Re: RC: Re: Re: A Feed Question

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

>OK, somebody opened a can of worms here...now I am >curious about the metabolic issues and heat.

>I feed 3 lb. oats & 1 LB Grow N. Win (32% protein) 2x a >day, some very wet beet pulp,  its is the "only" thing I have >found to keep the weight on, (I suspect a vital but trace >mineral or vitamin in the G&W)

 

You're probably right.  Assuming your bahia grass is coming from the SE, it's (on average) notoriously low in minerals.

 

> but what should I look for in >the hot weather? 

 

You won't be seeing anything related to a high protein ration.  As a guesstimate, I'd say your horse is getting between 1200 - 1300 grams of crude protein a day, and his overall protein level is between 10-11%.  His requirements are roughly 1000 or a little more depending on the size/work intensity of the horse, so 200-300 grams of extra protein isn't going to make any noticeable difference at all.  When I refer to excess protein, I mean horses that are on straight alfalfa (for example) and getting 200-300% of their actual protein requirement.

 

 

> We are having some heat later than usual here in FL, and >I am getting some lather between the back legs on a fit >horse. His breathing is a little heavier but we are training >fairly hard and he recovers well.  

 

Well, those are potentially some of what you would see in a horse on a high protein ration, but I doubt in your case you could really point at the extra 200-300 grams and say that's the reason why.

>Out on bahia grass 24/7 coastal hay Jan - April til grass >gets going.
>Is lather related to the high protein?

 

It can be, if it's just between the hindlegs, it can just mean a horse that's working hard regardless of the protein level.  Yes, sometimes horses on a really high protein ration get alot of that soapy, lathery foam that (to my nose) doesn't smell as good as a clean sweating horse.  Part of that foam is due to saponins produced in the skin, but it gets increased to some extent with a high protein ration.  It's not 100%, though.

 

 

 

> How does one figure out the protein?

Kilograms of each feed item multiplied by it's protein content multiplied by 1000 = grams of crude protein provided by that particular feed item.  For example: 2 pounds of Grow n Win = .9 kg x 32% = .290 kgs of crude protein.  .290 x 1000 = 290 grams of crude protein provided daily by the Grow n Win.  Do the same of the rest of the feeds in the total ration (hay, beet pulp and oats) and add it all up. That sum is the total grams of crude protein provided per day.  In your case, I estimated the total at around 1200-1300 or so.

 

To figure out the overall protein content of the entire ration, divide that number by 1000 and divide *that* number by the total number of kilograms of feed fed daily---hay, grain, beet pulp, etc.  In your case, I estimated your horse was eating 24 lbs a day of food which equals about 11 kg.  1200 grams of protein = 1.2 kg, divided by 11 kg of total diet = 10.9% protein diet.  Which is just about right.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Susan G