Tips On Feeding Alfalfa Cube

By Myrtle Cash


There are many benefits to feeding alfalfa cube. Livestock owners are often looking for good quality alternative especially in areas where hay is hard to find or very expensive. Many people are either supplementing with cubes or actually using them as the primary source of food for their horses.

There are many advantages to using cubes as a feed supplement. They are high in protein and very nutritious. The protein value is clearly labeled on each bag, making it easy for the owner to know how much to feed. Many people recommend mixing the cubes with sugar beet pulp to add extra moisture to the feed. Making a bran mash a regular part of the horses diet is also a good idea.

The cubes are packed into water proof bags and shipped all over the country. One of the best factors about feeding cubes is that they are much easier to transport and store than hay bales. They need much less room and can be purchased as they are needed. This saves a lot of the back breaking work that goes into stacking many hundreds of hay bales needed to feed a barn full of horses all winter.

In contrast, cubes are much easier to handle and store. They do not need as much room as hay bales, but do need to be kept out of the weather and in a relatively dry environment. If the bags get wet there is a chance of mold developing. Most people like to buy a week or two supply just to avoid storage problems.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when feeding cubes is that the horses must have plenty of fresh water available to them at all times. The cubes have a very low moisture content and if the horses do not drink enough they run the risk of colic. This is especially true of older horses during the hot summer months.

Alfalfa cubes are very nutritious and full of protein. Each bag will have the nutrition content printed clearly and this really takes the guess work out of feeding. It is also very good for hard working competition horses who need to have extra protein in their diet. Many barn managers mix damp sugar beet pulp with the cubes to slow the horses down when they are eating.

Most of the cubes are manufactured in the western states where huge amounts of grassland are available. The Canadian prairies also provide idea conditions for alfalfa cube production. The grass is cut and left to dry for a few days in the field. It is then moved to the plant and dried even more. The grass is then mechanically chopped into very small pieces and compressed into cubes that measure approximately one inch by two inches.

Horse owners all over the country are finding that feeding alfalfa cube makes the perfect alternative to hay. In some cases it provides a high protein supplement to the regular diet. In other cases it is a necessary step as good quality hay is not available. Most owners are very happy with the results of feeding cubes, they are very palatable and nutritious.




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