Alfalfa pellets mixed with complete feed

[S_mores]

Hello,

I have a bit of a silly question.

Recently bought a bag of alfalfa pellets and a bag of complete feed pellets. Can I mix the two together for storage in a tote ? Since I’d feed him a bit of both in his bucket.

Also I’ve discovered my horse seems to prefer straight alfalfa cubes over the alfalfa Timothy mix . The straight alfalfa is also cheaper . Is there harm in feeding just alfalfa. Also gets hay and it’s a grass alfalfa mix.

[moving_to_dc]

You can, but in my experience, alfalfa pellets are larger and heavier than most other feed pellets, and they shift their way down to the bottom of the bin, while the other pellets “float” up to the top. So you will end up feeding mostly complete feed pellets on the top half of the bin, and alfalfa pellets on the bottom half.

I feed LOTS of alfalfa pellets every year to my herd of goats during kidding/nursing season. I long ago gave up trying to mix them with the regular goat feed… alfalfa pellets have their own bin, as does the goat feed, and Calf Manna, and all 3 just get mixed together at feeding time.

[Palm_Beach]

What are the feeding instructions on the bags? You should follow them.

[Obsidian_Fire]

If horsey is already getting a grass/alfalfa mixed hay, why did you buy alfalfa pellets, a complete feed, and why was he getting cubes?

Can you post the horses actual diet for us? Thanks.

[S_mores]

@Obsidian Fire

If horsey is already getting a grass/alfalfa mixed hay, why did you buy alfalfa pellets, a complete feed, and why was he getting cubes?

Can you post the horses actual diet for us? Thanks.

He’s getting a combination of cubes and soaked hay because of heaves. Thought about switching to just straight cubes but prefer to give him some soaked hay to keep him busy as well. Currently figuring out what works best as we’ve just found out about the probable heaves.

The alfalfa pellets and complete feed he just gets a scoop as a treat. . . I’m probably not going to get them again in future. I was thinking about doing the alfalfa pellets instead of cubes but it doesn’t give him enough to chew on

[S_mores]

@Palm Beach

What are the feeding instructions on the bags? You should follow them.

I have read them… but the instructions on the bags don’t tell me whether it’s ok to store complete feed pellets and alfalfa pellets mixed together in a tote.
I don’t think you read my question properly.

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[S_mores]

@moving to dc

You can, but in my experience, alfalfa pellets are larger and heavier than most other feed pellets, and they shift their way down to the bottom of the bin, while the other pellets “float” up to the top. So you will end up feeding mostly complete feed pellets on the top half of the bin, and alfalfa pellets on the bottom half.

I feed LOTS of alfalfa pellets every year to my herd of goats during kidding/nursing season. I long ago gave up trying to mix them with the regular goat feed… alfalfa pellets have their own bin, as does the goat feed, and Calf Manna, and all 3 just get mixed together at feeding time.

Ahh ok thanks.

[Mango20]

Is your tote big enough that you can keep each one in its own bag inside the tote? That would be the best solution. There’s no way you’ll get an even mix of the two feeds so each day you will be feeding him something slightly different. If he is really only getting this as a treat, it probably doesn’t matter if it’s a 50/50 mix of the two types of pellets or not. If what you want to know is if there is any problem with the two types of pellets touching each other in storage, then I’d say probably not, if they’re both a dry pellet.

[JB]

@Smoke

I have read them… but the instructions on the bags don’t tell me whether it’s ok to store complete feed pellets and alfalfa pellets mixed together in a tote.
I don’t think you read my question properly.

​​​​​​

The logical assumption was that you had the complete feed because that’s what you used as the “grain” for your horse, so would need to be following the weighted feeding instructions… And then, that you used alfalfa pellets as additional calories. Nobody would have assumed you had these things as a treat.

if it’s all a treat, and it doesn’t matter if the heavier pellet (maybe the alfalfa, maybe the complete feed) ends up being a higher % of the scoop as time goes on, due to the shifting and weight re-distribution, not to mention the inherent unequal mixing of the 2 as they go into the bin, there is nothing that physically prevents you from combining the 2. Nothing will react, nothing will degrade

[S_mores]

@JB

The logical assumption was that you had the complete feed because that’s what you used as the “grain” for your horse, so would need to be following the weighted feeding instructions… And then, that you used alfalfa pellets as additional calories. Nobody would have assumed you had these things as a treat.

if it’s all a treat, and it doesn’t matter if the heavier pellet (maybe the alfalfa, maybe the complete feed) ends up being a higher % of the scoop as time goes on, due to the shifting and weight re-distribution, not to mention the inherent unequal mixing of the 2 as they go into the bin, there is nothing that physically prevents you from combining the 2. Nothing will react, nothing will degrade

Ok I understand now .No it won’t matter on the ratios since it’s just a scoop

[S_mores]

@Mango20

Is your tote big enough that you can keep each one in its own bag inside the tote? That would be the best solution. There’s no way you’ll get an even mix of the two feeds so each day you will be feeding him something slightly different. If he is really only getting this as a treat, it probably doesn’t matter if it’s a 50/50 mix of the two types of pellets or not. If what you want to know is if there is any problem with the two types of pellets touching each other in storage, then I’d say probably not, if they’re both a dry pellet.

Ok thanks yes I more or less just wanted to know if mixing them would make the other go bad or something. But the ration thing is a good point

[warriorhorse]

You could put the complete feed in a container leave alfalfa pellets in bag. When i fed alfalfa pellets i just left them in open bag,nothing ever got into them. I also mixed alfalfa pellets in with oat/corn mix worked ok. But i don’t feed any of that now. Using alfalfa chaffhaye in place of bagged feed.

[Palm_Beach]

@Smoke

I have read them… but the instructions on the bags don’t tell me whether it’s ok to store complete feed pellets and alfalfa pellets mixed together in a tote.
I don’t think you read my question properly.

​​​​​​

I did, but how are you going to weigh or measure each product if they are mixed together?

[S_mores]

@Palm Beach

I did, but how are you going to weigh or measure each product if they are mixed together?

I didn’t think about that part. I was just wondering as far as whether it would make them go bad etc. I’m just giving him a small amount daily so not worried about the correct ratios.

[Palm_Beach]

@Smoke

I didn’t think about that part. I was just wondering as far as whether it would make them go bad etc. I’m just giving him a small amount daily so not worried about the correct ratios.

I don’t think either would go bad. When I was a kid, we mixed cereals together all the time. I made my own trail mix using all kinds of stuff and stored it for months, somehow all the kids survived.