What is feeling in the community about protein requirements? We plan to show in the spring.
Another critic told me that I should be feeding about 35% protein. HUH?
Someone else recommended halfing their Omolene with calf manna.
What do you guys feed and is Omolene 300 appropriate for this age? I thought it was great until about two or so!
Time to de-bunk some myths about protein! For clarity's sake, I'll put some common feed terminology in BOLD and CAPS
1)
PROTEIN PERCENTAGE IN FEEDS: When a bag says it is 14% or 35% protein, that means EVERY POUND of that feed contains 14% or 35% protein. What it DOES NOT mean is that you are feeding your horse a 14% or 35% protein diet overall. In order for that to be true, the product would have to be the ONLY thing you fed the horse each day. EXAMPLE: If you feed a 14% complete feed and gave nothing else, no hay, no grass, no cubes, etc, then yes, you could say that the horse was on a 14% protein diet. But how many of us feed this way??? Not many horses are truly on a complete feed without any other source of food -- they get hay, or grazing, or something else besides that one commercial "complete" feed. So the protein from those sources (the hay, the grass, etc.) has to be factored into the equation (see below).
Most commercial mixed feeds and straight grains average in the 10-16% protein range. Feeds in the 35% range are either ration balancers or some sort of protein supplement (like Calf Manna). If there is any confusion, just read the manufacturer's instructions for feeding rates. Most average feeds (those in the 10-16% protein range) will recommend feeding at rates (by weight) MUCH higher than feeds in the 30-35% range. Whereas you might be required to feed a pound of a commercial mix, you might only need 4 ounces of a 30% ration balancer to meet the
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS.
2) PROTEIN PERCENTAGE vs.
GRAMS OF PROTEIN: Protein is the most expensive "ingredient" in feeds, so the manufacturers (and subsequently the horse owner) tend to put a lot of emphasis on it. And because manufacturers tend to express the amount of protein in a feed by percentage, that's how many horse owners speak about feeds. What is MORE important than percentage of protein, however, is the grams of protein that a horse receives each day. Much like Vitamin C, there is a daily recommended amount of protein that a horse should receive. The 1989 NRC Table (the gold standard against which all feeds are measured) indicates that a 200 lb mature idle miniature should receive a minimum of
150 grams of crude protein each day. The NRC table NEVER mentions protein percentage. Why? Because it's irrelevant. What
is important is the AMOUNT of protein taken in by the horse each day, measured
by weight. So yes, protein percentage of the feed is important, but only as it relates to grams of protein delivered.
3)
PROTEIN IS CUMMULATIVE ACROSS THE ENTIRE DIET: Remember that there is protein in almost everything we feed our horses -- from his commercial concentrate or grains all the way to the grass he grazes on or the hay he munches on while in a stall. In order to determine the PERCENTAGE of protein in the diet, you can do the following equation:
Step 1: Find the protein amount for each item of feed. To do this equation you have to know the protein percentage of each food item, including the hay or grass. You may need to use average figures for the hay or grass if you have not had them analyzed. Average hay figures are available all over the internet. The following numbers are just for example's sake.
2 lbs of grass hay @ 11% protein = 22
(figured by multiplying 2 x 11)
1 lb of 14% sweet feed = 14
(figured by multiplying 1 x 14)
Step 2: Add the protein "factor" and the total pounds of feed provided
protein factor = 36 (figured by adding 22 + 14)
total feed = 3 lbs (figured by adding 2 + 1)
Step 3: Divided the total protein factor (36) by the total pounds of food provided (3):
36 divided by 3 = 12% protein overall for the whole diet
So now we've determined that we are feeding overall a 12% protein diet and our horse is getting fed 3 lbs of total feed each day. For our 200 lb mature idle pasture pet, this is 1.5% of his total body weight. Doesn't sound like much food, but it's really all he needs!
Now that we know the percentage of protein in the diet, let's figure out the important part -- the amount in
grams of protein this diet is providing to him each day.
Step 1: Convert total pounds fed each day to grams (uggh - metric!!! HINT: If you don't like math, use a conversion table. A good one is www.onlineconversion.com). Remember - we fed him 3 pounds of food each day:
3 pounds of food x 453.6 g/lb = 1361 grams of food each day
Step 2: Convert total percentage to actual value. This uses the overall percentage of the diet that we figured out above: 12%
(HINT: divide by 100, or simply move the decimal point 2 places to the left)
12% divided by 100 = 0.12
Step 3: Multiply total grams from Step 1 (1351 grams) by the result of Step 2 (.12)
1361 g X 0.12 = 163 grams of protein in the entire ration
Now, do you remember how many grams of protein are required by our 200 lb mature maintenance pasture pet? It was 150 grams of protein per day. So by feeding our horse 2 lbs of a low protein hay, and 1 lb of a 14% sweet feed, he is receiving 163 grams of protein per day, and his diet is 12% protein overall.
Let's do that again, now substituting a 30% protein ration balancer at 4 oz per day (the manufacturer's recommendation for our 200 lb mini) and a grass hay that averages 12% protein fed at 1% of body weight (the minimum necessary for proper gut health), so 2 lbs of grass hay each day.
Step 1:
2 lbs of hay x 12% protein = 24
4 oz (0.25 lb) of ration balancer X 30% = 7.5
Step 2:
24 + 7.5 = 31.5
2 lbs + 4 oz = 2.25 lbs
Step 3:
31.5 divided by 2.25 = 14% protein in the entire ration
Determine the number of grams provided by this diet:
Step 1:
2.25 lbs X 453.6 g/lb = 1020 grams
Step 2:
14 divided by 100 = .14
Step 3:
1020 grams X .14 = 142 grams of protein delivered per day
How many grams of protein is considered minimum amount required? -- 150 -- so we're close, but not quite there on the minimum recommended amount. Not even that
30% PROTEIN balancer fed at manufacturer's recommendations could bump up the protein delivered by the hay to minimum levels. You would either have to a) feed more ration balancer (most manufacturers have a range of feeding recommendations -- remember that 4 oz was the MINIMUM recommended by the feeding instructions) or b) provide better quality hay. Only then would our horse receive his daily requirements for TOTAL GRAMS of protein which is MUCH more important than the percentages of the different PARTS of the diet.
Math lesson over (thank goodness
)
4) YOUNG HORSES and SENIOR HORSES have a higher requirement for protein than adult horses in their prime. Young horses don't need more protein as much as they need
BETTER QUALITY protein. That's because protein is the building block of muscles and tissue. Young horses grow -- therefore they need good quality protein to fuel that growth. Important things to look for in a young horse's feed is HIGH QUALITY proteins --
lysine, methionine and threonine. If your food mentions these
amino acids (the building blocks of protein), then this is likely a premium, high quality food (and you are probably paying a higher price for it, too). Senior horses don't utilize protein as well as young or mature horses, so they need MORE PROTEIN than their younger counterparts. Therefore most senior feeds will be in the 14% range.
Therefore Omolene 300 is perfectly fine for a young growing horse.
5)
RATION BALANCERS: These
HIGHLY CONCENTRATED products can be used either as a feed OR a supplement. They pack quite a nutritional wallop in a very small amount of product and therefore manufacturer recommendations are generally MUCH less (by weight) than conventional "feeds". They are higher in protein ( in the 30-35% range) because they are designed to be fed along with lower protein whole grains such as oats and barley (and fill in the vitamins and minerals not contained in whole grains). Because most minis tend to be easy keepers, ration balancers can be fed alone as the entire feed without adding any grains. Keeps the overall calorie count down. A hard-working, hard keeper, however, may require grain to be added to maintain weight and/or energy levels. As such, the ration balancer might then become a supplement -- providing protein, vitamins and minerals in adequate amounts to complement the whole grain (oats, barley). A Ration Balancer is usually not fed with a commercial feed mix that already has its own vitamins and minerals added, although under certain circumstances it CAN be added to a commercial product, especially if you are not feeding that commercial feed to the minimum as recommended by the manufacturer. Then the ration balancer becomes a supplement. This is generally done within a manufacturer's product line. In other words, Triple Crown 30 supplement can be added to Triple Crown Growth because they have been designed to work together.
6) CALF MANNA is a wonderful supplement that has been around for years. Most people fall into 2 camps: LOVE it, HATE it. It is a high protein, soy-based supplement, similar to a ration balancer, but has much more starch in it than a ration balancer. Great product for poor-doers, or broodmares and foals when fed in moderation, keeping in mind other supplements that the horse may be receiving.
I know most of you won't read this to the bottom, but for those of you who have -- CONGRATULATIONS!!! You made it through Protein 101! Now go practice those equations!
Robin C
hosphorus ratio in your group of youngsters.
