Grain Question

[Karma Creek Minis]

I have a mare who has as of last night gone off grain. She gets 1 cup per feeding of Horsemans edge 12% sweet feed. and 1 flake of hay 2x a day.

I had them on the platform mini feed up until a month ago because I cant find a grain store that can carry it in stock when I need it. So the nearest store is over an hour and a half away that orders more then 5 bags it seems. The other horses are fine, but my one mare just snubs it. shes eating hay, drinking, no temp, no lose stool. Hubby and I were outside watching her for an hour she will eat carrots with no problem at all. Her temp was 99.9 last night, and this morning was 98.6.

I have a call into the vets office I am waiting for him to call me back, he was on the road with a emergency. We will have to trailer her in to be seen. But I wanted some input to shoot to the vet for ideas.

Shes now just started with a little bit of a runny eye. but no snotty nose.

 

[Carolyn R]

It could quite possibly be the feed. Keep a close eye on her, and make sure she isn't laying down alot. A "sleepy acting" horse can actually be a colicing horse. If she is noprmal all the way around otherwise, I would guess it is the feed. I have a large bale of hay, looks beautiful, my horses won't touch it, it might as well be straw bedding. Yet they are out chomping away at different hay right now.

Take care,

Carolyn

I just realized you said it was sweet feed, that is pretty strange that she won't eat it......Usually that is like candy for a horse.

 

[Karma Creek Minis]

I really think its the grain, I just check the other horses and ALL of them have atleast a half of there grain amounts left in the buckets.

No one is acting sleepy, rolling, or even looking at their sides for pain. They are "talking" to us when we open the door to go out at see them. bright eyed and alert!

The vet wants me to watch them. He seems to think its the grain as well. So I am keeping a close eye on everyone, but I have the truck and trailer loaded and read to move if I notice anything suddenly change. I am keeping an eye on temps too.

I wonder if the weather could affect them as well. two days ago it was 65 and now its 35.

 

[Karma Creek Minis]

I just wanted to update, They would not touch the grain.

So I drove to the grain store that has the platform mini, picked up a bag just to try it. I just fed them all about a handful, They wanted it like it was going out of style. She and the others almost knocked my husband over to get more.

I was smelling the last bit of grain in the grain bin, and to me had a funny smell. It is kept in a cool dry place. with lid to keep other animals out but I know before I put that grain in the bucket, I washed the bin out, and towel dryed the bin I am thinking I might have missed a spot and that might explain some of the problem.

Thanks for the help Carolyn!

 

[Jean_B]

"Sweet feed" has a much shorter shelf life than Platform or other pelleted feeds and can easily go funky, especially if it has been incorrectly stored at the dealership. That's because of the (in my opinion) excessive amounts of molasses and corn. Too much moisture, and a high danger of mold. Corn is (again, in my opinioin) a VERY POOR feed for horses.

Which is why I LOVE the Platform feed. All of mine go nuts at feeding time and clean it up lickety split. And I can get a 2 or 3 month supply at a time and know the last bag will be as good as the first.