Alfalfa cubes vs rice bran

[Hunterkid]

I just ran out of alfalfa cubes, which I feed all summer to my show horse or basically any time she’s not being regularly fed alfalfa hay. They live on pasture year round and are fed a mix hay that is high in alfalfa all winter.

I’m trying to decide if I should switch over to rice bran for the winter to help with weight. I can only find alfalfa cubes around here from standlee and I absolutely hate that company and do not want to keep supporting them with tons of money every month.

Which do you guys prefer feeding ? Would rice bran be a good substitute in regards to keeping weight on for the winter ?

[Hermein]

Look up the calories/DE of each feed on Equi-analytical (I’ll give you a link in a minute). Sounds like you may be shopping at Tractor Supply. If so, my store offers an alfalfa/bermuda cube by another mfgr–50# at 2$ or 3$ cheaper. And there’s always alfalfa pellets that you should be able to find almost anyplace.

Anyhow, comparing rice bran to alfalfa cubes is, IMO, like comparing apples and oranges. A horse can live on alfalfa cubes, but not rice bran. You could find a high fat sack feed, like Triple Crown SR, that has everything in it that most horses need re: vits and mins. Beet pulp makes my horses fat (as does most everything else).

Why do you hate Standlee?

Here’s the link: http://equi-analytical.com/interacti…-feed-profile/

[AmarachAcres]

Some of my horses get a mix of both. While they have some over lapping qualities, they really are for different things.

[Hunterkid]

Thanks for the advice !

We don’t have tractor supply here…just farm and fleet and a small animal feed store. They will special order but it is a huge hassle and they sometimes will decide not to order.

I also can only find standlee pellets or cubes here.

I try to feed as little grain as possible because my other skinny is a terrible eater ( yes his teeth are fine, he just gets distracted and spills.) I like to pour their soaked cubes on the hay that they share so if he spills it falls back on the hay.

I used to feed bp but my mare doesn’t like it !

[Hunterkid]

I really just want some extra calories that I can pour on their hay.

I hate standlee because I have found plastic in the cubes/pellets and they did nit care. Farm and fleet was so mad that they even sent samples in and I sent pics. I cannot trust them after that !

[Ruby_G_Weber]

HK If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. You need a better reason than you don’t like Standlee to change your horse’s feed.

[Gloria]

If you just want extra calorie, yeah, rice bran should fit the bill, so are all kind of fat supplement.

[Hunterkid]

[QUOTE=Ruby G. Weber;8378618]
HK If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. You need a better reason than you don’t like Standlee to change your horse’s feed.[/QUOTE]

Did you see why I dont like standlee ?

[Scaramouch]

Why can’t you pour a complete feed on their hay? Particularly if you soak it to a mush first? SafeChoice Senior is great for that, and I can’t imagine it’s more “spillable” than rice bran…

[Hunterkid]

I tried safe choice perform which is higher fat and my mare didn’t like it…I wonder if senior tastes better ?

[cllane1]

My old guy, who is the pickiest and slowest eater on the planet, has never turned his nose up at SC Senior. I’ve been very pleased with it. I wet it so it gets crumbly and he sucks it right up, and much more quickly than he used to.

I also feed him alfalfa pellets (I use the Standlee from TSC, so can’t help you there) and it has made a big difference in keeping his weight on. Last month I started adding rice bran (Max E Glo) but have not seen a difference yet. Will probably try for another month and drop it if I still don’t see a difference.

[Gloria]

We have had luck with Progressive ProElite HF. Have you tried it?

[Hunterkid]

Never heard of it, what is it ?

[JB]

Is there a reason they can’t be fed regular feed in a bucket, separated? When things just get poured on top of hay, to be shared, you have no idea who’s getting what.

Feeding “grain” doesn’t mean you have to feed any grains. You can feed grain-free “grains” that have lots of calories and nutrition, and feed each of them the feed most appropriate for them.

[Gloria]

[QUOTE=Hunterkid;8379103]
Never heard of it, what is it ?[/QUOTE]

This is the link: http://www.prognutrition.com/pn/products/horse-feeds/proelite-hf-horse-feed/index.jsp I got ours from our local tack/feed shop.