Neither of these things are painful, its just the body putting all its energy toward dying and not toward sustaining the body in living. a day then I would decrease the number of pounds of forage per day. into 4 lb. I feed soaked hay pellets or cubes when a horse cant chew hay well enough to maintain weight. & questions for another time. Hello, you mentioned several times that you use cold water. Thankfully, I had a holistic vet to consult with, and she recommended feeding hay pellets or cubes, weighed and fed in the same amount you would weigh hay. So I bought some timothy pellets for her. Jill. Soaking also takes out other good nutrients, so if I go this route, I want to make sure Im supplementing vitamins and minerals adequately. But it really depends on your pellets and doing a test run to see how long it takes. Good luck finding what works for your horse. Good luck. In hot weather Ive had pellets ferment in 8 hours, even when kept in a garage. Ive had a choke on dry pellets as well as with partially broken down pellets. The pellets are soft but formed, and its still pretty warm when I carry it out. Horses can go off feed due to an infection. I want to put weight on him, but dont want to risk putting him in an emergency situation. I wonder if I feed it in a large bowl on the ground if it will help keep the hay from packing in. While this gives quick energy, grain digests too quickly in the foregut, travels to the hindgut and can disrupt the microbial balance. I have excellent grass hay that he does eat (lightly) without quidding and spitting out. Itd be a starting point. The only thing that indicates it is not is the quantity youre feeding per day of 3 -4.5 pounds per day. Im gradually increasing to give 2-3 lb dry weight pellets and 1-1.5 lb thrive 3x/day. We don't soak alfalfa pellets but we do soak shredded beet pulps. Is he still eating hay? The last two nights I had put the pellets in with a 4-1 ratio of water and gave it to him right away. Thank you Mary. Yes, I have done that to speed things up on occasion, but I stay and monitor how far broken down they are and how warm they are. I like that he takes his time eating and leaves a little at the end, and hes gaining weight. I have been measuring the alfalfa but not the water 6 cups of alfalfa, and remaining water up to a certain mark on the pot, after my tea water is poured. You can always make adjustments later if needed. That mix will fix the CA/PH ratio as well. However, this is not possible during the warmer months in Arizona due to pellets getting hot and molding while being soaked. I find sometimes shes not that interested if not soupy enough so I would say some owners will need to work to find the right consistency to make their horse happy. Do you soak alfalfa pellets for goats? If I have a 1000 lb horse, then I would start with 10 lbs of pellets per day and go up to 20 lbs. Good luck finding what works for your horse. One cup of alfalfa sprouts has only 8 calories but delivers 0.2 grams fat, 0.7 grams carbohydrate, 0.6 grams fiber, and 1.3 grams protein. Alfalfa Pellets 5/32 Inch, 1/4 Inch, 3/4 Inch. It cost more than feeding hay, but I knew hed be healthier for it, and that was the whole point. I have never fed grain, so I dont know how to do a mix of pellets/cubes and grain. Being a traditional western vet, in addition to a cutting edge equine dentist, he recommended going to a senior horse complete feed instead of hay. Another long-shot, and probably not related, but I will mention it since your horse is a senior. 1. I have had vets want to do a complete feed because they wanted the nutritional profile. Therefore, I always soak it until its completely broken down to avoid any possibility of choking. This works for alfalfa, timothy, or orchard grass pellets. Jan 5, 2014 We are facing horrible temperatures here, as many of you are. As soon as they are broken down I would feed them. I have warm water in my tack room, so I can get my pellets dissolved in 5 to 10 minutes. I do know that once I started soaking hay pellets until they are completely broken down, Ive never had a choking incident again. How much does it cost to grow a tomato plant? But my rule of thumb is I want the pellets, whatever kind they are, to be completely broken down simply because I dont want to have a vet call for a choking incident. It sounds like your horse is in this spot, and that becomes the challenge of finding what food works for him. There's a lot of conflicting information about feeding alfalfa to goats. However, poor quality alfalfa pellets or a rapid change to an alfalfa pellet diet can contribute to colic symptoms. He does get 2lbs amplify pellets also. It soaks for maybe 5 minutes. Can you advise me on the amount of pellets to replace a flake of Timothy hay, He gets about 19 lbs at each feeding, twice a day, Do I feed 19 lbs of pellets per feeding? Can alfalfa pellets or cubes totally replace hay? If a 1000 lb horse is eating 20 lbs. They offer an online class on equine metabolic syndrome (includes IR, Cushings, PSSM) that is superb. Jaime Beamer May 22, 2022 0 488 4 minutes read The pellets can be fed dry, but many horses prefer them to be soaked in water and fed as a mash. I suppose I have to soak them first, right? I have had two choking incidences with two different senior horses on hay pellets. I also feed about 1 cup of shredded beet pulp mixed well into the ration for weight gain - and I don't soak that either. Ideal for promoting weight gain and aiding hydration. But it sounds like what you have is working, so stick with it. I currently feed 2 scoops of sweet feed and two scoops of timothy/alfalfa cubes. Can you plant onion sets before the last Frost? So maybe he doesnt eat them all because the birds have gone potty in them. Our 3 times a day in hay pellets (assuming hes about 1000 lbs ideal body weight) and removed the grain, replaced with a non-grain ration balancer, if he would gain weight? This way I can get 20 lbs of pellets in 4 feedings which is doable while hes gaining weight. He is a large horse, so if Im able to feed that much at a time safely, it helps a lot. My horse dislikes warm food, but Ive known other horses who dont mind. The horse I had that could no longer chew hay was on pasture all the time so he always had something he could nibble on, so he could regulate his own intake. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. What about cubes? Im not quite sure how much he should get. and what they look like. Many horses are safely fed diets consisting solely of alfalfa pellets without problems. I want to try giving her some alfalfa. Hi Margaret, Im curious to know what is the purpose of feeding your horse timothy pellets? She's a picky eater, but I let her taste a few pellets and she loved them. Is it safe to go lower than the 6lbs of pellets shes getting now? She did a thorough physical and found nothing wrong. Others worry it might swell during mastication and cause choking. If the cow has been grazing on pasture all day long, you can give them Alfalfa pellets to munch on in the barn. Mary Walby began rehabbing senior horses by accident over 10 years ago at the same time she started training in the martial art of Aikido to learn how to fall off a horse. When either of these things happen for days at a time, that is the active dying process, which is completely normal. I have found alfalfa pellets need to be soaked in between five and six hours to fully break down. It sounds like she might be able to maintain her weight on less. Once I went to soaking until they are broken down completely, Ive never had another choking incident. Is anything else in the ingredient list? Ive used anywhere from 1 cup or more depending how much is needed to hide the taste of the supplements. However, you know your horse better than anyone, so observe them and let them tell you. Sandra, Thank you for your question. The old look can occur with senior horses on long-term grain. All Rights Reserved. You have a Horse Herb & Supplement Shoppe?! That way I can get the benefits of alfalfa without the grain in Total Equine. As always, here at Standlee Premium Western Forage, we recommend that you contact your veterinarian or nutritionist with any dietary concerns for your I will leave Mary to answer you more thoroughly Eva, but I can tell you that even my non-senior horses will occasionally choke on dry pellets. I would buy the alfala pellets too and mix them half and half. I stay away from making it mushy because its messy and the my horses dont lick it clean when its mush. Sometimes vets are able to figure it out and treat it and sometimes not. She recently founded Gods Window Senior Horse Rehab and Sanctuary, a non-profit organization committed to promoting the health and welfare of all senior horses from a holistic perspective. If so, on the ingredient list is corn distillers, dried grains with distillers. Hes 16 hands and about 1000 lbs, a bit too skinny, 19 yrs. Required fields are marked *. She also gets a 1/2 cup sweet feed and 3/4 cup grain with her supplements to get her to eat them. 1. pellets completely broken down (so theres no choking) feedings spread throughout the day. I never did it simply due to logistics. Out of curiosity, where your horses able to work out the choke themselves on the dry pellets, or did it require veterinary attention? It can also interfere with their natural digestive process, and the goat's digestive system is quite interesting. However, the horses stomach isnt big, so I dont feed more than 4 lbs. Some people, though, just dont want to feed alfalfa they believe it causes laminitis. For young horses, old horses, and those with dental issues, soaking the pellets first may be a necessity. He might have turned up his nose due to the smell. If the alfalfa is not available then alfalfa pellets could be fed to goats. Any experienced goat owner can tell you that feeding a goat too much grain can be a bad idea. Even spreading out feedings by 30-45 mins between them can allow for the stomach to complete digestion. How to Manifest the Land of Your Dreams Part 3. Despite his PPID, he has few if any signs of IR and no history of founder, but I still watch his sugar as best I can without dry lotting him. Small, frequent meals are preferable to large ones as you are probably already familiar. The most commonly asked question we get is, "Do I need to soak my horse's pellets or cubes?". If my would horse eat 20 lbs of hay per day to maintain weight (if they could chew hay) then I would simply weigh out 20 lbs of dry hay pellets or cubes, and then soak them fully so they dont accidently choke. These grains will contain higher levels of protein and fat that will aid in body weight gain. As a rule of thumb, leafy hays have higher nutritional value than stemmier hays. Put the pellets in a bucket, cover with warm water, and then dump them into a large muck bucket and feed immediately. You can add alfalfa pellets or cubes to a grass hay diet for the same effect. It sounds like your horse loves it. Since horses have a fiber requirement, but not a grain requirement, Im wondering if you could consider weaning him off grain and replacing it with grass hay pellets (and a ration balancer for vitamins/minerals). He would only eat his cookies which were grains and molasses. I drink hot tea, and I am heating water in my coffee maker for my tea and the pellets, not boiling, but tiny bubbles. So for this horse, I limited him to 3 lbs. A ration balancer is simply a supplement for missing vitamins and minerals in the diet that the horse is not getting enough of from their forage. which is 1-2% of the horses body weight. Yes, I soak them in the same way I soak the alfalfa pellets. I was disappointed to say the least, but oh well. We recommend that animals be fed by weight and not by volume; therefore if you are currently feeding 10lbs of alfalfa from a bale and changing to alfalfa pellets or cubes then you should feed 10lbs of alfalfa pellets or cubes. It can cause them to bloat, which is more serious than it sounds. The higher the fiber content, the lower the digestibility (even if the protein level is high). So I weigh everything, even a new bag of pellets because there can be variation). Then I add my water in the ratio of 2:1 (water to pellets). My ideal would be to add a feeding. Overall he will be healthier, not just his external looks but internally as well. Alfalfa is higher in calories and protein than grass hays, which makes it an excellent choice to help to add weight to a thin horse. If he still needs more weight gain, then Id add a 3rd feeding of soaked hay pellets. However, all horses are different, so just see what your horse likes. Good luck with the sheep. This has worked so well that Ive never looked back, and its cheaper than processed feeds. esophageal obstruction. Too much sugar in the diet is the basis for insulin resistance, founder, laminitis and cushings. Im curious about the amount of feed. of hay twice per day? In the winter, when its cold, I can soak the pellets overnight outside, or in an unheated garage. The pellets can be fed dry, but many horses prefer them to be soaked in water and fed as a mash. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. But you can certainly try and see if that makes a difference. Can I plant tomato seeds directly in the ground? Im glad its helpful. Beautiful! Sometimes horses will go off grain, and Im guessing maybe their body doesnt want it anymore? I usually see the old look, dull coat, dull eyes, etc. Alfalfa is a low-calorie, nutrient-dense food. Required fields are marked *. I've been putting those in their feed, along with oats, boss, etc. The solution I use is to drizzle flax oil on top of the pellets no more choking and plenty of healthy Omega-3! Absolute BEST Barn Design for Horses or Cows Cold or Heat! Can you advise me on the amount of pellets to replace a flake of Timothy hay. (However, my alfalfa pellets are much firmer and 3 cups of them weigh 1 lb. I have found alfalfa pellets need to be soaked in between five and six hours to fully break down. You are not alone! Removing all hay would let you know if its the cause. Well now he isnt eating his senior feed as much so I am going to increase the pellets and get him off the senior since he doesnt eat it all and the birds end up flocking to it. On a rare occasion, if I dont have 5 hours, I can get away with soaking for 3 hours, however, the pellets are partially broken down, but not all the way, and the alfalfa pellets are less broken down than the grass hay pellets, so I stay and watch the horses eat. Yes, a horses sense of smell is far beyond our capabilities and if something doesnt smell right it is their warning system. I am currently dealing with similar circumstances to what you dealt with with your senior horse. (I dont like my tea too hot.). I do not work from home, so I am concerned about being able to feed more than 3x/day due to my schedule. You can do either. It's a 8-9 week old calf. Sometimes he eats almost nothing and sometimes he eats all but what is packed in too hard to eat. I once had a horse maintain his weight on 10-12 lbs a day of soaked hay pellets during the summer (he was also on pasture) and in the winter I increased it to 15 lbs. No matter how I feed the pellets my preference is to feed them on the ground so the horses head and neck is in a more natural grazing position and the sinuses can drain. Now after reading your article I am concerned that is a dangerous way to feed which is sad because it worked for him. There are some companies that make this, and its usually fed in a small amount every day just for the vitamins/minerals, not for calories. Your horse might be able to maintain on less. Thank you Mary. Why the bag states 7-10 days.? I have three that choke often. For alfalfa pellets I keep it around 10-15% of the diet. Whether or not to soak the beet pulp separately or together with your other pellets, you could do either. He was separated for his feedings for a few hours. Id have to see the bag and the feed label. If so, you wont necessarily need to replace the whole diet with pellets. I would not bother counting any of the hay as part of your 20-25 lbs a day since hes quidding most of it. Thanks! Then I backed off to his usual amount once he was back at a good weight. I dont know why a bag would state 7-10 days. https://www.platinumperformance.com/horses?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3eu54YzJ7QIVfBatBh2o4gIIEAAYASAAEgL2d_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds. If you can do 6 feedings for a few weeks, you might be able to gain some ground there and monitor him closely and see what happens. The only time my goats see alfalfa hay is in the spring when I have babies to feed and the new crops are a little cheaper. I have found that diarrhea often is caused by something in the diet the horse can not digest. Im curious about no graining and feed. Or can he eat then dry? If so, that could definitely cause diarrhea. If you have any further questions or need clarification, please feel free to ask. Can I increase the pelleted hay ration too quickly? seems to go well. Hi Susan, thank you for your question. My seniors teeth are also worn out, havent had him to long. In terms of the actual feeding of pellets, I never feed more than 3 lbs. Hi Jessica, Wonderful questions. Im assuming this means he is self monitoring? Hi I am starting my 8 yr old gelding on Standlee Timothy pellets with Vermont blend pro and vitamin E added All together how much do I start with (pellets) to slowly introduce him to it? Wow, Jini! Im splitting his Timothy and alfalfa soaked pellets plus 1 lb per day Amplify pellets and about 2lbs per day sweet feed (just to encourage consumption of pellet mush and AMplify). In His hands is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:10. 1. (Is that what you were asking)? I give the cereal hay ad lib but restrict the alfalfa, but I know people that feed alfalfa hay ad lib, and you could do the same with alfalfa pellets, too. If you arent feeding any grain, try adding a grain product meant for working or performance horses. First time with Xadaa it was a 2-hour multi-disciplinary healing session BodyTalk, Bowen Method (Guliz was also there), Lazer Tapping, Past lives and Pranic healing. pellets daily over 2-3 weeks. Any feed material can cause a digestive impaction if it is consumed rapidly. Just happy to find after such a long search. Heres two other thoughts, probably unlikely, but Ill mention them. He seems to really enjoy the warm food. He maintained his weight on pasture and 1% of his body weight in pellets in the growing season, and then 1.5% of his body weight in pellets in the winter. That is when I called the vet out. We just got a hot water tank in there and its been a lifesaver! I want to try giving her some alfalfa. (to a 1000 lb. Upload attachment(Allowed file types: jpg, gif, png, pdf, doc, docx, maximum file size: 8MB. a day, thats 2-3 lbs per day of soaked alfalfa pellets. It has no grain in it at all and is designed to add nutrition to a diet that is 80-90% forage. Does he have access to pasture? If good range isn't available, dry grass forage of a horse quality is acceptable. When soaking in the summer, I put them in a cool place out of the sun and then feed after 5 hours, but I always check the smell to make sure it hasnt started to ferment. I like to measure what health looks like, and its bright, round eyes, a spring in their step, a luxurious coat, etc. Hopefully this will be a long way off, but I always keep in mind with seniors that when their body is preparing to die they will stop eating anywhere from 1-5 days in advance of death. I havent tried it with pellets to see if you could pull that off. But what about alfalfa for goats precisely? The remaining 17-18 lbs would be grass hay pellets. Regarding how to increase the pellets fed. I was surprised. I found he would would eat just a tiny amount of chopped hay for a while then he decided to stop that too. I have used soaked alfalfa pellets as a carrier to feed supplements instead of grain. If I went to a straight ration balancer with my pellets, and that was it for feed, then Id be adding 1-2 lbs of soaked alfalfa pellets per day and an omega 3 fatty acid supplement in the non-growing season. How to prepare your garden to protect against wind? Im also unsure about how to know how much pellets he needs since he has free choice forage but quids most of it. And do you know how many pounds of hay per day he would eat to maintain his weight back when he could eat hay? I am thinking his bowl could be fermented by now getting thrown out wash bowl and see if that was the problem Thank for your help. Grain is also inflammatory and can exacerbate arthritis. Thank you for your question. Then over the course of a day hed eat 12-15 lbs. Split into 3 feedings per day this week as Im working from home. Your information was enormously helpful. Heres an article I wrote on feeding seniors. The milkers will selectively eat every tiny morsel except the big alfalfa pellets. Youll have to try and see, and let the horse tell you how much they need. Then about a month or so ago he became finicky of his sweet feed and has nearly stopped eating that as well. Good luck! He was great at self-monitoring. I am a hay pellet believer as it has turned my unthrifty old BLM mustang into a fat shiny boy who looks years younger now. Regarding sweet feed, I tend to shy away from feeding it, however, I completely understand if thats the only thing hell eat. I've been very happy with my results feeding Alfalfa pellets and grass hay. I did not live where my horses lived so when I set up my system for feeding, I figured out that with the cold water straight out of the hose it took approximately 5 hours for alfalfa pellets to completely break down, and for the grass hay pellets, it took at least 3 hours. Your horses are lucky to have you! A safe number is to increase it gradually over two weeks. Im corrected on the amount of feed; it is 9 lbs per feeding, 18 lbs or so per day, plus the soaked pellets. per feeding (but this amount depends on the horse I had one horse for whom he didnt feel well, when I gave him that much), and I could also increase the alfalfa to 15% of their body weight per day. Good luck. Feb 7, 2022 I have NDs that hate the size of the standlee alfalfa pellets. I first began feeding soaked hay pellets when I received a senior horse for rehab who suffered from chronic diarrhea. Do yo think if I put hot water on his alfalfa pellets, he would eat it better. of soaked hay pellets twice per day and see what happens over 4 weeks. Takes to much time and I have never had any animals choking on shredded beet pulp. Alfalfa forage is low in sugar, moderately high in protein, high in calories and digestible fiber. nutritionist with Performance Horse Nutrition, Dr. Stephen Duren, answers this question by addressing an esophageal choke with aggressive or naive Rich alfalfa hay can also cause colic, so we recommend feeding a grass hay or grass/alfalfa mix. Some softer pellets break down completely in a few hours, others that are firmer and made in hotter climates tend to be dryer and harder. When feeding hay pellets, I do a ratio of 2:1, cold water to pellets. Maybe if they've finished and are still peckish, they'll eat them. It was so successful and his health returned so beautifully, that I kept that same program for every senior horse that came to me. He seems to love that and ate it all because the pellets never got packed in the corners. This can increase the hydration status of your horse. 2 cans water one can pellets or the other way around. Little did she realize that the essence of Aikido would permeate every aspect of her life and make it better, from performing and teaching piano, to rehabbing senior horses. If it worked for you to feed an additional amount over night youre getting even closer to 20-25 lbs per day. I like to add 1 lb of soaked alfalfa pellets AM and PM feedings for the amino acid profile. I wanted to make a small bowl for them to try out and I already have a ton of feed in the bowl. Is there a safe way to free feed pellets so he can self regulate his intake? Shes up to about 850lbs now. But I had already been through all the grain issues with another horse, and all the damage it did to his gut. Once I put her on antibiotics for the infection she ate all of her herbs/supplements with no problem, and I stopped with the sweet feed. Thats the big thing Im monitoring for, and if anything is ever questionable, I dont feed it. I had one horse eat too many pellets and his heart rate went up a little, he seemed bloated and his gut sounds were noisier than usual. Grain is a high source of sugar. Soaking to leech out sugar is another option. I had another senior horse that was heavily grain fed and cribbed constantly before he came to me. Alfalfa is a type of forage that is high in protein and fiber, which are both essential for a growing goat. The pony loves them soupy. Im so happy found your article. On a hot summer day, I have had them ferment after 8 hours, so I dont feed that batch if that happens. Thankfully, he was not insulin resistant so this worked well for him. Once I went to completely broken down pellets, Ive never had another choke.