Re: RC:Re:Importance of Roughage/HELP

[SANDYSROB@aol.com]

Alright so I'm behind a little (a little!), I'd like to know if there's 
anything wrong with feeding Alfalfa hay other than the obvious, the price.  I 
just started using beet plup the sweet one soaked, about a month ago, I mix 
in a little grain and some vitamins/ minerals, twice a day.  They slop it up 
like pigs.  OK, my take on these posts was you prefer to feed grass hay 
instead of alfalfa like there's a purpose for this. My 12%  protien grain 
amount, has been cut in half with the start of the BP (6%), so feeding 
alfalfa which is higher in protien than grass hay, I thought would be better 
for them, maybe not?  Oh, I also feed some grass hay, especialy on cold 
nights.

Sandy Trying to figure things out
Sorrento, FL 







In a message dated 01/16/2000 8:53:41 AM EST, tondi313@yahoo.com writes:

<< I had a neighbor that didn't know much about horses. 
 He had two lovely Arabs.  One morning the dominant
 gelding in their pasture was found dead, all blown up.
  Apparently they had run out of hay and the neighbor's
 daughter had fed the two horses five gallons, or more,
 of grain....of course, the dominant gelding ate the
 majority....
 
 Roughage is important.  My older Egyptian gelding
 hates grass hay so much that one morning I fed him, he
 stretched out and peed on it.  I ignore him.  It is
 usually mostly gone, except the peed spots, by the end
 of the day...  He is very fat and healthy and a very
 easy keeper.
 
 Sheila
 
 --- "hn.heather" <hn.heather@wanadoo.fr> wrote:
 > 
 > > I have yet to find a type of hay (other than
 > alfalfa) that he will really
 > chow
 > > down; thence the larger portions of grain.
 > >
 > > Laura,
 > > N. Fla.
 > >
 > Hi Laura
 > I agree all horses have different metabolisms, a
 > fundamental principle, but
 > there are some basic rules and I don't think you can
 > really compensate lack
 > of forage intake with increased grain intake, they
 > fulfill different
 > purposes in nutrition.
 > Will your boy eat chaff?  Molassed chaff?  This
 > would be one way of upping
 > his forage intake.  Perhaps you've tried this
 > already.
 > If he's on a high concentrate ration this could make
 > him hyper which
 > wouldn't help the fact that he doesn't keep weight
 > on, sort of vicious
 > circle.
 > The chaff also slows down their rate of intake,
 > particularly important when
 > you're feeding pellets.
 > Anyway I'm just fishing here because I don't know
 > what his routine is, does
 > he have access to pasture etc.
 > What does everybody else think.
 > Heather
 > 
 > 
 
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