Number of feeds in the feed room?

[chandab]

Ok, I'm just curious how many different feeds other people have in their feed room. are you lucky enough that one feed covers everyone? Or do you have several different feeds to meet individual needs.

Primarily looking for actual feeds such as straight grains, sweet feeds, pelleted feeds, ration balancers for the main part of the poll (don't have to mention specific feeds, just explaining what I mean by feeds). And, will add a second little part to list "extras" like alfalfa pellets/cubes, beet pulp, other bagged forage products. [i'll also break it down a little based on number of horses.]

I've been trying to simplify my feed room/program, but it seems there is always someone that needs something different from the rest. Currently, my main program is a ration balancer, but I have two hard keepers so they are getting other feeds. [My feed took a huge jump in price, so looking at my options.]

Thanks.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

I put four but we actually use seven: Equine Jr and Enrich 32 for the foals. The stallions get Horsemans Edge 12%. My show horses get the Purina Mini feed. Jane's show horses get a 12% pellet mixed with Omolene 500 and beet pulp. The field horses get the 12% pellet. We sometimes mix in an alfalfa pellet for the field mares but they didn't seem to eat it as well.

 

[Flying minis]

For all (minis and big horses) I have rolled oats and sweet feed, and beet pulp. That's all, and all do well on it, I vary the combination of feeds depending who needs fat, protein, or energy (carbs). Also have grass and alfalfa hay, and 20 acres pasture. Have own horse that's not mine that lives here - her owner has straight oats and corn, but I didn't count those because if not for her I wouldn't have them or use them.

 

[Wings]

I tend to have one or two "main" feeds along with the beet pulp and then 6+ supplements to pick from. Each horse will get a somewhat different mix based on what they need. For example a broodmare will get a portion of feed, a large portion of beet pulp followed by my broodmare supplement. My show stallion gets a portion of feed, a small portion of beet pulp with supplements for coat and topline.

 

[Becky]

I'm trying to cut out a large variety of feeds I keep here (although having a variety really saved a few horses that got sick this summer). As of right now, I've switched all of my breeding herd to a limited amount of a pelleted 'grain' (it's alfalfa based) plus alfalfa pellets and grass hay. Trying to keep costs down as well as ease of feeding.

My show horses are on a variety of products, mostly due to age differences, but next show season, I am looking at simplifying it even more.

 

[mydaddysjag]

I finally got both horses onto the same feed, then a a few weeks later one got ulcers (not the one whos feed I changed) so now he's going to get pulled off of pelleted feed, and Im going to put him on hay pellets in place of feed just so he doesnt go berserk when his neighbor gets grain.

For winter both horses are idle and just turned out in a drylot, here is what they get daily, split into 2 meals:

34" Gelding gets - 1.6lbs Purina Mini Horse and Pony, 8lbs timothy/alfalfa hay, 2oz canola oil, and about 1/4 tsp. loose salt, and an ulcer preventative. He is my harder keeper of the two, and requires much, much more when worked.

36" Stallion with ulcers - 2 cups beet pulp shreds, 2 cups alfalfa pellets both measured dry, then mixed with water to create a mash. 1/4tsp. loose salt, 1oz canola oil. 8lb timothy/alfalfa hay, and treatment dose of gastrogard and carafate.

I do feed differently in show season, but still feed quite a bit more hay than most, I also replace some regular hay with chopped hay and beet pulp. 8lbs of hay has my horses eating hay nearly free choice right now, as I feed hay in busy snacker hay bags. Normally I dont feed quite so much hay, but the ulcers have me seriously reconsidering what and how I feed. The horse who ended up with ulcers is a horse who I haven't conditioned to show, as I got him at the end of show season, hes just been turned out, hes the last horse I would expect to get ulcers.

 

[Hosscrazy]

8 full size horses and 2 minis - different feeds for the different needs of the horses. We have alfalfa hay, alfalfa cubes, timothy hay, timothy pellets, Purina Equine Senior and Natural Glo. And, of course, psyllium and joint supplements for everyone!

Liz N.

 

[Marty]

I have a huge selection in my feed room which is so out of control I am going to really knock it off and get back down to just a couple of feeds. There is no reason for this other than I am fussy but its also gotten plain outright stupid.

 

[Margo_C-T]

I have two actual 'feeds'(concentrates)...Triple Crown Senior and Thrive. All of my 5 get one or the other, plus all get soaked beet pulp 1X daily, and stabilized ground flax 1X daily. All get grass hay, and a light, separate feed of straight alfalfa once daily(except the 29 YO, who can no longer safely chew hay, and will NOT touch soaked hay pellets.) I checked 'alfalfa pellets' because my 29 YO mare gets rabbit pellets(in addition to TC Senior), and that's essentially what they are(and the only 'straight forage' product' she can and will eat.) This actually IS a simpler program than I've had for some time, and everyone is doing well on it...and my life is simpler, too!

Margo

 

[Minimor]

The only grain in my feed room now is rolled oats--that is all anyone is getting. I do sometimes have a bag of 14% pellets there too if I've got a weanling that needs extra feed, but this fall there's no one needing the pellets so I haven't bought any. Our weanling filly this year was actually a January foal so she's getting close to a year old; she was weaned just last month & has held her weight very well so doesn't need anything more than oats.

Minerals here are in the form of mineral blocks, so those are out in the pastures and corrals.

There is 3/4 of a bag of alfalfa/timothy cubes that has been sitting unused in the shed for at least 2 months now, and that's it.

 

[barnbum]

Only Triple Crown 30 here! That's a supplement, not a grain (I know you know that, but I felt I should clarify for those who might not know), so NA for me.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I own 3 and have 2 different feeds, or will have for next year. My 2 show horses from this year were getting fed the mini/pony feed by purina and getting fed alfalfa/timothy cubes. My other one who is prone to choke who just get fed a all hay diet but will be bringing him out next year to show I'll be giving him Equine Sr. as it makes a mash really easily. Of course all will be on 1 supplement.

 

[LAZY J MINIS]

I'VE CUT DOWN TO 2 DIFFERENT FEEDS. NOW EVERYONE IS ON 12% PELLETED, ONLY EXCEPTION IS THE 2 FOUNDERED MARES, THEY ARE ON WHOLE OATS. I KEEP ALFALFA PELLETS ON HAND FOR EXTRA CALORIES IF NEEDED. EVERYONE IS NICE AND PLUMP, GOOD WINTER COATS?(90 DEGREES TODAY). AS LONG AS THEY STAY THIS WAY, MY FEEDING PLAN WORKS. THEY ALSO GET COSTAL HAY.

 

[Matt73]

One feed. Gro 'n Win. I've been feeding that for 7+ years to all. That and grass hay (and for two years a mix of grass and alfalfa). The foal(s) get Buckeye Foal Starter (a milk-based pellet) until 4 months of age and then are also on Gro 'n Win. Easy peasy

 

[chandab]

I have a huge selection in my feed room which is so out of control I am going to really knock it off and get back down to just a couple of feeds. There is no reason for this other than I am fussy but its also gotten plain outright stupid.

This is partiallly what happened to me. I had a smorgasborg for my senior half-Arab gelding to keep him eating and in good condition; when I lost him I didn't lose the smorgasborg, even though the minis really didn't that much variety or that type of feed. I'm trying to get down to one or two main feeds plus beet pulp and maybe forage pellets (I like having the grass pellets available, anyone can eat them, all like them and they make a great mash if needed).

 

[chandab]

This is really interesting, thank you for all the votes and replies, keep 'em coming. I'm sure I'm making things more complicated than it needs to be for all but the two hard keepers (there is nothing easy about feeding them).

 

[wildoak]

I keep trying to simplify lol, but can't seem to get everyone on the same page. Most of mine are on Bluebonnet Equilene, 14% pellet. A few on Equine Sr, and I am finishing up the last bag of Ultium I had a couple on over the summer to gain weight. Also use beet pulp, bagged chopped timothy/alfalfa, Platinum and currently Fastrack. I have a couple of big horses on Four Hoofs too, and I use other things depending on the time of year, who's showing, who's nursing a foal, etc.

Jan

 

[Sandy B]

We have 10 minis (a weanling to broodmares and a stallion) and 8 Quarter Horses (weanling to 29 yr old) and 1 Thoroughbred. I have tried multiple times to simplify my feeding program but always seem to make adjustments for individual ones that need it. So my full sized horses get alfalfa in the am and a Orchard Grass(sometimes with a little alfalfa in it) in the evening. The minis get only the Orchard or Orchard mix. In addition to hay, the old 29 year old mare and the 15 year old TB get a small pellet called Elk Grove Milling Stable Mix. It is a complete feed made of a grass hay base. We soak these for the old girl. Plus these guys and all the full sized horses of all ages get varying amounts of Purina Strategy. The minis get Purina Mini Horse & Pony feed. The performance horses and the old girl get Equerrys Complete RX (a vitamin, mineral, probiotic, joint care supplement) and the rest get Equerrys Green Label (same as the RX but without the joint supplement). The performance horses are also on a daily wormer such a Continuex or Strongid CX. All horses have a trace mineral block as well as a salt block.

 

[Tremor]

I have all of my minis (7) on the Purina Miniature Horse & Pony.

However I also have:

Beet Pulp

Alfalfa Pellets

BOSS

Alfalfa Cubes

 

[Chelley]

:wacko I had just posted earlier today asking what is the right/best kind of feed to use....WOW....more confused than ever after reading all that!! Sounds like there is no "right way", which for someone like me looking for a black and white answer is frustrating. I guess it is just trial and error and personal preference-not the answer I was hoping for.