Ask the Vet - Beet pulp and alfalfa pellets for a hard keeper

[@lacey7605]

Great information. I purchased a quidder (I didn't know what quidding was before that).... what great information you give on the feed that I have been using. Now I have even more guidance. He was emaciated when I got him (older), has flat teeth, but can eat small grasses and clover. He became "too fat" by a bit last year on grass and clover so just one small feeding per day. Then the stress of moving him to a new farm 2/1/23 made him lose a lot of weight. We are building him back up with Triple Crown Senior Active now, and he can finally eat the small grass sprigs. Though I use alfalfa cubes/pellets and beet pulp (all wetted) for fodder (winter and when stalled) along with chopped hay -- and beet pulp with his food-- I did not know these things ! Amazing.

[@HappyWScrappy]

oh my GOODNESS! Thank you for all of the advice!!! I am new to OTTB's and rescued/adopted one 3 wks ago! She prefers to be in the pasture & I bought all these supplements & am paying for her to eat 2 extra times a day and now her ribs are showing. I think she isnt getting ENOUGH of her extra food. I will talk to the stable manager and also buy her more of what YOU are saying!

[@Holdyourhorses44]

I know this video is for horses however, im curious about cows. I have dairy cows (open and not milking yearlings). They do not do well on pasture at all. I have them currently on 12% grower/finisher, 14% sweet feed, mineral supplements, fermented alfalfa, and dry bermuda hay. Would beetpulp added potentially aid in weight gain?

[@belalomenick805]

I have a 18 year old Missouri Fox Trotter, I feed her twice a day 4lbs in the morning and 4 pounds in the evening. She is 14.3 hands and is not gaining weight! She is about 950 lbs but I feel like she sould be ant least 1000lbs I have experimented with different types of feed right now she is on alfalfa, seiner feed, and sweet feed what am I doing wrong!?

[@laurenspeck1559]

I have a 30 yr old severely swayback QH and i just started blanketing him heavily and i added rice bran! It works wonders on him! Alfalfa pellets are more of a filler for forage-not much as a weightbuilder. Also keeping my QH a high protein senior and weightbuilder powder added to his feed. I feed his grain wet too to help with digestion.😁 good luck!

[@rosedowling3690]

Please i need help with my senior horse as far as making sure he is getting the right amount of everything he needs Rascal is pushing 30 can't eat hay or grass he is loosing weight he is a qh about 800 lbs his ribs are showing along with his hip bones i currently have him on alfalfa pellets,beet pulp and senior feed can you please help me with the amounts of each i should be feeding per day ive been feeding him 4x a day small meals i hope they're small !!!!!

[@galeparkfrederick8268]

We brought our elder stallion back up in 2 weeks with this recipe. 3 plastic dixie cups full of Beet Pulp Pellets, 3 plastic cups of alfalfa pellets, and once scoop of the calf mana that adds fat and vitamins. We mix this with water in a 3 gallon bucket with water to the top. We mix it up when it is all soaked. This is easy eating and they also get water too. Also we have added to his feed, one coffee can full of Senior Grain twice a day. This really started to the good side fast.

[@LisaSpencer-bu5ws]

I need more help with what to feed my extremely thin 32 y/o horse. I currently feed Purina Senior twice a day. Also Calf manna senior weight builder and free choice grass hay. My horses are on a 10 week deworming rotation. How can I supplement beet pulp and/or alfalfa cubes to assist with gaining weight?

[@tiak1022]

I can not feel the ribs on my 10 year old Arab mare, and all she gets is hay throughout the winter, should I be feeding her beet pulp and a small amount of alfalfa cubes?

[@amyshomesteadanimals]

Can you explain why alfalfa is not good to feed exclusively? More specifically, is feeding a hard keeping senior full alfalfa forage during g winter ok?

[@smartpak]

Hi Amy Darr! Congratulations! This question was answered in a recent Ask the Vet video by Dr. Gray. You can get the answer to your question here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGWwqHiugbF5kK8 This also means that you've won a SmartPak gift card! Email us at [e-mail], let us know your question was answered and we'll take care of the rest. Thanks for asking! - SmartPaker Nels

[@amyshomesteadanimals]

Smartpak, thank you.

[@Liz-zj2sw]

So I could buy any yeast to put in my horses feed? How much, how many times a day?

[@taylorlyter9876]

should alpha pellets be fed wet or dry?

[@Horsein]

Wet

[@tianaw937]

I have a 15 year old ottb that needs around twenty lbs added on to him. He’s a little hot and I would like to feed him something with no effect on his energy level but something that would really fatten him up. Any suggestions?

[@belalomenick805]

Tiana Williams have you tried a maintenance feed? I use it sometimes on my barrel horse and trust me she doesn't need anymore energy!😂

[@laurenspeck1559]

Rice bran! Works wonders on my 3yr old OTTB with no added energy! I acually had to stop feedimg it to her since she was getting some chubs!

[@laurenspeck1559]

Rice bran, weightbuilder powder, sweet feed, beet pulp, ricebran oil, flaxseed and weightbuilder cookies!

[@glennpangelinan6551]

My OTTB rescue isn’t fed a high fat feed and hay and gets 4 pounds twice a day. Do you think your diet solution can be shared with me? What ratios should I serve it? The rice bran, beet pulp, etc.