Purina Ultium and Dumor Alfalfa/Bermuda Pellets Questions (and info)

[grayarabs]

I received the following info from the Dumor rep. re: my query about the large Alfalfa/Bermuda pellets.
Ratio: 50/50 pct Alfalfa/Bermuda
Molasses: 1.25 pct
Salt: none
Complete feed: yes
Calories/pound: .97 per ??? (I assume is 970 calories per pound)
Sugar/Starch (NSC): 9.5 pct

I’m curious about the NSC value - which seems great. Alfalfa and Bermuda pellets are lower in NSC than when in hay form? (processing reduces sugars?).
The Molasses content? (wanting to avoid metabolic issues). I know - no molasses would be better but how “bad” is 1.25pct?

I also would like info about Purina Ultium Competition which I am currently feeding. PUC is supposedly 1900 calories/pound, NSC of 16 pct. 1.3 pounds/quart.
I weighed the amount to be fed daily but somehow the barn is going through bags faster than I anticipated. My calculations are probably off. I have a 13 oz coffee can with my feed - which I weighed to be 1.4 pounds (less the can). Have others weighed the PUC? One cup weighs? I’ve read three cups PUC = one pound. And/or 1.3 pounds in a quart.
Yes - the best would be to count how many cans in the bag but I can’t do that. (home sick).
TIA any help.

[mmeqcenter]

Yeah you’ll have small variances from batch to batch, but I don’t think someone else’s weight measurement has anything to do with your issue. If your barn is going through your grain faster than you expect I would first assume their scoops are bigger than yours, such as they’re doing heaping scoops and you measured flat scoops.

If you’re feeding Purina Ultium I don’t know why you’d be concerned about molasses content in your alfalfa pellets, there’s far more in the Ultium.

NSC of Alfalfa ranges 8.75 - 13.25% and Bermuda 7 - 18%, so 9.5% falls in their combined range for a 50/50 product of 7.875 - 15.625%. I would assume this has to do with the cutting/quality of the hay used, and not processing, but I guess it’s possible. Doesn’t soaking hay reduce NSC content? I know they steam the hay during the pelleting process, but I wouldn’t think that would be enough to reduce NSC content in the way that soaking does.

[JB]

Hay has roughly the % of NSC that the grass/legume had when cut. It IS possible to monitor and test, and only use forages suitable low for a reliable range of NSC. Standlee does that with their products to guarantee, more or less, the sugar content.

Unless there is a sensitivity to molasses, its presence is of no consequence if the overall NSC of the product is low enough.

Yes, you can soak hay to reduce sugars, but it requires 30 min in hot water, or 60 in cold. And it only reduces things by roughly half - once the amount is about the same in the water, as in the hay, no more can move out of the hay - homeostasis.

How Dumor can say this is a “complete feed” is beyond me :no: Hay is not a complete feed. And this product is not fortified (enough) to be nutritionally balanced or complete.

Yes, 970cal/lb

1qt Ultium is about 1.3lb