How much seaweed to feed?

[air78]

Hi I've just started feeding seaweed to my 16.2 TB. I've been giving him 2 X 25ml scoops a day (the small scoops you get free in garlic and things). The recomendations on the bag say I should be feeding 90g a day which is a small tea cup full or about 5 of the small scoops.
This seams alot to me

....... wonderd how much you all feed?

 

[madhector]

um think 50g a day, its what is recommended on the packet

 

[sleepingdragon10]

Not sure exactly, but was looking at some today....a 2kg pack was mentioned as being approx 66 days supply, which equates to 30g/day. BUT, it didn't say what size horse etc that was for.
90g a day does seem alot though!

 

[air78]

On my bag it says 30g a day for ponies, 60g small horses, big ponies & 90g big horses. I don't think he'll eat that much anyway.....he's already being a bit picky with it!

I don't want to waste my time though if he's not going to benift from the amount I'm giving him.

 

[seabiscuit]

Blimey way too much!! These feed manufactoreres are trying to rip you off!
You only need to feed a heaped teaspoon a day otherwise you are giving too much iodine...

 

[1CTrenowath]

[ QUOTE ]
Blimey way too much!! These feed manufactoreres are trying to rip you off!
You only need to feed a heaped teaspoon a day otherwise you are giving too much iodine...

[/ QUOTE ] And a warning here - I started feeding both my horses Seaweed last summer as understood it was beneficial for horses in clay soil areas due to nutrients missing from the soil. Now turns out that actually may be complete opposite in this type of soil and it is already iodine rich - also it is worth noting that Seaweed only has a listed 'typical analysis' on most products - so you don't actually know what you are giving your horse. Upshot is both mine have been stopped and I now have approx. 10kilos of the stuff going spare!!!

 

[k9h]

Seaweed is a totally natural multimineral supplement. It has a wide variety of readily absorbed naturally balanced minerals, trace elements, amino acids & vitamins. Feeding seaweed helps improve digestion, assimilation of minerals & the immune system. In contrast to conventional mineral supplements, Seaweed is unique in being of plant origin. Seaweed contains all the minerals & trace elements an animal requires for a normal healthy life.
Safe and Natural
Being totally natural & of vegetable origin Seaweed is easily digested & is safely fed to animals of all ages.
Improved Metabolism/Stamina
Feeding Seaweed improves the animal's ability to digest, enabling the animal to make better use of the feed available to it. Seaweed contains laminaran oligosaccharide which acts as elicitor for BGlucanace.
BGlucanace is an important immune stimulator in animals. By enhancing the effectiveness of the immune system, Seaweed increases the animal’s ability to cope with stress.
Special Seaweed for Animals
Seaweed is a totally natural multimineral supplement. In contrast to conventional mineral supplements, Seaweed is unique in being of plant origin containing a wide range of naturally balanced chelated minerals, trace elements, amino acids and vitamins.
Seaweed contains all the minerals and trace elements an animal requires for a normal healthy life.
Safe and Natural
Being totally natural and of vegetable origin Seaweed is easily digested and is safely fed to livestock of all ages.
Improved Metabolism/Stamina
Feeding Seaweed improves the animal’s ability to digest: enabling the animal to make better use of the feed available to it. Seaweed contains laminaran oligosaccharide which acts as elicitor for BGlucanace.
BGlucanace is an important immune stimulator in animals. By enhancing the effectiveness of the immune system, Seaweed increases the animal’s ability to cope with stress.
Feeding Recommendations
When first introducing seaweed into feeds, use no more than a pinchful, gradually increasing to the recommended daily ration over 710 days. Do not feed ad lib.
Horse General RDA
At work (in training) 100/120g per day
Stressful periods 120/150g per day
Maintenance 60/70g per day
Mares RDA
Serving/In Foal 100/120g per day
Lactating 120/150g per day
Young Stock RDA
Maintenance 0.05% of bodyweight
Stressful periods 0.1% of bodyweight
Stallions RDA
At Stud 120/180g per day
Poultry RDA
1525kg per ton of feed
Cattle (Dairy Cows) RDA
Average yielders 100g per day
High Yielders 120/150g per day
Extra High Yielders 180/200g per day
Calving/Bulling 120/150g per day
Calves 70g per day
Pigs RDA
Growing pigs 30/70g per day
Boars/Sows 70/100g per day
Goats RDA
Maintenance 35g per day
Milking 60/70g per day
Sheep RDA
Tups/Rams 100/120g per day
Ewes 60/70g per day
Dogs RDA
2 Tea Spoons per day
Cats RDA
1 Tea Spoon per day
Feeder wagons RDA
120g per day = 2 bag of Seaweed per tonne mix.
100g per day = 1 bag of Seaweed per tonne mix.
Average Analysis of Seaquim %
Crude Protein 6.9
Crude Fat 2.4
Nitrogen free extracts (Carbohydrates) 55-60
Ash 20-25
Fibre less than 8
Sand less than 0.5
Average Analysis of Seaquim mg/kg
Provit.A (beta carotene) 40-65
Vit B1 6-8
Vit B2 5-10
Vit B12 0.004
Vit C 200-400
Vit D 4
Vit E 100-200
Ascorbic Acid 500-1000
Folic Acid 0.2
Folinic Acid 0.2
Niacin 10-30
Pantothermic Acid 3
Some Elements g/kg
Ca Calcium 35.5
Cl Chlorine 25.0
K Potassium 26.78
N Nitrogen 12.32
Na Sodium 20.4
P Phosphorus 1.2
S Sulphur 29.6
mg/kg
Ag Silver 0.5
Al Aluminium 350.0
B Boron 50.0
Co Cobalt 5.0
Cr Chromium 1.0
Cu Copper 7.5
Fe Iron 713.0
I Iodine 835.0
Mg Magnesium 880.0
Mn Manganese 164.0
Mo Molybdenum 0.5
Ni Nickel 3.5
Pb Lead 0.25
Se Selenium 0.9
Zn Zinc 51.0
Amino Acids analysis to date 20 different Amino Acids present
Alganine
Arginie
Aspartic Acid
Citruline
Cystine
Glycine
Glutamic Acid
Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Methionine
Ornithine
Phenylalanine
Proline
Serine
Threonine
Thyrosine
Tryptophane
Valine
Seaweed is a totally natural product and seasonal variations can occur. An average analysis is given above.

NOTE!: I have copied this from the website of the company that I buy my seaweed off & I feed what it states on the bag which is what they have as dosagre rates.. They source it from Ireland.

 

[Peasfriend]

May also be worth noting that if you are already feeding a well balanced foodstuff to your horses, you may well tip the iodine levels too high. Last summer, I put my old boy and my yearling on seaweed. It took one 25ml scoop of the stuff to give my yearling 4 grossly filled legs from the knee/hock down. Needless to say, once he was taken off it, his legs went back down. He was being fed D&H Suregrow which was obviously supplying sufficient iodine to him...

 

[FMM]

Be careful about overfeeding iodine as it has been proven to cauase heart failure.

In this article

http://www.florahealth.com/flora/home/cana...dias/Iodine.asp

the key phrase is...

Symptoms of iodine overdose include a metallic taste and sores in the mouth, heart palpitations, irregular heart beat, swollen salivary glands, diarrhea and vomiting. (this is human symptons btw but it won't be particulary good for horses either i should imagine)

and on this H&H article

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/horsecare/1370/71361.html

where it says at the bottom

In the past seaweed-based preparations have been linked to iodine overdose — and it has even been suggested that washes, creams and lotions containing iodine should be used sparingly.

Seaweed is very high in iodine. However, providing you are only feeding commercially prepared equine products you should be OK. Be very careful about feeding a variety of supplements that each contain iodine as you may not realise what the ingredients are.