserve the hay. Everyone seems to be doing great on it, no one is loosing weight yet, and several are little butterballs. Hoping winter with feeding same that they will loose some. Will see at the end of the winter if we will try to keep them on it. All ages are eating it from 19 years to 16 months.

 

[Jill]

Sandy --

Just fyi, with my own horses and senior complete feeds, I have found they need less than the by the bag directions to maintain weight and at the recommended level, will gain. They just seem to get everything and more out of the pellets.

We, too, are using more of the pellets this fall and winter in order to stretch the hay out. Would rather get to spring with more than we thought we'd have left, than to run out

Jill