I recently purchased a Percheron/TB mix who is the biggest lover ever!
I noticed recently that he is dropping some weight. He is getting the same amounts of feed as my TB but I think I am missing something. He is not being used alot. We just ride a bit around the house here so no heavy work or showing.
Right now he is getting 4lbs of grain pellets from TSC plus free choice minerals, and pasture 24/7.
I have heard alot about Strategy and the draft breed. Is there a recommended feed from Purina that anyone can recommend?
All that has been checked. He's up to date on everything and my pasture is good and still looks good.
I am just looking for recommendations from others who may have had Draft/TB mix and may know of some special things that they need that maybe a QH or more easy keeper doesn't.
He is not sick, not dropping lots of weight or anything, just looks a little leaner than I like... I have just heard that Drafts may need a lower starch/higher fat diet and I am looking for recommendations.
Sorry I may have not been clear...
I ran across some Nutrena products while "wasting" some time at a feed store today so I am looking into that.
Drafts don't always do well on grain diets. You might look in to feeding him a combination of beet pulp, alfalfa pellets, and a fat supplement (rice bran, flax, corn oil, etc.), no grains. Once his weight is back up, you can reduce or remove the beet pulp and reduce the fat.
Start with 2 lbs of the grain you're giving him, 1 lb of beet pulp (dry weight) and 1 lb of alfalfa pellets. Make sure the beet pulp contains NO molasses. Give that a few days, then add 1/4 cup of corn oil or rice bran. Give that a few days. Then reduce your grain to 1 lb, increase bp and ap to 2 lbs each, and increase the fat to 1/2 cup. After a week, remove your grain, increase the bp and ap to 3 lbs each, and fat to 1 cup. Leave him on that for 2-3 weeks and see how he does.
He "should" be able to maintain weight on 0-1 lb beet pulp, 2-3 lbs alfalfa pellets, and 1/2 cup of fat.
Drafts don't always do well on grain diets. You might look in to feeding him a combination of beet pulp, alfalfa pellets, and a fat supplement (rice bran, flax, corn oil, etc.), no grains. Once his weight is back up, you can reduce or remove the beet pulp and reduce the fat.
Start with 2 lbs of the grain you're giving him, 1 lb of beet pulp (dry weight) and 1 lb of alfalfa pellets. Make sure the beet pulp contains NO molasses. Give that a few days, then add 1/4 cup of corn oil or rice bran. Give that a few days. Then reduce your grain to 1 lb, increase bp and ap to 2 lbs each, and increase the fat to 1/2 cup. After a week, remove your grain, increase the bp and ap to 3 lbs each, and fat to 1 cup. Leave him on that for 2-3 weeks and see how he does.
He "should" be able to maintain weight on 0-1 lb beet pulp, 2-3 lbs alfalfa pellets, and 1/2 cup of fat.
Well, that is good to know. I had not heard that. I will phase out the grain portion of his feed and move him to a beet pulp if I can find it. My local TSC stopped carrying it. (I'm not a fam of my local TSC).
Do you have any trouble w/ the alfalfa pellets? My vet used to against them because she was concerned with what they used to bind it all together to make the pellet.
My horse is percheron/arab, he gets 24/7 graze and hay twice a day, he also gets purina "evolution elite" after work (3-4 times a week) just to make sure he gets everything he needs vitamin wise, and add a bit of fat to his diet.
Unless you're feeding the purina feed to him daily at the recommended levels, then he's not getting all he needs and you're wasting your money. Vitamins and feeds have to be given daily for them to be effective.
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