Re: soaking beetpulp

["Annette Gordon" <agordon@worldofwonder.net>]

Hi everyone

Over here in the UK. I have always been told to soak sugar beet in cold
water. You can buy the pulp here in two varieties - pellet form (on the bag
it says in large red letters that you should soak for 24 hours) or shredded
which is a matter of a couple of hours. I've been told not to soak in hot
water because it accelerates the fermentation process that will occur
ultimately with any feed that is left wet for long enough. I suppose if you
use it quickly enough it may not matter. 

Personally I would always soak sugar beet in whatever form because to not do
so would probably cause colic as the stuff swells up inside the horses
stomach. 

Maybe you have different sugar beet out there but I would be very scared to
give my horses unsoaked sugar beet. 

Annette