ridecamp@endurance.net: help with hay cubes

help with hay cubes

louie (louie@mr_gateway.gomontana.com)
Wed, 07 May 1997 07:41:27 -0700

Greetings ridecamp,

I really need some help from anyone out there who has experience feeding hay
cubes to their horses. This is a new one for me. I've always had horses on
pasture in the summer, grass hay in the winter. But in this historic spring (13
more inches of snow May 1), the grass is slow in coming on and the hay is
completely gone. Can't hardly beg, borrow or steal it in this part of the
country. So, I'm facing the probablity of switching to hay cubes to keep going.

Actually, I have a little hay, at least enough to make a transition for my two
mares to hay cubes without upsetting their systems too much.
1. I need to know the best way to feed cubes.
2. How much to expect them to need daily.
3. And any supplementation that may be necessary with cubes that isn't on
pasture.
Normally I feed as little grain as possible, but enough to add Vitamin E and
selenium, (less than 3 pounds of crimped corn and oats a day), 24-hour pasture
supplemented with 2 to 3 flakes of hay to each horse, as needed to maintain
condition, and free-choice mineral. Nothing fancy, I readily admit.
My plan is to ration good pasture to 2 to 3 hours a day, grain and hay cubes
(alfalfa/timothy) and enough pasture nibble to keep them nibble-happy, but not
enough to keep them in weight. We won't be seeing this season's hay until July.
Older mare is getting ready to be bred. Young mare is in first real year of
conditioning, but only a couple 50s near the end of the summer planned, so
we're building slowly.
Any and all suggestions will be welcomed.
Email me at louie@gomontana.com
Thanks in advance

Louie
Bozeman, Montana
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