| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Pasch |
Posted - 07 May 2013 : 9:40:17 PM
My horses have been eating a very rich hay all winter,mostly from oats,some clover and rye grass,they were not getting any feed and were almost too fat!Now they are eating a natural grass hay and the occasional grass (grazing isn't very common here for lack of both land and grass)and I noticed they lost a bit of weight.Nothing serious but with summer and the heat coming I don't want them to lose more.
I don't really want to give them cereal feed as it makes them fizzy and it isn't the best thing for gut and feet,so I thought I'd get sugarbeet.
Now,what I know about it is that it's very low in simple sugars,as it can even be given to laminitic prone horses,full of fibre and a good source of energy without going to their heads.Surprisingly,my vet says she never used it and doesn't like it as too much sugar???
Did I get it wrong?or does she just not know about it? (it's not a common feed stuff here)
Anyway I got a bag of it only to find out it's unmolassed (good) but it's in pellets (not so good,was expecting shreds)
Can you please help me clarify my doubts?
Also,how much you feed (dry weight) how much water you need to soak them in and for how long considering temperatures here can rise to sweltering 30+ degrees in summer? |
| 21 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| abcoboy |
Posted - 13 May 2013 : 12:23:46 PM
I feed both of my mares (arab and TB) on speedibeet as it has less sugar ... means I can add water to it when I arrive at the farm at night and by the time Ive mucked out, etc its read as only takes 10-15 mins …
Also used the Calm & Condition on another TB last year too with good results – it’s a complete feed so nothing else required apart from some chaff (optional). x
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| pinkvboots |
Posted - 09 May 2013 : 1:39:23 PM
When it starts fermenting it will smell strange. |
| Pasch |
Posted - 09 May 2013 : 12:44:32 PM
Thank you Vik,I am trying a quarter scoop each and see if that works ok.I am using cold water because it soaks for about 18-20 hrs and also considering the heat (24C here).If fermenting it should smell funny I guess? I'll get a picnic box when temperatures rise.I make it fresh every day.
Sorry all these may seem dumb questions to you but sugarbeet is a new thing for me and nobody seem to know much about it here! |
| Vik1 |
Posted - 09 May 2013 : 07:47:33 AM
Forgot to say...when it comes to weighing feeds, you go by the dry weight of sugarbeet. I normally soak 2 full round stubbs scoops in a tub trug overnight with hot water. So I suppose that is about 3.5 - 4kg dry weight as its pellets I use. That feeds 2 horses for 2 and half days....approx 6 scoops soaked. I think a quarter scoop (about 250gs dry weight) would prob be the equiv of a heaped full scoop that been soaked.
If your soaking it for 12 hrs make sure the water your using is from the hot tap and you should be fine. If its from cold tap then Id leave it longer. |
| Pasch |
Posted - 09 May 2013 : 12:58:42 AM
Thanks everybody.
Gave it a try before reading your answers.
Last night I put a scoop to soak in a bucket filled with water almost up to the rim(not knowing how much to use I thought it better to throw water than to make it too dry).Scoop was one of the big ones (holding 2 kg of feed I think?)but it was hardly half full.I soaked it yesterday around 8 pm and by today lunchtime when I went to the yard most of the water had been absorbed  so I had a bucket full of soaked sugarbeet...
Knowing you shouldn't give more than 1.2kg of feed at a time,that seemed so much!Horses were still nibbling at hay and it was a very warm day so when I tried to feed them some they played with it but didn't like it! True it was very slobby...
Ended up giving that to other less picky horses...in the evening I fed them the rest but I took out the excess water,put some sliced carrots and some oil with vitamins which has a lovely smell.It was just before dinner time and they were waiting for their hay.This time they ate it all!
So main question is how much should I put to soak for each horse?(grams or kgs please,not familiar with English measurements)considering I give them once a day only and it's just a little extra to keep the weight on.
Is it ok to soak for 12 hrs or does it have to be 24?These are unmolassed pellets.
Water was still cool today and didn't smell funny,how do you know if it's fermenting?
Faracat the picnic box seems a great idea.
Pop I already thought of writing a warning on the bag in case somebody took some to use dry.
Callisto I also completed the horse nutrition course  Gabriele looking at your "ingredients"I think I really used too much for 2 horses!
KateB I don't know if I can find Allen & Page in Italy...Kes not sure I understood your method,thanks anyway! |
| Faracat |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 6:12:37 PM
The best thing to soak sugar beet in is a plastic, picnic cool box. It keeps it cool in the summer and stops it freezing in the winter.
This sort of thing -
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| Callisto |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 3:48:29 PM
To give you a comparison of the sugar content, I have read of a grass sample that contained 27% sugar and fructans. Obviously the sugar content of grass depends on the time of year and even the time of day, and type of grass/pasture. |
| Pop |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 11:18:43 AM
Is that you Judith?
I think that Molassed sugar beat is about 25% sugar and Unmolassed about 5%, so I guess its important to know which one is being used. |
| Judith S |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 10:57:29 AM
Going back to the OP, sugarbeet shreds/pellets do actually have a significant amount of sugar left in them which is useful for instant energy - so the vet is right.
http://www.efeed.co.uk/products/horse-feed/straights/sugar-beet-pellets |
| Kes |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 10:37:43 AM
Lol, always happy to pass on a good idea, even if it wasn't mine to start with and I got the size wrong!!! |
| Kharidian |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 10:25:03 AM
That sounds line a great idea Kes!
Caryn |
| gabriele ault |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 10:14:30 AM
I soak 3 scoops of sugar beet pellets, 1 scoops of high fibre cubes, 1 scoop of alfalfa pellets and 1 scoop of grass nuts for 24 hours - that will feed 7 horses and 10 goats but then they also get whole oats and rolled barley with it. The mix for soaking I put into a dustbin and fill it about 1/2 to make a sloppy mix - fresh every day. |
| Callisto |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 10:07:38 AM
I thought it was that Kes - I was visualising something the size of a mug, which seemed a bit small
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| kate b |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 09:52:09 AM
You could try Allen & Page Calm & Condition - it adds condition(or maintains condition, depending on how much you feed) without heating them up. It has to be soaked before feeding - but only 10 minutes or so. Take a look on their website for more info. |
| Kes |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 09:51:44 AM
Callisto - I'm talking about the bigger cortaflex tubs, I think possibly more than 500 grams, I think I got that wrong - maybe it's 750/1000gm, it equates to about one stubbs scoop size which is what Kes gets per feed. I just find it really handy as each time you use it just refill it straight away and even when it's really hot it never ferments. Just seems to work out well |
| Callisto |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 09:23:54 AM
Originally posted by Kes if you get an old container like a corteflex tub (approx 500gm) for example you can use and refill it everyday and it's got a screwtop lid. All you need to do is throw a handful of nuts in the bottom each time you use it = allways fresh, perfect sugarbeet One tub per horse works out perfect for one feed.
I would need 2 or 3 of those per horse per feed! Or am I thinking of the wrong size tub??? Mine get a full round scoop each per feed. |
| Pop |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 09:15:23 AM
I use pellets in the winter and flakes in the summer, because of the soaking time. In the winter, if its freezing, I add a flask of boiling water to take the cold off it.
Just a word of warning thou if you have people around who are unfamiliar with it and might feed your horse, make sure they know what it is and don't mistake it for pony nuts.
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| pinkvboots |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 07:53:11 AM
I use unmollassed sugar beet both mine have it and it is pellets not shreds need to soak for 12 hours, I find the pellets are cheaper and last much longer than the speedybeet, I soak just enough for one day so its fresh in the summer as it can go horrible in the heat. |
| Kes |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 07:46:32 AM
On our yard all the horses get sugarbeet but in summer only Kes has sugarbeet, I got this little trick/ tip off our YO - if you get an old container like a corteflex tub (approx 500gm) for example you can use and refill it everyday and it's got a screwtop lid. All you need to do is throw a handful of nuts in the bottom each time you use it = allways fresh, perfect sugarbeet One tub per horse works out perfect for one feed. |
| Callisto |
Posted - 08 May 2013 : 02:59:34 AM
I second what Vik1 says - unmolassed sugarbeet is a great fibre food source, and recommended by the vets on the Royal Dick Vet School nutrition course I just completed. It is the residue after the sugar has been removed, so not high in sugar. It will definitely start to ferment if left around in your temperatures, so only mix what you need. In the winter I make mine in an insulated cooler picnic box to help stop it from freezing, perhaps doing the same thing would stop yours fermenting? Obviously if you can store it somewhere cool it will last longer. I feed a scoop of soaked beet with the rest of the horse's bucket ration, but we do have plenty of grazing, not sure what quantities you would feed as a grass replacement. It is a source of slow release energy, and is good for the hindgut, also a good way of getting water into the horse. We feed it sloppy at endurance rides, and also offer sugarbeet water to encourage them to drink.
Speedibeet is a trade name for quick soaking unmolassed sugarbeet over here, it looks like grey cornflakes. |
| Vik1 |
Posted - 07 May 2013 : 10:27:50 PM
I use 'normal' sugarbeet. It is high in fibre but it can be high in sugars unless it is unmolassed. Pellets should be soaked for 24hrs if using cold water. If hot water then it actually soaks in a few hrs but I still leave it for least 12 to be sure. you can tell if its soaked properly by rubbing it between your fingers. There should be no solid bits (you'll know what I mean if you come across that). Suagrbeet goes off quite quickly in warm weather so as your in a hot climate I would only use what you need for that day. It can also attract fruit flies.
Pellets are soaked 5 parts water to 1 part pellets. Shreds i think is 3?? Its been years since I used shreds. Speedibeet soaks in jig time. Its normally shreds. Think it can soak in 10 mins with hot water.
Personally I find speedibeet/sugarbeet is good for bulking out or extra fibre. Speedibeet is much better for laminitics because of low sugar content. Digestible energy is higher in normal sugarbeet as well as the oil content so it will put weight on marginally better. Starch levels arent that different, both pretty much non existent so hence why it doesnt blow brains. |
