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Post by gooselover on Oct 17, 2008 15:36:14 GMT -5
Anybody feed these and are they as GOOD as alfalfa hay? It's hard to get alfalfa here in Oklahoma due to the blister beetle and so so very expensive to get it hauled in.
Your opinions on the cubes?
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Post by Big Tee© on Oct 17, 2008 18:11:50 GMT -5
They ARE alfalfa hay, just in a different form, they are no better or different or worse than alfalfa in bales. Even the moisture content is comparable - both hay (in ANY shaped bale) and cubes should be around 11-13% moisture. There also is no missing 'long fibre' as that is on a molecular level, not a visual one. Feed them, I have off and on for decades. The only cautionary word is this: not all horses will eat them as cubes, but prefer them wetted or even soaked. If you decide to soak them, don't worry if your horse's water consumption goes down.
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Post by alisonph on Oct 22, 2008 13:48:34 GMT -5
Hmm, I never knew about the "long" fiber being on the molecular level. Makes sense.
I feed hay cubes (soaked) in the winter. Both TB's get 1# (dry) mixed with their oats once a day.
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Post by Big Tee© on Oct 23, 2008 1:41:50 GMT -5
Hmm, I never knew about the "long" fiber being on the molecular level. Makes sense. Basic botany, heck was grade school sciene eons ago. The cells that make up the tubules in grasses (the water and food bearing cells), or any plant are longish, while the ones in the leaves that do transpiration and photosynthisis are round. Cells in grass leaves are a mixture. It shows up more visually grasses and trees as you can shred the stems into long strings that are hard to tear into smaller pieces, but leaves can be torn into random shapes to a degree. Molecular structure is fascinating. |
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Post by guiltygirl on Oct 23, 2008 7:00:51 GMT -5
I got some from Southern States and asked for Alfalfa Hay Cbues and was sent a pelleted dehydrated form. I think they also have a forage and I am calling them today to see the difference.
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Post by Goalie on Oct 23, 2008 7:35:46 GMT -5
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Post by racenomore on Oct 23, 2008 18:50:44 GMT -5
A friend and I have started feeding alfalfa cubes for lunch. We were soaking them, but my guy started to get picky about eating them, so now he gets them dry. It has definitely made a difference. We originally started this to help get something in their bellies, since we were told the alfalfa takes longer for them to digest. Easier than trying to find the hay and paying for it!
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Post by Big Tee© on Oct 23, 2008 19:50:53 GMT -5
racenomore - not at all unusual for them to start refusing soggy alfalfa. Cubes are standard fare at some tracks simply because of storage - 60 pounds of cubes takes up less space than a 60 pound bale, and cubes are more consistant as it is always the best cutting. Most people feed them dry, come to think of it, I never heard of soaking cubes, pellets or anything but beet pulp til i discovered the internet. I dont know about the digestion rate of alfalfa compared to grass hay, but I know horses are satisfied with less alfalfa (pound wise) than grass hay.
Goalie - you are gonna give me a swelled head with that kinda talk!!!
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