[Jacob-list] alphalfa and horses

[Victoria da Roza]

The problem of alph. and horses is that if horses get
too much nutrition at one time, they will "founder"
which means their hooves get inflamed.  If it is a
serious founder then the bones in their hooves turn
and they become permanently lame and are usually put
down.  If the case is mild then some clever shoeing
can eventually make them ridable again.  The hooves
get hot and often will develop abcesses in them and
till they rupture and drain, the horse is in great
pain.  In horses like my Haflingers, where they are
easy keepers ,I would only feed alph. when they are
nursing a baby.  This is a big problem in California
where the alph. is cheap and all over the place and
grass hay is not.
   The tummy thing is"colic" and comes from many
causes.  Can be eating too much fresh grass and the
sugar ferments in the stomach.  My mare got into a
50lb. bag of food and ate it before we got home and we
walked her for hours cause once they go down with
colic, they frequently do not get up again.  The
problem with horses is once food goes down the hatch,
it takes 18 hrs. to go through...no coming back the
other way.  The vet pumped her stomach but it was a
long 2 days and thank heavens for the Haflinger
constitution.
   Horses can colic and founder at the same time ;-) 
Aren't Jacobs so much easier?  Victoria
--- jacob-list-request at jacobsheep.com wrote:


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> Today's Topics:

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>    1. Re: Hay woes (Linda)

>    2. Re: Hay woes (ARTHUR PARTRIDGE)

>    3. Re: Hay woes (ARTHUR PARTRIDGE)

> 

> 

>

----------------------------------------------------------------------

> 

> Message: 1

> Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2007 19:37:28 -0400

> From: Linda <patchworkfibers at alltel.net>

> Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] Hay woes

> To: <aztreaz at earthlink.net>,          jacob-list

> 	<jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>

> Message-ID: <2007814193728.608044 at patchwor-efob1t>

> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

> 

> I was wondering if "rich" is high protein, high

> carb, high whatis. 

>  

> www.patchworkfibers.com

> Registered Jacob Sheep, Angora Rabbits, Handspun

> Yarn

> 

> >> What is a "rich" diet?

> >

> >> I prefer to err on the side of too thin rather

> than too fat, but

> >> there are

> >>

> > alot of chubby ewes out there that lamb without

> >assistance every

> > year. ===========

> > I would say that 2nd and 3rd cutting, dark green,

> leafy alfalfa

> > perhaps with a cup or so of COB daily would make a

> "rich" diet.  It

> > is more nutrients than the animal's daily

> requirements so the

> > excess is stored as fat.  I wish Betty would chime

> in here with her

> > feeding schedule and share it with the group, it

> fits what I have

> > read and what my veterinarian has told me to

> follow.  If I did

> > follow it, it would save me a lot of money! We

> lamb in March and

> > start feeding the ewes alfalfa (and Livestock

> Blend) in January,

> > that's three months into the pregnancy.  Then we

> continue to feed

> > alfalfa until grazing starts.  The rest of the

> year we feed mostly

> > grass hay.  We fill them up on grass hay before

> they graze because

> > we have limited pasture available.

> >

> > I think it is risky management to have fat ewes

> trying to lamb,

> > there are possible problems such as  prolapses

> (both uterine and

> > rectal) and difficult births that often need the

> shepherd's

> > assistance.

> >

> > Cathy

> > Moscow, Idaho

> >

> >

> > _______________________________________________

> > Jacob-list mailing list, sponsored by Swallow Lane

> Farm &

> > Fiberworks Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com

> >

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> Message: 2

> Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2007 21:25:01 -0700

> From: "ARTHUR PARTRIDGE" <aztreaz at earthlink.net>

> Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] Hay woes

> To: "jacob-list" <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>

> Message-ID: <410-2200783154251593 at earthlink.net>

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> 

> --Linda wrote:

> >I was wondering if "rich" is high protein, high

> carb, high whatis. 

> =========

> Yes, rich means high whatever.  It is

> nutritionally-rich or calorie rich. 

> I googled a few words and found the following (see

> below).  I also googled

> 'overweight Jacob sheep on alfalfa diet' and didn't

> get anything.

> 

> In fact, alfalfa is so rich in (??) that the horse

> people (people who own

> horses) refer to it as "hot".  It can kill a horse,

> or give it a bad

> stomach ache, I forgot which.  The recommendation

> for feeding horses is to

> always dilute the alfalfa with grass hay.  This

> doesn't affect ruminants in

> the same way, it's not considered 'hot' for sheep,

> goats, etc  I found the

> following, I haven't read it yet. 

> 

> Myth: Alfalfa is too rich for horses. Reality: As

> with any feed, the

> nutrient. 

> content of hay should be matched to the nutrient

> needs of the horse.Early-

> ...

>

http://www.alfalfa.org/pdf/Alfalfa%20for%20Horses%20(low%20res).pdf

> 

> 

> 

> Hope this explains why some feeds, esp. alfalfa, are

> considered "rich". 

> Are Southern grits considered a rich food??  If not,

> could explain why you

> are curious about the word (just joking).

> 

> Cathy

> Moscow, Idaho

> >

> Alfalfa is rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals,

> and is a main component

> in 

> livestock rations. It has a higher yield potential

> compared to other forage

> ...

> http://darwin.nmsu.edu/~molbio/plant/alfalfa.html 

> >

> Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is considered the queen of

> forage and is the most

> .... 

> with protein and energy rich feed ingredients

> available in these markets.

> ...

> >

> Alfalfa is a cattle feed intended to fatten animals

> for slaughter. When

> feeding 

> alfalfa to cattle there ... Good, rich alfalfa will

> make young horses grow

> ...

>

http://www.pelham-saddlery.com/horse_column/alfalfa.html

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> ------------------------------

> 

> Message: 3

> Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2007 21:55:13 -0700

> From: "ARTHUR PARTRIDGE" <aztreaz at earthlink.net>

> Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] Hay woes

> To: "jacob-list" <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>

> Cc: Linda <patchworkfibers at alltel.net>

> Message-ID: <410-22007831545513859 at earthlink.net>

> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

> 

> 

> Linda, if the drought is state-wide or even

> region-wide, can you contact

> your Farm Bureau and find if they are bringing hay

> in from neighboring

> states?  I remember when farmers here in N. Idaho

> and Eastern Washington

> were taking caravans of hay down to Texas or

> somewhere in the Southwest

> during their droughts.

> 

> Cathy

> 

=== message truncated ===


Victoria
Castle Rock Farm
Jacob Sheep & Nigerian Dwarf Goats
www.castlerockfarm.net


       
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