Re: Re: Beet Pulp & grain????

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

I think what you're feeding sounds fine.  The advantage to mixed grains
along with grass hay, beet pulp, etc is generally that you're more likely to
fill all the nutritional 'gaps' if you're providing a variety of feeds.  For
example, beet pulp is a decent source of calcium, but is a bit low in
phosphorus.  Grains are just the opposite, so they balance each other
nicely.  Different grains have different amino acid profiles, and you tend
to get an overall better balance if you feed mixed grains rather than just
oats, or just corn.

Nutritionally, they'd probably be fine without the alfalfa, but it looks
like a pretty cold winter up here in Colorado, and a little protein helps
stoke the furnace to keep them warm.

The other reason why a mixed diet tends to work out better than just feeding
one thing is that there's really a wide range of nutritional value derived
from one region (or field) to another.  Crops are really being pushed to
produce as much as possible, and the quality of soil and fertilization will
affect the quality of the forage grown to a huge extent---poor quality soil,
poor quality crop.  So unless you're having every batch of hay, beet pulp
and grain analyzed and doing alot of number crunching, feeding a variety of
foodstuffs helps hedge your bet that overall, your nutritional profile
doesn't contain any major shortfalls.  This doesn't mean you should go
adding tons of supplements, or dozens of different types of feed.  Just that
using mixed grains over straight, and maybe a little beet pulp along with
the grass hay is usually a good idea without getting having the whole thing
get out of hand. :-)

Good luck,
Susan G

----- Original Message -----
From: Michelle Fink <michrowe@redwrench.com>
To: Susan Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>;
<ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Friday, December 29, 2000 7:29 PM
Subject: RC: Re: Beet Pulp & grain????


> Hi Susan,
>
> I recently looked in the archives and on your site about feeding grain,
> particularly with beet pulp.  I am feeding about 1.5 lb COB with 1.5 lb
BP -
> dry weight, its mixed together and well soaked.  My horses are doing
> moderate exercise, +-25 miles per week each.  Is is there any nutritional
> advantage to feeding COB, other than it being a concentrated form of
> calories?  One horse would not finish her beetpulp w/o the COB, now I just
> mix the same brew for all three horses.
>
> FWIW I am also feeding good grass hay, a bit of alfalfa hay, and 800 IU E
> each, they have some scant winter pasture.  The COB is 50% whole oats, 25%
> steamed corn, 25% steamed barley.
>
> Happy trails and happy holidays!
>
> Michelle
> (Colorado)
>
>
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