My new horses picture and feed question..

[Cinm]

Here is Pixie and Blaze they have settled in so well .How much grain should I be feeding him he is 4 months 18% grain and 13% for her who is a year old.I have been giving 1 cup in the am and pm someone I spoke with said that is to much how much should I feed them?

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

What are the names of the grain you are feeding and what is it's protein, fat and fiber %?

To me, feeding a growing horse only 1 cup twice per day is no where near enough, and you should do it by weight (lbs) not volume (cups). I have fed all my weanlings and yearlings (depending on their body condition, which your little 4 month old looks a little pot bellied so he needs more protein in his diet and be checked for worms) about 1-2 lbs minimum per day. My yearling at the moment is rather, well shall we just come out and say it....."fat" (cresty neck and hard to feel ribs and hip bones) so he is getting 1 lb per day of a 10% feed split into two daily feedings, plus all the hay he can eat and limited pasture turnout.

Your yearling looks to be of good weight so just make sure she is getting enough to maintain that plus allow for growth. As she grows, adjust her feed to her appropriate age/weight and make sure she has nice flesh over the topline, hips and ribs to keep her looking good.

Both are pretty little ones and have fun with them! Don't forget it's never too early to get them working on their leading skills and manners!

 

[Matt73]

It all depends. People feed very differently. My babies, from weaning, got 3/4lb am and 3/4lb pm of a 32% ration balancer and pretty much all the grass hay they wanted. They all stayed very fit, no potbellies, and healthy on that. And they were dewormed monthly until a year old. I keep things very simple and it has worked for me

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Now everyone gets two flakes of mixed hay (grass, Timothy, and a bit of alfalfa) and 1/2lb total (1/4lb am and pm) of a 14% ration balancer. My guys aren't on grass....if they were they'd be huge lol. They all are very well muscled and have a nice layer of fat covering their ribs....I'm in awe at the amount of feed some people give their minis and can only think that they are probably working a lot harder than my spoiled, life-of-Riley prince and princesses

 

[ohmt]

It depends on the feeding instructions. For what is available here, 2 cups total would not be nearly enough. I think I would be giving your little guy a little bit more than what he's getting, but your yearling looks like she's at a good weight so I would leave her where she's at. For comparison, I feed my weanlings/yearlings free choice alfalfa/grass hay along with 1-2 lbs of a 16% grain per feeding (usually about a small coffee can full each). I also feed beet pulp and mix that with the grain.

 

[Miniv]

We do a similar feeding regime for our weanlings and yearlings as ohmt posted just above..... about a small coffee can amount of 16% grain. We mix in some alfalfa pellets because our hay is pure grass hay - usually orchard grass. They are also on a small pasture where they can graze 24/7. We don't feed beet pulp, though, unless we have a hard keeper. We've never fed an 18% grain because of the protein they get from the other sources.

IMO, 2 cups of grain per day is not enough for youngsters.

 

[Riverrose28]

No info to give on feeding, others have already helped, just want to say your new babies are really cute! Congratulations, and I also love your frenchie in your avator.