Anyway, you might try another brand and see if they are more palatable. I've never tried to feed the hay cubes to my hens, but I used to keep bags for camping with the horses. I grew up riding in 4-H and went on to ride on my college equestrian team. Dengie Alfalfa Pellets v Northern Crop Driers Grass Nuts. Warm water will make it puff out completetly soft in 5 minutes, so you're not spending forever soaking. Ingesting mold is toxic to horses; it can cause colic and even death. You can simply hide them with some mulch if you'd like. Add alfalfa cubes to your horse's diet gradually, as sudden dietary changes can cause health issues. Garlic: Good for Horses or Leaves a Bad Aftertaste? Q: How do you transition a horse to eating soaked hay? When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. Then I stir them around with a screwdriver or something just to break them up a bit more and feed em' to the birds. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. He was feed at ground level. I didnt even offer those to him, and my other horse who eats anything wouldnt finish them. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Choke isnt quite as big an emergency as with people (the horse can still breathe), but it is something to take seriously and avoid if at all possible. Hay/haylage soaking, can someone explain?? Required fields are marked *. You can buy a scale to weigh you're cubes. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Id feed pellets dry. Q: Will alfalfa cubes put weight on a horse? Log in to my account, Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee, Edited by JLazyT_perf_horses 2020-09-04 3:48 PM. Seems like the cubes, after soaking them, are getting more thumbs up than pellets, basing on the other threads I can find about them. With my cushings guy its one of my only safe options for feeding, but I give all of mine Exceed 6 -Way so even with it being devopid of nutrition they're still getting their needs met between the alfalfa and the MVP. What a relief! Place the seeds in a mason jar or a sprouting kit. It can be easy sometimes to just "dump & run" at feeding time. My horses get 1/2 of a 3qt scoop 2x a day, soaked in water. But if your horse is old or has dental complications, here is how to prepare the feed. Alfalfa cubes are a great option for horses. Alfalfa Cubes: A Little Experiment | Woodard Mercantile But overnight shouldn't hurt it. Alfalfa Cubes - Horse Care - Chronicle Forums Supplements are intended to maintain healthy systems and support recovery and healing. Whether you need an alternate source of forage for a healthy horse, a way to help a horse gain weight, or are looking for a special treat, most horses love eating soaked alfalfa cubes. Feeding alfalfa cubes for weight gain | The Horse Forum Alfalfa Cubes vs. Pellets: What's Best for Your Horse? Pellets cant replace flakes completely since they arent long-stemmed. So I would recommend trying to soak . They do not induce cudding. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled, Copyright 2023 The Chronicle Mitigate dust and mold in the hay. JavaScript is disabled. Finally, the pellets are cooled and packaged. These products are great for senior horses. 5. Hay cubes are made by cutting dried hay down into smaller pieces (usually one to two inches in length), mixing it with water and bentonite (a natural binder), then using pressure to form a cube. A vet did part of the presentation focusing on how the horses digestive system works (with diagrams and discussion of each part of digestive system, starting with the mouth, chewing and saliva) and she talked about choke. (#betterlatethannever). P.S. A friends mare choked when fed them dry and I'm not willing to take the risk. While it may take a little effort to get an efficient process set up, this low-cost solution can be a great solution! Slow and steady. According to Kathleen Crandell, an equine nutritionist, Cubes have a reputation for causing choke because of horses trying to eat them too quickly. She loves it. Its important to feed cubes and pellets by weight, not by volume. While soaking longer does equate to more sugar removed, longer . But take the time to note if your horse is able to eat his entire portion easily, or if he seems to struggle or choke. I soak the cubes in a 5 gallon bucket and add only enough warm water to cover the cubes. This post may contain affiliate links. I'd get a scale. (They look like hard compressed hay in a 1 1/2" diameter squarish form and can be broken appart) I've always given it as a treat. baileys conditioning cubes - non heating? I still have dark orange yolks and the eggs taste great! Can alfalfa cubes replace alfalfa hay? If you get the crystals, start with enough tea for about 5 glasses of people tea into a semi dry mush. You dont have to, no. I break it in little chunks. It will take longer with cold water. In the winter i do add rice bran for my 27 year old who can be a hard keeper sometimes, due to the cushings. I actually have two now. She stressed the importance of head position and discussed various reasons it was important for horses to eat with their heads down (as opposed to eating out of a raised feeder); one of the reasons was that chewing almost doubles (she listed studies which had actual counts of chews for various head positions with various feeds) when the horse eats off the ground. Forage is key to a healthy digestive system. Or not to soak? How to Soak Hay for Horses (And Why Bother!) - Horse Rookie Soaking To Remove WSC's. If you have a horse on a low sugar diet, it is recommended to soak hay in cool, clean water for 60 minutes before feeding. Organic Alfalfa Meal Vs. Non-Organic: Which Is Better? When my horse was at the local barn I would soak her cubes over night and feed them in the morning. #1 paneubert Crowing 7 Years Nov 20, 2015 1,965 2,797 271 Snohomish County, Washington State My Coop My Coop Thought I would see what the ladies thought of some Alfalfa cubes soaked with crumble overnight. Mix everything - his ration balancer, rice bran and in the morning, his smartpak too. Forums. My horses are on soaked beet pulp plus . I have only seen alfalfa cubes fed dry and there were no problems, but the horses did not suffer from choke. Enjoy banner ad-free browsing with The Horse Forum Plus. how long can you soak alfalfa cubes before they would be considered no longer any good "fermented" or whatever? When health issues arise, always seek the advice of a licensed veterinarian who can help you choose the correct course of action for your horse. I tried different brands and everytime I'd feed it the water would be brown almost black. I dont know if he would eat them plain but this has always worked. Better practice is to WEIGH what you feed. Just remember to soak! Dr. Fernanda Camargo. Copyright 2023 Horse Rookie // Privacy Policy // Terms of Service. Always weigh alfalfa cubes dry, then soak them before feeding. As a horse becomes accustomed to eating them, they can typically be fed dry. If flakes of hay are hard to come by, you can replace them on a 1-1 ratio for maintenance. :lol: Since choke has been brought up, I wanted to pass this on for what its worth. I have a heated dog bowl for my chickens water in the winter, and I throw just a handful into the water. Beet pulp is used to add extra calories, but has no nutritional value beyond calories. If they are watered down, consumption is slowed, and horses are less likely to have problems with bolting(eating too quickly) and choking.. feeding alfalfa soaked - Ask Extension They aren't expensive. JavaScript is disabled. You can wet them enough that you can crumble them apart with your hands, but they are still not soupy. Our community has been around for many years and pride ourselves on offering unbiased, critical discussion among people of all different backgrounds. Moldy hay can cause colic, which can be fatal. Some people soak them first. Soak the pellets and they break up really easily. Also, saliva production and ingestion is greatly increased. When first introduced it may be advisable to wet the cubes as the horse will have easier time biting off small chunks to chew at one time. Also, chat with your veterinarian before making changes to your horses diet. or ground flax with rice bran. Should you soak your pellets and cubes? Alfalfa pellets are different. I soak it in a pail of water overnight, be careful you don't add too many cubes in the pail because it expands as it takes in the moisture. They are not intended to treat or cure illness or injury. Will they eat them, did you mix them in to their regular food or give it separate? The easiest way to feed soaked hay is to put your horses hay feeding into a small-hole hay net (while still dry) and submerge it in a large container, such as a plastic tote. Ive begun feeding Dawn 1lb of alfalfa cubes soaked. Looks like either doesn't it? If you have a horse on a low sugar diet, it is recommended to soak hay in cool, clean water for 60 minutes before feeding. I feed mine about 5lbs. In addition, if cubes are soaked for long periods in hot and humid conditions, they may begin to ferment in the bucket and emit an unusual odor. So I can feed it dry? I am only wondering because I am thinking about soaking them overnight (at room temperature). Only use water from the hose. Horse Care. All rights reserved. Horses need to eat about 2% of their body weight each day in forage. He yo-yo's with his weight a lot but I rarely have to adjsut his feed other than adding a cup of rice bran when he starts dropping. Overnight is fine, I soak my beet pulp and my alfalfa pellets overnight- I use twice as much water, by volume, as pellets and they seem to absorb it all. Alfalfa Cubes for Chickens? UPDATE | Page 3 - BackYard Chickens At the amount you are feeding it is not the alfalfa. My horses get 1/2 of a 3qt scoop 2x a day, soaked in water. Not if you soak it like you're supposed to, unless your horse takes massive bites and doesn't chew right. How To Sprout Alfalfa: The Complete Guide - Grow Your Pantry You can feed alfalfa cubes as a horse hay, or if you prefer, mix the cubes with pasture or hay How many pounds of alfalfa cubes do you feed a horse? I don't recommend beet pulp if you need more nutrition for your horse vs just adding basic extra calories. We found that they were all of good quality with little stems and lots of foliage. I haven't tried them at all yet. Do you feed 5 lbs all at once, or broken up into several meals? Soaking Alfalfa Cubes | BinkyBunny It makes a nice alfalfa tea for them to drink, and the next day I dump that and they can eat the soaked alfalfa. This can vary slightly based on brand, but on average, one cup of dry alfalfa pellets will weigh four ounces. What's new. Dengie Alfalfa Pellets v Northern Crop Driers Grass Nuts. Alfalfa cubes can be fed dry, and your preference may even be to do so, since it reduces the mess a little bit: no alfalfa cube mash to have to clean from buckets, stall walls, and even the horse himself.