Shelf life of soaked feed in climate controlled room

[Defying_Logic]

I’m sure this has been discussed, but I couldn’t find it while searching. Just moved the horses home (yay) and one is a toothless senior who eats mash. It is a mix of senior, beet pulp pellets, and alfalfa pellets which he gets twice a day. It gets soaked inside the house, so it is always either in a heated or air conditioned area.

So far, we have been soaking it (hot water) about an hour before feeding and it takes him about an hour to eat it. This means the feeding process has to start 2 hours before turnout in the morning, because he will stop eating if everyone leaves, and pushes feeding somewhat late in the evening after work.

Would the mix be ok soaking for the 12 hours between feeding? I’ve heard of it fermenting, but since it is in a climate controlled room, that seems less likely

[Amy3996]

My gelding is choke prone, so he gets all of his grain meals soaked to mash. In the winter, we’ll soak it in cool water 12ish hours prior to feeding and then store it in a heated tack room. In the summer, we soak it immediately before feeding to avoid fermentation and attracting flies. But I probably wouldn’t go longer than 12 hours or so.

[Scribbler]

I’ve often soaked overnight no problem. However I do scour the buckets between uses.

[walkinthewalk]

Make room in the refrigerator and keep it in there – in something with a lid so the rest if the family won’t whine.

20% if my refrigerator and 1% if my freezer permanently have horse stuff in them:)

[Sansena]

Agree ^^. Ok if refrigerated up to 12 to 14 hours. And also agree to wash soaking bucket daily.

[x-halt-salute]

I’ve also used the refrigerator for soaking meals ~12hrs in advance. And IME it provides extra incentive for bucket washing - nobody wants to have to clean their fridge more often!

[carman_liz]

My Mare had that exact mix of feed when she went to close in the Summer she would stop eating after it’s sat for a while because it would start to ferment in the winter if it got too cold she would not like it because it would hurt her gums .

So if your horses really toothless like mine was the only thing with the refrigerator would be if it is too cold they won’t eat all of it or if hydration is an issue you could always add some hot water on top of it right before you serve it so they slurp it up and get the extra water with it as well!

[poltroon]

I would be okay soaking the beet pulp overnight at room temperature, but not the senior feed. Somewhere cold is better so soaking the beet pulp outside is probably what I would choose. Then I’d add the senior feed and the alfalfa pellets to it in the morning with some warm water - those pellets will break down in minutes in warm water.

[SMF11]

I soak all feed, in feedbags, in a huge coleman cooler in the unheated barn overnight. It keeps the feed cool in the summer and unfrozen in the winter. I do this for 6 horses, so for me the refrigerator is out.

[TBKite]

Not sure about your mixture, but we soak hay cubes for the next feeding as part of the feeding routine, so about 12 hrs. In winter we use one of those water buckets with the heating coil and power cord so the mixture doesn’t freeze.