I am only wondering because I am thinking about soaking them overnight (at room temperature). I am adding the beet pulp to the old donkey and my sr gelding's feed but them like the cubes better I have noticed. These products are great for senior horses. I am only wondering because I am thinking about soaking them overnight (at room temperature). (I already have added a third cup of water. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Answer Alfalfa cubes can give off a distinct smell, which some may find offensive or off-putting, and this may be especially true when using hot water to soak cubes during the winter. It's cold. I don't recommend beet pulp if you need more nutrition for your horse vs just adding basic extra calories. Lumps & Baffling Bumps: Whats a Horse 6 Best Fly Boots for Horses Harassed by Bugs. Its ridiculous! (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. I am betting my birds will eat them, because basically they eat pretty much everything. Alfalfa: Benefits, Nutrition Facts & Side Effects - Healthline I would not feed cubes dry, myself. I have one horse that generally prefers dry cubes and one that will choke on dry cubes. Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen. Do the cubes need to be soaked prior to feeding? There probably is a a higher chance of chocking, mine have never chocked on it though. But if your horse is old or has dental complications, here is how to prepare the feed. We found that they were all of good quality with little stems and lots of foliage. (hey, the rest of the chores wont do themselves, right?) When grass or flakes of hay either isnt an option or isnt enough, you can supplement your horses diet with processed hay like cubes or pellets. #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. #1 how long can you soak alfalfa cubes before they would be considered no longer any good "fermented" or whatever? Beet pulp is used to add extra calories, but has no nutritional value beyond calories. Dengie Alfalfa Pellets v Northern Crop Driers Grass Nuts. I use the alfalfa cubes. Feeding dry pellets or cubes has a high risk of choke, so its important to always soak them first. Depending on the product and the water temperature, you may need to soak anywhere from ten minutes to two hours prior to feeding. I prefer alfalfa over the beet pulp, but when I switched to grain free I added the beet pulp for some extra calories to help offset the loss of the grain I was feeding. I live in Florida, so while they are in my shed, during the day it gets into the 70's-80's and they are fine. I love practicing dressage, jumping, reining, trail riding, and cow work with my AQHA gelding, Azteca gelding, and Mini Appy in beautiful Montana, USA. Soaking alfalfa cubes | New Rider Forum Lastly, I have a big soft spot in my heart for senior horses! At the amount you are feeding it is not the alfalfa. Horses need to eat about 2% of their body weight each day in forage. Is there a particular reason that you want to feed alfalfa cubes? Step 2: Pour water (2:1, water to pellets) on the bucket and let it dump. Beet pulp, ration balancer, fat supplement. Pellets are an okay risk, imo, for a horse with no choke history who is not a greedy eater, who cannot be convinced to eat them soaked and needs the alfalfa in that manner. It makes a nice alfalfa tea for them to drink, and the next day I dump that and they can eat the soaked alfalfa. The Effect of Soaking on Carbohydrate Removal and Dry Matter Loss in Orchardgrass and Alfalfa Hays. 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. They also swell up to several times the original volume when soaked and it makes the feed appear bigger, which is good if you have a horse who doesn't need much but likes their food. (Answered) Do Alfalfa Pellets Need To Be Soaked? - MammalPedia Supplements are intended to maintain healthy systems and support recovery and healing. I feed mine about 5lbs. Not if you soak it like you're supposed to, unless your horse takes massive bites and doesn't chew right. We encourage you to take an active role in your horses feeding program, especially if you are the care giver to older horses. I won't feed beet pulp. They do not induce cudding. I like adding a 1/2 scoop ofbeet pulp and a scoop of alfalfa cubes presoaked the night before and mix it in their grain. Mitigate dust and mold in the hay. Good alfalfa can be 18-20% protein and 55% TDN or energy. The 12 Gems laid only 5 eggs this week. Could you try that? P.S. Alfalfa pellets are different. (#betterlatethannever). As with all horse feed, be sure to measure by weight (dry weight) and not volume to ensure youre feeding the right amount. Roughly 2 cups of crumbles. Looking for nutrition advice for horses with allergies or metabolic concerns? Our nutritionist with Performance Horse Nutrition, Dr. Stephen Duren, answers this question by addressing an esophageal choke with aggressive or naive eaters in the video below. I still have dark orange yolks and the eggs taste great! I just attended a horse feed seminar hosted by a feed supplement company. In some ways, alfalfa cubes may be even better. Always weigh alfalfa cubes dry, then soak them before feeding. For a 1,000-pound horse, this equates to at least twenty pounds of hay per day. Long-stem fiber is defined as hay or grass pasture that is 2 in length or longer. This allows even distribution. Hay/haylage soaking, can someone explain?? This is important for horses that need a low sugar diet, such as those diagnosed as insulin resistant, those with laminitis, Cushings, or Equine Metabolic Syndrome. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Unlimited access > Menu. So I can feed it dry? Horses are my first love, but travel is a close second! I wonder if your pellets are softer than ours? Then I stir them around with a screwdriver or something just to break them up a bit more and feed em' to the birds. Cover the jar with a mesh sprouting lid, which keeps out contaminants while also allowing air to flow freely into the jar. Would that be to long?. I actually have two now. But I don't feed any hay pellets or cubes without soaking first to soften. Cubes, however, lack the long-stem fibers horses need for digestive health (most cubes are only one inch long, which is half of the length a horse needs). As an adult, I've ridden and shown Quarter Horses for 20+ years, including several wins at Quarter Horse Congress. Ill definitely try that and see! Required fields are marked *. While soaking longer does equate to more sugar removed, longer . The dark water is some dirt, some natural color from the shreds, & the rest of the sugar coming off. Only use water from the hose. AND I add corn oil when starting them for extra energy, ( and keeping stools soft and moving. You must log in or register to reply here. Soaking hay may be a reasonable solution! Q: Can you feed alfalfa pellets instead of grain? You can substitute cubes and pellets with flakes of hay, pound-for-pound. Check out this video for more info on feeding cubes and pellets. Subscribe Now. And we found it to be a fun way to take a closer look at an often over looked product. 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. Also, chat with your veterinarian before making changes to your horses diet. If your horse tends to be wasteful with his hay, he may eat more when offered alfalfa hay cubes or pellets. He gets protein tub access 24/7. Seems like the cubes, after soaking them, are getting more thumbs up than pellets, basing on the other threads I can find about them. I know, that's why I said we are starting to exercise more to build muscle, and want to make sure we up his feed appropriately. The cubes are incredibly hard, so I don't know if the hens would be able to bust themThe horses do chomp on them, but I got into the habit of soaking the cubes in water so they would absorb the moisture, and the cubes easily broke apart. haylage - hosing it/soaking it/ reducing sugar & risks? He had difficulty with the hay cubes and wouldnt eat them. While soaking longer does equate to more sugar removed, longer soak times also negatively affect other nutrients available in the hay. Esophageal obstruction, commonly known as choke, might be avoided if the cubes are sprayed liberally with water before offered to the horse. DawningDreams. Ingesting mold is toxic to horses; it can cause colic and even death. I have never had any problems. Alfalfa Cubes - Horse Care - Chronicle Forums You can buy a scale to weigh you're cubes. (They look like hard compressed hay in a 1 1/2" diameter squarish form and can be broken appart). Horses love sweet tea. I don't soak mine for that long, no more than 30 minutes if I use hot water an hour tops, usually start soaking and by the time I'm done with dinner its ready to go. I have fed beet pulp for many years. I use the pellets for my goatsthey love them! could benefit from either. Id not feed cubes dry. You can also add a bit of oil to the soaked cubes for some extra fat. My horses are on soaked beet pulp plus . Its important to feed cubes and pellets by weight, not by volume. You can also try pellets or beet pulp depending on what you are trying to achieve by adding the cubes. Trot on over to: http://equine.ca.uky.edu/news-story/soak-or-not-soak-hay, https://www.horsejournals.com/horse-care/feed-nutrition/how-and-why-soaking-hay. Copyright 2023 Horse Rookie // Privacy Policy // Terms of Service. Let them soak overnight or for 8-12 hours. If you have a senior horse with poor (or no) teeth getting hay pellets instead of flakes of hay, theyll need 15 to 25 pounds of pellets per day to maintain their weight. We have seen gain, but hard to say if that's just because he's got 24/7 turn out with us, or because of the alfalfa! I think it's pretty much optional - they are usually fed as they come in the bag (unless otherwise stated by the manufactorers) but for horses will poor teeth/digestion, etc, then soaking should not affect the quality of the nuts so long that they are soaked just prior to feeding, rather than being left overnight or something. The cubes will absorb all of the water, and will probably be a little dry in the middle after about 20 minutes or so. One question that is often brought up when a horse owner decides to feed alfalfa cubes is He was fed in his stall and given ample time to finish without another horse pressing him. Add alfalfa cubes to your horse's diet gradually, as sudden dietary changes can cause health issues. Soaking hay in the winter months, with extremely cold temperatures, can also be challenging. I would consider tossing some water on it right before feeding just to keep dust down but otherwise have at er! You can take alfalfa supplements in powdered form or as a tablet or use alfalfa to make tea. "We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that death will tremble to take us. The powder is then conditioned with steam and pressed into pellets using a specialized machine. This was years ago and I barely remember it since it wasnt for my horse so Id suggest asking a vet on that one. . If they are watered down, consumption is slowed, and horses are less likely to have problems with bolting(eating too quickly) and choking.. 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. Viewing a thread - Alfalfa Cubes or Beet Pulp? - Barrel Horse World