Pelleted Alfalfa? Protein Tubs?

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

Anyone ever feed it? I struggle to find well made alfalfa dry hay out here and think it would be a big help to both my guys.

How did you use it? Did you soak it or just feed it straight?

Also has anyone ever used a protein tub? Specially made for horses of course. They seem to be growing in popularity up here but I have never thought to offer one.

 

[chandab]

Most protein tubs are molasses based, so not exactly mini friendly (not completely horse friendly either, but I do get them occasionally in the winter for my saddle horses). [if you find a horse tub that isn't molasses based, it might be one to consider.]

As to alfalfa pellets; I feed them occasionally, or alfalfa/timothy mix pellets (my senior stallion gets some added to his senior, he currently gets them dry and has no issues with them). I feed pellets dry with no issues, but none of mine seem to be piggies and inhale them, which is often what causes choke. If you decide to try alfalfa pellets, start small and see how they do; try them dry and soaked and see what they prefer. [it might make a difference as to what brand of pellets you get too; some are smaller and harder, others are bigger and softer, and sometimes they are just like little alfalfa rocks (don't find pellets this hard, too often).]

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

I have one that is an absolute piggy that would inhale his beet pulp mash even under 2" of water and one that eats like a dainty lady. I think I'll soak it for mr pig and see how the filly does before soaking.

That's kind of what I thought about the protein tubs - so sugary! Thank you!

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Look up Pro-Vita-Min tubs for horses by ADM. Those are true mineral tubs and are not molasses based and my horses love it.

As far as alfalfa pellets go I just feed it straight out of the bag.

 

[amysue]

I have always fed alfalfa pellets out of the bag, but I soak the cubes because they are so dry and crumbly. I feed them soaked to the old horse with no teeth, she seems to like them. As for the tubs, I always steered away from them because of the molasses and because they are sticky....I dislike stickyness and mine always licked it, then each other then everything else so EVERYTHING was sticky, then covered in flies. I buy them the blocks that are hard pressed so they cannot chew them up too bad, they seem to do well with those.

 

I have fed both the alfalfa cubes and pellets, both dry. The cubes I got at Tractor Supply were from Canada, and were leafy and easily broken in your hand, so the horses had no difficulty eating them, as by the time you got to the bottom of the bag, you had about 2 inches of alfalfa leaves. Pellets I've fed just added to the grain ration. I LOVE alfalfa in any form, and if you can't get the hay, then I believe in adding either the cubes or pellets.

I've never used the tubs, mostly because of the high molasses sugar content, but I know plenty of people that do. I just never felt the need.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've always fed the alfalfa pellets dry, mixed with their feed. The couple of times I tried the cubes, they were like little alfalfa BRICKS! No way to feed them without soaking them! All of mine love the pellets, except for my boys. Father and son, and they're both little divas when it comes to their feed!