Calf Feed

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I was recently at a local livery yard which is looking after my friends horses. While there, I noticed that the horses were being fed calf ration. I was just wondering would that be suitable for horses ?? They have competely different digestive systems, will it be fully nutritious for horses??

Any help or comment would be really appreciated as I dont think I like this set up myself and was wondering what others thought :)
 
Thanks! link really interesting, horses are thankfully heading out to grass for the summer now but will definately be keeping eye out for calf ration being fed when they come back in :)
 
Not the best idea in the world. Calf feed shouldn't contain any urea so shouldn't be any problems from that area but it is likely to be around 17-18% protein which higher than normal equine feed would be. Calf feeds tend to have a decent fibre content so should contain raw materials likes soya hulls and sugar beet. The energy level for a calf feed also might be higher than you would have for a horse. I would expect a calf feed to have a decent mineral in it but again, not the same as you would use for a horse, I would expect the vit E content of equine diets to be higher than ruminant diets.

The link to that article is interesting although I think it might be american. I think when it is talking about cattle it is referring to beef rather than dairy diets and monensin is banned in the UK.

I would stick to equine feed, even if it does cost more money!
 
wispagold said:
Not the best idea in the world. Calf feed shouldn't contain any urea so shouldn't be any problems from that area but it is likely to be around 17-18% protein which higher than normal equine feed would be. Calf feeds tend to have a decent fibre content so should contain raw materials likes soya hulls and sugar beet. The energy level for a calf feed also might be higher than you would have for a horse. I would expect a calf feed to have a decent mineral in it but again, not the same as you would use for a horse, I would expect the vit E content of equine diets to be higher than ruminant diets.

The link to that article is interesting although I think it might be american. I think when it is talking about cattle it is referring to beef rather than dairy diets and monensin is banned in the UK.

I would stick to equine feed, even if it does cost more money!
Click to expand...

My reference to urea was from when I fed ruminent food many years ago in UK!
 
Tnavas said:
My reference to urea was from when I fed ruminent food many years ago in UK!
Click to expand...

They do still use urea in ruminant food now!

I just said it isn't likely to be in calf feed as urea shouldn't be fed to calves (particularly under 3 months old). Urea is normally in high protein diets designed to be mixed with home produced cereals such as barley.
 
I wouldn't feed it. If I am away and my husband gets my two in he gives them a handful of dairy cake between them as he usually forgets to take their carrot (aren't fed hard feed). I don't think that half a handful a few times a year will be harmful but I wouldn't feed it every day or in quantity, as has been said above cows and horses have very different internal systems!
 
I bought a new horse, without being told it could break out of anywhere and required rhino proof housing, that broke out of her box on day two of ownership, and helped herself to a dustbin of beef nuts, consuming a fair amount.

The vets were more than worried on both counts of colic and laminitis. Thankfully the blooming Houdini carthorse was non the worse, other than being a bit quiet and farting a lot.

There is a lot of difference between the nutritional needs of a ruminant and a horse.
 
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