To use cow feed as a conditioner????!!!

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Claiired

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I got told today that you can use cow feed.

yes, cow feed. As a weight gainer.

Her friends swear by it.

Anyone heard about it??

Lol
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Thanks
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People at my old yard used to use 'calf nuts' I just though it was name of horse feed but it was apparently food for calfs !
 
Be VERY careful about feeding horses cattle feed. Many cattle feeds contain additives that are highly toxic to horses, and even the ones that don't are often contaminated as they are made on the same production line. They are also high in protein levels which can cause many problems as well. I personally would stay well away, there are plenty enough feeds out there that have been designed for horses. Cattle have a completely different digestive system than a horse so why take any chance.

Anything with Rumensin in can kill your horse, and many cattle feeds contain it.
http://microvet.arizona.edu/azvdl/newsletters/dec97.pdf
 
On saying that though, there are cow products that are both safe and good for weight gain in horses, such as sugar beet, grass nuts and crushed barley.
 
I'm not disputing that fact, but feed formulated for cattle, or other ruminants for that matter, are NOT suitable for feeding to horses. Sugarbeet for instance can be fed to ruminants without soaking. Why ever would anyone want to take a chance when there are horse feeds out there that have been formulated for horses.
 
I'm sitting on the fence on this subject but I do have two points to add. My friend buys a few youngsters every year, a few of which are underweight and only buys because he feels sorry for them, he swears by calf milk powder for these poor animals!!! I have not used it and I really don't know if it's dangerous or not, all I'm saying is he uses it often and so far has had no problems.

The other point I have is I have a 28 year old pony who I've owned for 19 years. About 5 years ago the vet identified that her liver and kidneys were not working like they should (like many old horses) any way for the last three years I have struggled keeping weight on her in the winter, I have tried nearly all supplements known to man, phoned up every feed company and worried myself stupid. Did I mention that she also had the runs aswell, permentally. Anyway to cut a really long story short, this winter she has been fed on sheep nuts and sugarbeet (soaked), not only has she kept weight on, she is probably the heaviest she's ever been and her poo's are correct.

Now please don't just go out and buy a bag off sheep nuts! All I'm saying is my mare is a very good age, is worth nothing and I was at the end of my teather, in my book it's worth searching all options.
 
I think that people should remember that cattle/sheep/goats and other ruminants are completely different from a horse. They have several stomachs for starters!! They also have totally different vitamin/mineral needs. Copper deficiency in cattle is combated by adding copper to feeds, at levels that could be harmful to horses, there are minerals that sheep would need in different levels to a horse. Nuts formulated for ruminant may well contain unsoaked sugarbeat, not good for your horse. They contain very high levels of protein. Horses have a sensitive digestive system at the best of times, so why compremise it by feeding a foodstuff clearly not designed for a horse. I'm not talking about straight feeds that cattle and horses can both eat, I'm talking about formulated feeds.

To the OP, unless you are TOTALLY sure of EXACTLY what you are feeding, stear clear. It's not worth the risk, whatever anyone tells you.
 
Hi,

I'm not disputing or disagreeing with you about this matter, I have several other horses on my yard and I would never think about giving them sheep nuts. I can see that you feel very strongly about this matter and you must be more informed about the subject than me. As I said in my post, please don't go out and buy a bag of sheep nuts, however maybe I should have said that I was ready to put my little mare down at the start of winter, because I really could face seeing her going down hill again. As I already said I had asked everyone's advise, tried tonnes of different products, and almost by accident found that sheep nuts soak with sugarbeet have done the trick. All I was trying to do was give my point of view and share my experience.
 
No worries, but the OP may not have the same experience as you, which is why I have urged caution. Glad to hear that your mare has done well on them. I am however concerned that the OP would go and buy cattle feed without the knowledge of what it contains and the dangers to her pony, if she was told that it's ok to do that . This is the reason I have been posting on this subject so strongly.
Sorry if you thought I was abrupt in my answer
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Please do not do this, although I do know of several people that have done it, my personal experience from sharing a yard with a so called pro was that it is not good. The Baileys and D and H Nutritionists were shocked when I told them what was being fed too. Think OCD problems in youngsters and colic (lethal) in older horses. I would never do it to any of my horses.
 
i feed grass nuts,which is basicly pelleted grass bought from my farm store. they are exclenet for weight gain, half the price of conditioning horse feeds and safe for horses
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Pickwickayr - What is the brand name of these or where do you get them please?

Sheep Food - We used to run a horse feed business, and I know of 2 horses who got into there owner's feed barns and one was dead in the moning, the other was ill for a long time, from eating sheep feed.
 
I once tried grass nuts on my horse - I didn't know at the time that they contain urea which is not at all good for the horse. Horse was lethargic and sweated appalingly with minimal work.

Like many people have said formulated feeds - ie feeds that have more than one type of food in them are made to a particular recipe for a particular breed.

Calf Milk Powder is just dried milk with a few vitamins added - the quantity fed is not likely to upset the horses vitamin/mineral balance.

Any processed feed made for a different animal are not suitable to be fed to horses.

Sugar beet, crushed barley are all basic feeds and suitable to be fed to any type of breed.
 
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