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  Discussion on Supplementing 12% Sweet Feed
Author Message
New Member:
jsw2759

Posted on Monday, Jul 20, 2009 - 11:58 pm:

Hello,
First time posting, hopefully I am supplying the information everyone needs. We currently have two brood mares that we are going to put under the lights probably starting in November. We plan to breed them in February if everything goes as planned. We all know that usually everything does not go as planned but we try our best. Our two brood mares are on good pasture with timothy, orchard grass and a little alfalfa. We want to at least maintain the weight we have on them now and hopefully add a little in preparation for their breeding. We are feeding twice a day, in the morning and at night.

My Question is: I am feeding a sweet feed mix with 12% protein, about a gallon and a half in the morning and then the same at night. I would like to raise the protein intake to about 15%, if I include a half gallon of beet pulp would this bring the protein up enough to make 15%? In addition, I have heard that you must wet the beet pulp but I have also heard you do not need to when feeding it in small quantities. I have searched other posts but did not see any thing about raising the protein level in sweet feed. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Member:
scooter

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009 - 6:29 am:

I don't know how beet pulp would play into the whole balanced nutrition thing... I didn't know Beet Pulp was a good source of protein.

I have used alfalfa pellets to raise protein levels, not sure how that would fit in either tho
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009 - 8:36 am:

Welcome S&BW,
First, let me point out that feeding good quality hay with some alfalfa and a 12% protein feed suggests to me the horses are fine with respect to their total protein intake. Second, beet pulp is barely adequate as to respect to the amount of protein it provides, for more on this see the article on feeding beet pulp, Horse Care » Equine Nutrition, Horse Feeds, Feeding » Beet Pulp.
DrO
Member:
mitch316

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009 - 12:52 pm:

I am not a very big fan of beet pulp at all...if their was a protein shortage, I would lean more towards soy bean meal, but like Dr. O says, it sounds like you are pretty balanced.

Saying all of that, the easiest of all would be to move to 16% sweet feed, but a warning that it is easy to overfeed them and have them become overweight feeding that much protein without a pretty heavy work load.

I have seen and heard too many bad things about beet pulp and on a big farm it is wayyyyy too much trouble to fool with.

But that is just my opinion, and I hope it helps.
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009 - 1:41 pm:

14% feeds of various types are available.

When I have supplemented for higher protein it has been by adding a bit of alfalfa grass forage.

But I heard Karen E.N. Hayes, D.V.M., M.S. speak a few years ago and her suggestion as the best source for supplementing protein is to use whey protein.

(I should add that she also says that most horses do not need extra protein and some may do worse on it).

The following is from one of her books ("Help Your Horse Live a Good Long Life"):

"Whey protein is a fluffy white powder available from a number of sources, including feed mills and also Internet companies that sell specialty equine supplements. Whey protein from a human health food store will likely have vanilla or chocolate flavorings and sweeteners added, and it'll have a premium price tag, so I'd steer clear of those sources. The truth is, whey protein is whey protein, so the best way to shop around is to find the best price. I recommend that you check the American Dairy Association's online library for sources by logging onto www.doitwithdairy.com and searching for companies that will sell bulk WPC34 (whey protein concentrate 34%) -- that's the kind you want. The standard dose to start with is 1/4 cup mixed into the feed twice daily. A lesser product, which is still a good protein source but not quite as good, is "milk protein," which contains both whey protein and the protein known as casein. Milk protein is cheaper than whey protein, but for the purposes of supplementing a senior horse, whey protein is better quality and is definitely the way to go."

Her choice as to a protein source that is found in most horse feeds is alfalfa over soy because alfalfa is more easily digested. "But the best protein, hands down, is whey protein."
Member:
sodmonst

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 22, 2009 - 10:00 pm:

Welcome to HorseAdvice.com Scott and Beth, I hope that you find this site as helpful as I have.

If you are interested, I used the wealth of information on this site to concoct the following supplemental feed, added to good Bermuda hay in order to promote weight gain for my own horse. Of course, I introduced this gradually.

.25 lb. FLAX MEAL and
.75 lb. calcium fortified RICE BRAN
1 lb. BEET PULP
2 lb. alfalfa pellets
SOAK FOR 15 TO 30 MINUTES before feeding.
Feed twice daily.
This is a great carrier for supplements too.

The PROTEIN comes from the ALFALFA PELLETS 16%, FLAX MEAL 43%, AND RICE BRAN 13%. The rice bran supplies extra energy without sugar or a big carbohydrate load. Of course horses can handle more alfalfa pellets than this, and lactating broodmares can use up to 2.5 lbs. of rice bran. Rice bran for broodmares MUST be fortified with calcium.

Good luck with your breeding plans, and post pictures when the babies finally arrive!
New Member:
jsw2759

Posted on Thursday, Jul 23, 2009 - 11:14 pm:

Thank you all very much for your advice, I see I have a lot to think about. I do like the idea of the whey, I need to check my feed mill to see if they have it.
Thanks again everyone,
Scott
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