Buckeye Safe and Easy Performance pellet

[firefoot]

Hi all,

Just wondering what kinds of experiences you’ve had with this feed. I am feeding 6 horses; all TBs except one TB cross, ages 5-20, all in moderate work except the 20 year old who is fully retired. I have been feeding beloved Triple Crown Senior for the past year+ but I am trying to see if I can get away with something cheaper. The Buckeye Safe and Easy Performance Pellet (there are several “Safe and Easy’s”) is nutritionally very similar to the TCS (though ingredient amounts are different) but $5 less per bag, however I don’t know much about Buckeye as a brand and I haven’t found many review of this feed. A friend feeds Gro N Win, but that’s really apples to oranges here.

Have you fed this feed? Did you like it? Did the horses eat it? Did they do well on it?

I like the low NSC and that it does have alfalfa and beet pulp in it but am trying to get over how bland it looks compared to the NSC. Also a couple of the horses get their feed soaked and it doesn’t look as appetizing wet as the TCS does. BUT if the horses eat it and continue to do well, that is fine. Everyone is in perfect weight with beautiful shiny coats, great toplines, and dapples.

FWIW, I looked at Tribute feeds also but they are far away and complicated to get. So I would rather just stay with the TCS than switch to Tribute if Buckeye doesn’t work.

Edited to add links! This is the Buckeye feed: https://www.buckeyenutrition.com/products/safe-n-easy-performance-pelleted-feed.aspx
This is Triple Crown Senior: https://www.triplecrownfeed.com/products/senior/

[Palm_Beach]

If you link both products so people can compare you may get more responses. I’m not familiar with the Buckeye product, but at first glance, the TC Sr has a bit more protein and fat, so you may need to feed more of the Buckeye to keep the same condition. Which would defeat the purpose of saving $5 a bag. But that is just a guess. Can you feed more hay? Roughage is usually the least expensive way to get more weight on them.

[Texarkana]

While it’s been about 6 years since I’ve used it, I had good luck with Safe & Easy for a hard keeping, older TB gelding. :yes: The only reason I stopped using it was because it was difficult to source in my area.

Buckeye is a quality brand, one of the best IMO. I prefer them over Tribute hands down, even though the two companies have shared staff.

It is “bland” in smell and appearance, but I had no palatability problems. My horse ate it soaked due to esophageal problems and I always appreciated how quickly it softened.

It is lower calories per pound as compared to TC Sr., so you will need to adjust accordingly. I can’t recall the exact numbers.

[firefoot]

@Palm Beach

If you link both products so people can compare you may get more responses. I’m not familiar with the Buckeye product, but at first glance, the TC Sr has a bit more protein and fat, so you may need to feed more of the Buckeye to keep the same condition. Which would defeat the purpose of saving $5 a bag. But that is just a guess. Can you feed more hay? Roughage is usually the least expensive way to get more weight on them.

Thanks, I have added links! Whoops! Where can I find the calories per pound of these feeds? Is that something I have to ask the company? Buckeye has like 5 different versions of the Safe and Easy but the particular one I am feeding is the Safe and Easy Performance Pellet, which is 14/10/20, so pretty similar to TCS. Not the same quantity of some of the ingredients, though, I think, like beet pulp and alfalfa, but still in there. They are all in great weight right now and eating some nice grass/alfalfa hay.

@Texarkana Thanks for your review! Good to hear you were feeding it wet – I have a choker who is eating it just fine right now (mixed with the TCS as I am transitioning them) but it really does look like gross mush. Also nice to hear it is a good brand. I don’t really know much about Buckeye, it is not one that I see fed often nor mentioned much on here. I am also in MD and getting it from The Mill, fwiw, in case you are in the metro Baltimore area and ever need it again …

[Palm_Beach]

@firefoot

Thanks, I have added links! Whoops! Where can I find the calories per pound of these feeds? Is that something I have to ask the company? Buckeye has like 5 different versions of the Safe and Easy but the particular one I am feeding is the Safe and Easy Performance Pellet, which is 14/10/20, so pretty similar to TCS. Not the same quantity of some of the ingredients, though, I think, like beet pulp and alfalfa, but still in there. They are all in great weight right now and eating some nice grass/alfalfa hay.

I don’t think I glanced at the correct product, I thought it was 12/6/20. You can call or email TC for calories; not sure if it is online anywhere. They are very friendly. I don’t feed Buckeye, so I can’t comment on their customer service. I always find it is better to go to real people with real credentials who are very familiar with their products when I need information, rather than get it from anonymous people online who probably mean well but don’t have the level of education that an equine nutritionist will have. I totally understand that they will try to sell you on their product, but no one has ever asked me for a credit card number over the phone.

https://www.triplecrownfeed.com/horse-health/horse-nutrition-equine-nutrition/

“Our sales and customer service goal has always been customer focused and we want to provide the best, most informed and current answers to your feeding questions. Dr. Bill Vandergrift designs and formulates our feeds and has done so since 1990. All of our sales team have had continuous education in all aspects of the equine industry and many sales members are ARPAS certified.”

[JB]

One reason TC feeds tend to be more $ than others is their excellent gut support package - a variety of pre/probiotics and in high enough numbers. They’ve also fairly recently added Butipearl which among other things contains butyric acid which is a major component of a healthy hind gut

TC Sr is a bit over 1500 calories per pound.