Re: Re: RE: Re: Purina Complete Advantage

["Duncan Fletcher" <dfletche@gte.net>]

Which brings me to one of my pet peeves. Assuming a horse consumes the same
energy content, which will provide more protein: late bloom orchardgrass at
7.6% protein or oats at 11.8% protein? The answer is the orchardgrass
because in order to maintain the same energy input (constant weight), they
will eat more orchardgrass. For comparing concentrates, the % protein is a
reasonable approach, but it breaks down when comparing substantially
different feeds. Because concentrates have higher energy density, higher
protein percentages are necessary for the horse to consume sufficient
protein. A better number would be to normalize protein to DE, but alas, you
will have to estimate DE from the ingredients and calculate it yourself.

Duncan Fletcher
dfletche@gte.net


----- Original Message -----
From: "Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>

[snip]
> > What I seem to end up doing these days is bags and bags of beet pulp,
then
> > added a 10% protein manna-pro pellet, maybe some manna senior, maybe
some
> of
> > their 'sweet feed" called Wagon train; salt, veg. oil, and something
like
> > Select II or Accell.  Other thing I didn't like about the Purina feeds
is
> > that so many of them were too high on the protein scale for me.
>
> Yes, but remember that feeding a "16% protein" supplement feed doesn't
mean
> your total diet is 16%.  If you're feeding it with 8% CP grass hay, than
> your total crude protein of your ration is probably closer to 10%,
depending
> on amounts of each you're feeding.  If you're feeding a 16% grain mix with
a
> 20% CP alfalfa, then, yes, your ration is way too high protein, but then
> your problem isn't with the grain mix. :-)  Complete Advantage is 12.5%
> protein, which is pretty moderate.  The Omolene 300 is 16% CP, but the
> overall ration I feed is 12% because of the grass hay I provide that
> mediates the overall protein levels (which, btw, is to a broodmare, not a
> performance horse, but isn't that different).
>
> Susan G