Number of feeds in the feed room?

[Becky]

My feed rooms look like a feed store sometimes!

I've started simplifying more this fall. My breeding herd has been on a vitamin/mineral supplement, alfalfa pellets and grass hay and will stay that way. I've changed their supplement to a pelleted feed in a minimal amount. Can't get much more simple than that! My show horses have been on a variety of products, but I'm simplifying it to oats, alfalfa pellets and a vitamin/mineral supplement. That should be all they need.

 

[Matt73]

Zipper the feed Matt73 is talking about is Buckeye.

Matt---I had a representitive come out to talk to me about this feed and it really does sound like an ideal feed to use. From the sounds of it you love it, it certainly would make life easy with just 1 feed. I know you only have a few horses though--not sure how it would work out to pasture feed but then that's an issue with any of them. I use a larger chunck feed for the broodmares and it is easy to put on the ground for them and then just moniter any that are not getting enough (or too much) I am giving serious thought to feeding it to all my horses including my QH.

If you could email me about it I would appreciate it Matt, thanks, Rita www.noblebrookfarm.com

Just saw this. Yes, it's Buckeye that makes the feed (they have a whole line...not just ration balancers). I went to a few info sessions around here when I started feeding it. So informative. I remember when I first got it and found out how much to give I asked, "Don't you add another feed to it?". Nope. It's meant to compliment the main part of your horses diet (forage). So if you're feeding alfalfa, there is a Gro 'n Win Alfa (with 14% protein). If you horse is on grass hay and/or pasture you feed Gro 'n Win (32% protein). If you have a hard keeper you add Ultimate Finish, a top dressing that is 25% fat that adds weight without increasing your horses' grain intake. There are more products meant for different life stages etc., but the Gro 'n Win is specifically recommended for minis and ponies due to the low starch and sugar levels. I love it so much and couldn't imagine feeding anything else

Here's a link: http://www.buckeyenutrition.com/

 

[chandab]

Thank you, Margo, Amanda and Becky, the more information the better. I understand that some do need more than just forage, but many do well on just forage, salt and water; heck I fed my saddle horses (still feed the 3 we have) primarily just forage for years and they look great (actually they are on the fat side), so why do I seem to feel the minis need more. Even the saddle mares when pregnant and lactating got little more than pasture; my AQHA mare needed extra when she was nursing her daughter (her first foal), but when she had her son, the vet told me to take her off everything but the pasture as she was feeding him too well. I think I'll be working towards simplifying the feed room, but I don't know what I'll do wiht all the extra garbage cans when I do.

Amanda, your mare looks great.

Thank you.

 

[Margot]

We try to keep life simple. We have three big horses that get strategy and the 20 minis are on Purina Mini feed. We switched to the mini feed in the Spring and everyone seems to be doing very well. I just told my husband to cut back on the feed as some of the horses seem a little chubby. We do feed chopped forage to show horses during show season. We also have 20 plus Boer goats so there is goat feed and minerals in the feed room too . The pic is a four year old we bred for the first time this year, not clipped, out of the pasture on the Purina Mini feed.

 

[chandab]

We try to keep life simple. We have three big horses that get strategy and the 20 minis are on Purina Mini feed. We switched to the mini feed in the Spring and everyone seems to be doing very well. I just told my husband to cut back on the feed as some of the horses seem a little chubby. We do feed chopped forage to show horses during show season. We also have 20 plus Boer goats so there is goat feed and minerals in the feed room too . The pic is a four year old we bred for the first time this year, not clipped, out of the pasture on the Purina Mini feed.

Looks like the mini feed is working for you, she looks good.

I've contemplated the mini feed, but my local Purina dealer doesn't keep their supply very fresh. I had seen the mini feed sign in their store, so asked about it; they had a bag of the Farnum mini feed and it had been in the store last October (and they won't buy more til the old is gone).

 

[Margot]

Looks like the mini feed is working for you, she looks good.

I've contemplated the mini feed, but my local Purina dealer doesn't keep their supply very fresh. I had seen the mini feed sign in their store, so asked about it; they had a bag of the Farnum mini feed and it had been in the store last October (and they won't buy more til the old is gone).

We are lucky there are a lot of feed stores around here. The place we get ours from actually carries a number of different feeds and it seems to move out pretty quickly and they also deliver which is a big time saver. They all have nice shiny coats from the mini feed. The big horses get just a tiny bit of Strategy to encourage them to go right into their stalls at night. All our animals go in the barn at night because we have bears.

 

[midnight star stables]

TOO MANY!

Well we have 4 big horses and 6 miniatures.... In the feed room we have 6 different grains, plus 7 "others" top dressings!

Here is a break down of our feed room.

Feeds:

Senior Feed

Elite (Adult) Feed

Junior Feed

High Fat High Fiber

Golden Years (Another Senior Feed with a higher protein level)

Sweet-feed

Others/Top-Dressings:

Beet Pulp

BOSS

Optimal (Vitamins)

Orimicen(sp) (Helps the immune system)

Quiessence

Oil Cake

Cough-No-More (For Joy, who has a chronic dry cough related to allergies)

Often times we have carrots or apples on stock too

Not all horses get everything listed, but we sure go through feed fast. My horses normally eat better than I do, but I'm okay with that!!

 

[midnight star stables]

Just saw this. Yes, it's Buckeye that makes the feed (they have a whole line...not just ration balancers). I went to a few info sessions around here when I started feeding it. So informative. I remember when I first got it and found out how much to give I asked, "Don't you add another feed to it?". Nope. It's meant to compliment the main part of your horses diet (forage). So if you're feeding alfalfa, there is a Gro 'n Win Alfa (with 14% protein). If you horse is on grass hay and/or pasture you feed Gro 'n Win (32% protein). If you have a hard keeper you add Ultimate Finish, a top dressing that is 25% fat that adds weight without increasing your horses' grain intake. There are more products meant for different life stages etc., but the Gro 'n Win is specifically recommended for minis and ponies due to the low starch and sugar levels. I love it so much and couldn't imagine feeding anything else

Here's a link: http://www.buckeyenutrition.com/

Matt, I REALLY thought of changing over to this... But I just can't wrap my head around the idea! I am so used to feeding pounds of grain a day.

 

[chandab]

Not all horses get everything listed, but we sure go through feed fast. My horses normally eat better than I do, but I'm okay with that!!

Me, too, on both accounts.