Full Answer
What is the difference between alfalfa pellets and hay cubes?
There is no nutritional difference between alfalfa pellets and cubes, so the choice between the two is based on which type your horses prefer and which you prefer to feed and store. Alfalfa pellets, cubes, and hay provide the same essential nutrients per pound.
Are alfalfa pellets good for horses?
Alfalfa pellets, cubes, and hay provide the same essential nutrients per pound. Most horse owners know the benefits of feeding alfalfa hay, but with limited room, pellets and cubes are great options. But, there is a lot to choosing the right application for your horse, and storage is just one consideration.
What is the difference between pellets and cubes?
Pellets are not a substitute for long forage in your horses’ diet, Cubes are too hard for most horses to eat in the form they are bought. It’s recommended that each cube be broken into smaller pieces for your horse to eat. Cubes are eaten slower than pellets, which is a good thing.
Can horses eat alfalfa cubes?
But most horses in good health get all the protein they need eating grass and hay. Alfalfa cubes and pellets can cause colic. Two primary causes of colic in horses is overeating, and diets that include grains or concentrated foods. If allowed, horses eat more alfalfa cubes and pellets than is healthy.
Is it better to feed alfalfa cubes or pellets?
There is no nutritional difference between alfalfa pellets and cubes, so the choice between the two is based on which type your horses prefer and which you prefer to feed and store. Alfalfa pellets, cubes, and hay provide the same essential nutrients per pound.
How many alfalfa cubes should I feed my horse?
Alfalfa cubes are more appropriate either for lactating mares or growing horses and as a partial forage substitute. While up to 15 lbs or more can be fed per day, as little as 2 to 6 lbs of cubes per day can be used as a “hay extender” if only poor quality hay is available in limited quantities.
Do alfalfa pellets need to be soaked?
Here are some tips I've learned along the way for feeding a soaked pellet: I have found alfalfa pellets need to be soaked in between five and six hours to fully break down. In the winter months, I soak them overnight so they are ready to be fed the next day.
Are alfalfa cubes as good as alfalfa hay?
The nutrient levels found in cubes tend to be more consistent than hay. Alfalfa cubes are sold with a guaranteed minimum nutrient content. Reduced dust. Cubes have little dust and are therefore a good alternative to hay for horses with certain respiratory problems.
Will alfalfa cubes put weight on a horse?
Alfalfa is higher in calories and protein than grass hays, which makes it an excellent choice to help to add weight to a thin horse. If your horse tends to be wasteful with his hay, he may eat more when offered alfalfa hay cubes or pellets.
Do horses choke on alfalfa cubes?
It's important to note, however, that dry alfalfa cubes are known to cause choke with certain horses, usually with horses who have a habit of bolting their food. If your horse tends to eat too quickly, or if he's new to the idea of alfalfa cubes, you may have to at least spray down the cubes before feeding them.
Can I feed my horse alfalfa pellets instead of grain?
It's especially helpful for a hard keeper because of its high palatability—horses love to eat it. Feeding alfalfa is an excellent alternative to feeding excessive amounts of grain at meals to get more calories into a horse's diet.
How much alfalfa does a horse need a day?
Horses can normally eat 1.5-2% of their body weight in hay, which equates to 18-24 lbs. of hay per day. The quality of the hay will determine how much is needed and if supplemental grain should be added. Good alfalfa can be 18-20% protein and 55% TDN or energy.
Can you mix alfalfa pellets with feed?
Alfalfa pellets can be fed right out of the bag and be mixed easily into a concentrate feed with little prep time or mess. If needed, they can be softened with water, but that is best done right before serving. Beet pulp requires more work because it should be soaked in advance of serving. It is tastiest when soaked.
Should I feed my horse alfalfa cubes?
Alfalfa cubes are a nutritious and convenient horse feed option. They can help manage a range of horse health issues, and they're easier to store and transport than bales of hay.
How long should I soak alfalfa cubes?
To properly soak forage cubes, the cubes should be totally submerged in water for approximately 30-60 minutes prior to feeding. This will soften the cubes until they dissolve into short pieces of forage fiber.
What happens if a horse eats too much alfalfa?
Alfalfa hay can cause diarrhea in a horse that overeats it because the hay is rich and full of nutrients. Overeating alfalfa can also cause a horse to have excess gas, develop laminitis, and founder.
How much alfalfa should I feed my horse a day?
Horses can normally eat 1.5-2% of their body weight in hay, which equates to 18-24 lbs. of hay per day.
How do you use alfalfa cubes on horses?
When replacing long-stem baled hay with forage cubes, you would replace one pound of hay with one pound of forage cubes. To swallow and digest a forage cube, the horse must properly chew the cube. If the cube is not properly chewed, the horse can potentially choke. Most horses will properly chew forage cubes.
How many alfalfa cubes equal a flake of hay?
As per a general assumption, one alfalfa cube is equal to one hay flake(even if it appears huge). The default weight of alfalfa cube and hay flake is around 5lbs but it can be more or less.
Can you feed alfalfa cubes instead of hay?
Forage cubes can be fed just like hay, at a 1:1 ratio of the like hay type the horse currently consumes. For example, you would replace five pounds of alfalfa hay with five pounds of alfalfa cubes and adjust the amount if needed to maintain the animal's proper weight.
What about cubes?
Cubes are made for horses and cattle, and because the hay has not been completely pulverized, it does require more chewing than pellets do. However, the cubes are too big and hard for goats and sheep to eat. When we sold our cattle and had half a bag of cubes left, I broke them apart into smaller pieces for the goats, but that is not something I would normally do. So, if you find yourself with some cubes, they can be used with sheep and goats with a little work, but the pellets are definitely easier to use with them.
How many cups of feed do Nigerian dwarf bucks need?
For my Nigerian dwarf bucks, that is usually between one to two cups each feeding. If I give them more than that, they get full and walk away before they are completely finished. (And then someone winds up peeing and pooping in the feed pan, which means the leftover pellets are now garbage.)
Can you feed alfalfa to a ram?
However, keep in mind that alfalfa hay is not appropriate for bucks, wethers, rams, or some horses. If you would not feed alfalfa hay to an animal, then you should not feed alfalfa pellets to that animal.
Can you give pigs pellets instead of hay?
If your animals are on pasture all day long, and you are just giving them something to munch on in the barn, then yes, you can give them pellets instead of hay because they’ve just spent all day eating things that required a lot of chewing. Horses and pigs have a single stomach, so none of the above info applies to them.
Do forage pellets chew?
The longer stemmed forage takes more chewing. So, if you only fed them pellets, which are pulverized hay, they would not have to chew much. If you give them cubes, they will have to chew a little more because it has not been chopped up quite as small as the hay in the pellets, but it would still not require anywhere near as much chewing as hay, ...
Can alfalfa pellets or cubes totally replace hay?
If you are asking about sheep, goats, and cattle, the answer is no. Ruminants cannot live on a diet of only alfalfa pellets. Ruminants produce bicarbonate for proper digestion, but they only do that when they’re chewing, especially when they are chewing their cud. The longer stemmed forage takes more chewing. So, if you only fed them pellets, which are pulverized hay, they would not have to chew much. If you give them cubes, they will have to chew a little more because it has not been chopped up quite as small as the hay in the pellets, but it would still not require anywhere near as much chewing as hay, pasture, and browse do.
How long does it take for alfalfa pellets to break down?
It takes 45 minutes and cubes are broken down ready to feed. I've used alfalfa pellets before. Horse wouldn't eat them after about a month of feeding it. So far alfalfa cubes are a big hit they love them. My horses are in my backyard so I'm not depending on a barn owner.
Which is better, flakes or cubes?
The reason cubes do better than pellets and flakes do better than cubes is length of fiber. For a pellet the alfalfa is chopped really fine. Cubes are chopped slightly longer. Chopped and bagged is longer than cube and flaked (bales) are longest.
Do pellets work as cubes?
My vet would tell you no, pellets do not do the same thing as cubes as quickly, easily and offer long stem forage the horse benefits most from.
Is alfalfa hay hard to come by?
Where I live, alfalfa hay is hard to come by. There is one man in this area growing it, and I try to get hay from him. I try to buy it all at once from a good cutting so that I know the entire cutting will be the same.
Can a horse eat dry cubes?
Make sure they are well soaked and there is enough liquid the horse isn't eating dry cubes as he eats them.
Can horses eat alfalfa?
But there are times that I cannot get they hay and must feed cubes. It is the second best when the hay is not available. I feed alfalfa all year round. I have never had trouble with a "hot" horse from eating alfalfa. This along with a feed ration, you can't go wrong.
Can stinkers eat pellets?
Sidenote that none of my 3 stinkers would eat the pellets soaked! So mine eat them dry. Knock on wood, I have never had a problem with anyone choking.
Premium Alfalfa
Alfalfa Hay is a main staple and one of the most highly sought after forages in the world. Grown in the Snake River Basin of Idaho, our Alfalfa Cubes contain some of the highest protein of any forage grown in the United States.
Before and After
Cubeit Hay Co. free choice and a good grain, twice daily. This is a 60 day difference on this 3yr old….with about 45days riding.
What is the best pellet for a racehorse?
In any feeding program for racehorses, fiber is always a great cornerstone. The fiber content of Timothy pellets can be a good source of energy that can keep them going for the entire day.
Why do horses eat alfalfa?
Horse owners feed their horses to keep them fit, happy, and healthy. Alfalfa pellets can greatly help in achieving this.
Why do horses need pellets?
Pellets are used to add calories to a horse’s diet without causing issues, unlike grains and starch. Alfalfa pellets, for example, can provide the required calories without contributing to the hot factor. As a result, the majority of the horses are not negatively affected by alfalfa pellets.
Can you feed a racehorse Timothy pellets?
If you are feeding Timothy pellets to your racehorse, it is possible that it won’t be able to get enough energy that it needs. That is because the energy needed by racehorses cannot be supplied by the Timothy pellets alone, so it is recommended to supplement their diet further with a portion of Alfalfa pellets.
Is Timothy pellet good for horses?
Horse owners discovered that Timothy pellets promote healthy weight, bowel regularity, and good digestion. It is especially great for obese horses or those that are protein sensitive and for horses prone to colic pain. Not only that, but it can also help in attaining a shinier coat.
Can horses eat timothy pellets?
Let us take a look at timothy pellets vs alfalfa pellets. Other than grass and hay, you can also feed your horses with pellets. Most horses can eat pellets faster than hay. That is because the ingredients of pellets are cooked and are therefore digestible.
Can you feed a horse alfalfa pellets?
But for many life stages, a low nutritional concentration of Timothy pellets is ideal. Particularly for racehorses, a good cornerstone in any feeding program is the fiber present in feeds. #1.