Spin-off- Sweet Feed

[SonnysMom]

What do you call sweet feed? Is COB different to you than sweet feed?

Would you consider ProElite Performance sweet feed?
https://proelitehorsefeed.com/product/performance/

How about TC Senior?
https://www.triplecrownfeed.com/products/senior/

Is sweet feed only the cheap stuff produced at the local feed mill that has a lot of molasses. Or are the two products above really higher quality sweet feed that has been rebranded to remove the sweet feed stigma?

To me COB is Corn, Whole or rolled Oats and Barley, no pellets, limited dried molasses or no molasses. So not sticky.

Sweet feed is some form of oats, maybe some cracked corn, pellets and a decent amount of molasses and some vitamins/minerals added. Frequently sticky or solid in the winter due to the molasses.

Do you consider any feed with pellets and some grain products and molasses to be sweet feed? (Textured feed with molasses).

I am just wondering on the semantics. Just like many people consider grain to be any concentrated food or pelleted food fed to the horse. Pretty much anything other than beet pulp or hay. Even alfalfa pellets may fall into that category for some people. Other people only consider grain to be anything that has whole grains, cracked grains or rolled grains in it but not anything that is 100% pelleted such as a Low Starch pellet.

I am guessing some of the answers may be age related and some may be regional.

[Amy3996]

To me, TC Senior and Proelite Performance are not sweet feed.I would consider them concentrates. Stock and Stable makes a textured sweet feed. That’s what I think of when I think sweet feed - cheap, not well-balanced nutritionally.

[Simkie]

I think of omolene 100/200/300 or cob–something that’s all/mostly identifiable whole grain. I don’t know why anyone would call TC Senior or ProElite Performance sweet feed–they’re both beet pulp based. The amount of molasses added to either is tiny (as you can tell by the low NSC.)

I was surprised, though, when I bought a bag of cheap “sweet feed” at tractor supply (for my chickens, I like to use it as scratch) and it was 100% dry pellets. Totally NOT what I consider sweet feed!

I use the term “bucket feed” as an all encompassing term to cover grain/hay pellets/beet pulp…anything that’s fed in a bucket. Avoids those “but he’s not ON grain” conversations.

[tabula_rashah]

Basically a bunch of whole grains (and maybe some pellets) with a good dose of molasses. To me, COB is a sweet feed without pellets.
Have I fed sweet feed? Yes. Do I think it has it’s place? Yes. Would I feed it in quantity to the majority of horses? No.
I’d consider things like TC Complete a textured feed, things like Strategy a concentrate and Senior a complete feed.

[Scribbler]

My definition is COB with some molasses and bran and mystery pellets added. That’s what I fed in the 1970s. It was very tasty. I would eat a handful at the barn as a snack. Back then I liked the fact you could see the ingredients. Our only other options then were mystery pellets, and whole oats. We had one field mill in town, operating out of the grain terminal at the docks.

I now know that whole oats are better for horses than COB.

These days we have two mills each supplying a full line of feed. One mill is better for low NSC and modern formulas. We don’t get any American brands here. Buying components (oats, beet pulp, alfalfa cubes) is a lot cheaper than buying any of the bagged feeds here.

Anyhow I suppose a manufacturer can call a feed anything they want but I understand sweet feed to be the COB plus mixture.

[candyappy]

The 2 you mention are not sweet feed.

They are pelleted ( extruded/ textured) and not sweet feed.

COB, All stock feeds and my personal favorite Omolene 100-400 made by Purina. All are sweet feeds and they are neither cheap in price or quality.

COB that I happily fed many years ago ( 30+) was heavy on the molasses and had pellets in addition to the corn, oats& barley.

All stock will vary in protein and is similar to COB in appearance but with other things added. It has a pretty significant molasses content. Depending on who makes it you will see a difference in quality I am sure.

I fed Omolene to all my broodmares and foals, weanlings & yearlings. I like Purina feeds and feed nothing else. It is the holy grail of sweet feed .

My current yearling is getting Purina Impact mare & foal.It comes in both textured ( more like a sweet feed) and pellets. I chose the pellets. I am pleased with how he is doing on it.