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Message |
    
Lori
Member
Username: Maggienm
Post Number: 323
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 - 10:11 am: |   |
Ok, I am a bit embarrassed to even ask this.
When my horse was at the local barn I would soak her cubes over night and feed them in the morning.
Now she is home and I bring the bucket of cubes into the porch overnight, this is to prevent the condition known as alfalfa-pops(icles).
I have noticed that the cubes are warmish in the morning, is it ok to feed them in this condition?
Could there be along term ill effect?
Thanks |
Holly Wood
Member
Username: Hwood
Post Number: 1707
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 - 10:50 am: | |
None that I ever encountered, Lori, but you can pour hot tap water over them about 20 minutes before feeding and get them nice and soft and warm to feed on a cold morning. I like to think that my guys appreciated warm grub in their tummies on those cold winter mornings. |
Nancy S. Kaplan
Member
Username: Redalert
Post Number: 459
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 - 11:06 am: | |
I do the same as Holly, tho I cannot see that your way would hurt anything, Lori!
Nancy |
Valerie Hackney
Member
Username: Valh
Post Number: 17
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 - 11:23 am: | |
Lori, I have been feeding alfalfa cubes to my 32 yo mare for a few years. I soak them in warm water and also add her Equine Senior to the mix. She loves it. She cannot eat hay or graze very well. Her soaked cubes and grain keep her in good shape.
Valerie |
Nicole Tucker
Member
Username: Tuckern
Post Number: 147
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 - 12:52 pm: | |
Hi Lori,
The only thing to watch out for is that the cubes will start fermenting if left too long, or if soaked overnight in hot water. So, if you're gonna soak them overnight, just use cold water, and you shouldn't have a problem. :0) Trust me, I learned that one the hard way. I just couldn't understand why the horse wouldn't eat his mash the two nights that I soaked them overnight in warm water, until I realized, duh, it probably didn't taste too good, hehe.
These days, I soak my alfalfa pellets in hot water, but I feed it about 20-30 minutes later, and the horses love it.
Nicole |
Muffi Delaney
Member
Username: Muffi
Post Number: 41
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 - 7:40 pm: | |
I do the Very Quick soak or rather add VERY WARM water at feeding time (no advance soak) to their grass hay pellets (Lakin Lite) and Rice Bran (candy aka old fashioned fat for my hard keeper) so they get a very wet mixture in the winter and like Holly I like to think they like the warm food in their bellies! I love my Warm Oatmeal after a cold morning feed in the barn |
Alden Chamberlain
Member
Username: Alden
Post Number: 383
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 - 5:40 pm: | |
If there isn't a specific medical reason to soak, then don't. I fed cubes for years and the horses do just fine eating dry cubes.
Good day,
Alden |
