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Post by Michelle Clarke on Dec 18, 2007 23:08:13 GMT -5
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Post by lindaf on Dec 19, 2007 0:19:15 GMT -5
Is this typical of Kigers, being air-ferns? My Fjords are. They get nothing but grass hay and a small amount of Nutrena Lite Balance...no grain, no alfalfa, definitely no sweet feed. My Kiger was used to an 80/20 grass/alfalfa mix, but I was wondering if I could transition her to what he Fjords eat, ie. ndrop the alfalfa. That is a good site. Do they still have the fat Fjord on the home page? That ticked off some of the touchier Fjord folks.  |
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Post by DianneC on Dec 22, 2007 13:09:12 GMT -5
The horses here are on pasture year round but get most of their nutrition from alfalfa in the winter. Local hay is gone by September and timothy and orchard grass are way expensive, almost $300 a ton delivered. That being said, I know that I'm way high in calcium and hate to feed enough grain to counter that. Rice bran is looking good for balancing the calcium/phosphorus ratio (need phosphorus) but am wondering what other people who feed alfalfa use?
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Post by nrly on Dec 23, 2007 0:28:22 GMT -5
I feed alfalfa and strategy, red wheat bran, pellets, to Riddle, the other 4 get alfalfa, red wheat bran, and pellets. they get this every day.
nola
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Dec 23, 2007 9:09:17 GMT -5
Typically, I had fed alfalfa to the young growing horses, broodmares, Charro during breeding season and then I always feed it to the horses I am working steady for protein and using extra oats for energy, so they balanced out with the ratios.
This new feed is in an alfalfa base and they recommend to feed alfalfa hay when possible. I am not totally convinced on the wonders of the feed yet, but we started yesterday morning. We had to leave everyone off feed (just hay/pasture) for 24 hours. This was because if they had alot of sugar and starches in the gut from another feed, it would carry it into the system very quickly.
Mass rejection on the part of the weanlings! Gringo flung it out of his bucket and danced it into the sand in his stall! I guess it is like going from candy and donuts (with the textured feed) to stuff that is good for you like veggies and fruit! I added some cocosoya oil to it last night, and a few ventured into the bowl. They have eaten nothing else except the other feed, so I can understand! If they have not finished it this morning, I will add in some bran and make a rose hip/chamomile warm mash and that should do the trick!
The two new Kigers from the adoption are having no problems with it, surprisingly! Most of the older horses are doing well eating it, though Rev and Des needed some time to ponder the situation. The yearlings took the whole day to finish it: Amada took a mouthful and stuck her lip up in the air in distaste many times. Then she even scraped her open mouth on the dirt to get the taste out! Solana just turned and went back out to pasture as she was having none of it!
I know it is a big change for them, but way better than the sugar/starch loaded stuff they were on. We have a 20 yr. old rescue horse that gets it free choice and he doesn't pick his head up out of the bucket. I have not been able to put any weight on this horse except for a big grass/water belly, so we shall see.
Nola, be careful with the Strategy. That is for performance horses. In Chicago, that is all the hunter/jumpers feed and training those horses were a bear until we got the feed switched over. Also, that brand is not known for using quality ingredients - alot of cheap, synthetic vits/mins that horses cannot even utilize. Heck, they used to use ground up pig and cow bone for calcium until the problems with all the mad cow. Always remember, your vet is a vet, not a nutritionalist. In thier long education, they spend about a month on that subject. I am not sure why he recommended that as an addition, but would be curious to know.
Having already put Desi on digestive enzymes, he has lost over an inch in his neck (his blanket hangs onto his shoulder now). He feels so much better and gave the farrier a hard time for the first time ever on friday. My nice laid back stallion, may not be so when he feels good!!!! Hey, that's okay with me! He has also stopped "toe diving" in the hind feet. I am going to keep him on them even with the new feed until I get him where I feel he does not need them.
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Post by nrly on Dec 23, 2007 13:56:51 GMT -5
by me asking or telling what my horses are on is one way for me to get the 411 on this stuff sometimes. I guess I am to trusting of my vet. thank you will look some more.
nola
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Post by sonrisa98 on Jan 2, 2008 0:50:33 GMT -5
I live in Oregon and feed my horses what hay is available, ecspecially for this time of year. I supplement them with the LMF feeds that are specifically formulated for the Northwest. It has all the minerals and vit. a horse in this area needs and all you have to do is provide them with white salt. They have different formulations for different activities for you horse. It seems a little more spendy then most feeds, but if you figure what you give in supplements on the side and most supplements don't give your horse what it needs on a daily basis, its cheaper in the long run. My mares are fat just on grass so they get the LMF super supplement at 1# per 1000# of body weight. Our QH gelding who is a hard keeper is on LMF Primetime which is for senior horses and their best fattening feed. He gets 5# a day plus LMF Taco which for some reason helps with his loose stools he's had for a long time and a scoop of Yea- Sac too help keep his hindgut functioning properly. I'm totally sold on this food. Sonya
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