Molasses - TOO MUCH?

muttduck · 02-10-2005, 07:44 AM

Okay, I love the feed I have been using. It's Super Horse Performance 12 Textured, by Manna-Pro. (Meaning 12%Sweet.) It offers the most complete nutrients list, I have found, and the protien/ fat/ calcium/ magnesium is just right for my girls.
Now... the problem is, the last four bags I bought (same feed store I always use) have had so much molasses, that your arm turns brown when you scoop out of it, the bag weighs an extra five pounds where it has soaked up the molasses, and the feed is blackened with it.

My girls won't eat a full meal without taking a water and hay break, and my filly has been licking weird stuff,(ie: the door, my house, the steps, my shirt, the dog...) :tongue: -between mouthfuls!! I mentioned it to the feed store. Nothing else is wrong with it, no mold, not sour, etc...

Will feeding the large amount of molasses do anything besides give the girls a sugar rush??? :drunken:
I am hoping that it was just a weird batch, but if not, I'll have to switch!

Any ideas?

divinemisselle · 02-10-2005, 07:52 AM

I have my feed custom mixed at the mill. I do know that in the winter they add more molasses. I guess it's for the extra fat content. Here I thought that it was to tick me off when it froze into a solid 100 pound block!

I did feed pelleted at one time, but because it was so dry, most of my horses had choke problems with it. That came to a swift end!

They prefer the sweet grain anyway. They always think they're getting "treats".

muttduck · 02-10-2005, 08:02 AM

Well, trying to win over the mare, we decided sweet is more enticing, and she smacks her lips when we come. The almighty bucket talks her langauge and usually overrides her fear factor! But I think there is a point where it is TOO sweet. And we've reached it!

EquineAlberta · 02-10-2005, 11:13 AM

Can you mix it with some 12% pellets to dilute it and make it taste better? I know mixing molasses is so much fun!

Feed molasses is usually diluted and processed and so tends to only have a 40% sugar content. So if the feed is 10% molasses, then the horse is just getting 4% sugar content...which is less than good quality grass or alfalfa hay (4-10%).

In theory it is the percent of Non-Structural Carbs you have to worry about (starches and sugars that the horse can actually digest), but I don't remember how to calculate the percent, all I remember is that oats and corn had a really high percent, even compared to most sweet feeds, which is why oats and corn should not be fed to growing horses or horses prone to founder or cushings disease.

So the moral of this is that the molasses is not going to be bad for your horses, just icky!

TXCowGrl82 · 02-10-2005, 10:13 PM

I choose to feed a pellet, partially because when I have a horse that goes off its grain I can add a little sweet feed and they will lap it right up. It's also easier for my older mares to chew. But too much molasses won't hurt your girls, just get your hands dirty!

stormy · 02-11-2005, 05:53 AM

You all will really have a fit when you hear what I feed by horses!

I feed an 100% oat pellet and it comes out of Canada. Its 12% and I also use a vitamin and mineral that I sprinkle on top. Our farriers wife did a soil sample in our area to see what the soil lacked. If it lacks certain things our horses need then you know they are not getting it thru the hay we grow cuz it isnt in the soil. So she had a recipe of vitamins and minerals made for our area and even down to the correct messurement of 1/4 cup per day. Its fairly inexpensive at $25 per 25 pound bag. I never feed Corn as it is just to hot a feed. COWS eat corn!!!! I have never had a horse founder or colic cuz of feed and all are lookin good. Even my old guy.

My babies grow good and the feed keeps the mamas nursing well and looking good too. I am careful not to have FAT horses as that is not good for them. Did you ever look at your horses pooh and see all the grain that passes thru, oats and corn? That tells me they are not utilizing all there feed well as it is still identifiable

With the oat pellet it is all utilized as there is NO trace of pellets in pooh. At this point have never had a horse choke on it. Maybe I have been lucky there. Anyways this is what we feed here Stormy Oh have a trace mineral block at free choice too

drgnm5 · 02-11-2005, 06:21 AM

I had lots of problems with sweet feed and my horses. First they loved the molasses so much that they practically ran me over when I brought it out. Then it made my bay mare so "hyper" that she was untouchable for at least two hours after feeding it. I only used it to put weight on underweight horses and then stopped. My neighbor (who is also my trainer) talked it over and decided on corn and liquid feed with a small amount of dolomide powder to put weight on my young horses and help my pregnant mares. One ounce of liquid feed gives enough energy to replace 10lbs of hay, so my young horses are filling out more and my mares are maintaining nicely. We no longer have problems with hay bellies and they aren't all hyper when they eat it. It has no sugar but they really like it. The only problem I ever had related to it is that when I first started feeding it to my young horses, they liked it so much that they would pick through the hay and only eat pieces that had the liquid feed on them. So I started mixing it with their corn and that has been resolved.

EquineAlberta · 02-11-2005, 11:39 AM

I feed mostly extruded feed (martins), and some 12% pellets, but only to my broodmare and the babies. The rest seem fat and happy on hay, salt and minerals.

I think Stormy has it right on, you have to feed in part based on your region, so it is best to buy feeds made for your area. Around here they add Selenium to feed for example, but I am sure in other areas they do not.

TXCowGrl82 · 02-11-2005, 01:04 PM

You feed corn and a liquid feed and your horses are LESS hyper!!!!!

It is actually a common myth that molasses makes horses hyper. That is not the case. Neither is it the protein that will make them hyper. Like EquineAlberta said, only like 4% of the feed is actual molasses. They don't even process all of it. For an animal of that size, that amount of sugar is not going to cause hyperactivity. What gives a horse 85% of its energy is fat. Too much fat and they get hyper. Too too much fat and it goes beyond hyperactivity into lethargy because of too much body fat.

ToveroMom · 02-11-2005, 01:17 PM

Well they do get energy from fats-but it is not the quick blast that hi carbs gives the animal. It is all in how the body burns them.
I do not feed sweet feed-feed a 12% protein 8% fat pellet now and have had great results with it.
There have been many breakthroughs recently and many of the changed ideas regarding the diet-is that fats[from plant sources] are actually a very good way to go with MOST horses.
Reducing the carbs and upping the fat/protein ratio can give a calmer better fortified individual.

muttduck · 02-12-2005, 07:41 AM

Okay, the feed in question was so soaked that the first inner layer of the bag is sopping, and the second layer is browning. :monkey:

BUT THERE IS A MERCIFUL GOD!!!!

I ripped a hunk of the bag and took it to the feed store. They all stared open mouthed.

Then, they pulled the pile of feed apart and looked for a different batch. They opened a bag and it was perfect.

I bought it on the spot! Employee even gave me his discount.

I stopped by later for hay (forgot it earlier..

)and the store owner GAVE me another bag from the new batch and apologized!!!!

Perfect ending to the saga!!! :sunny: They are sending the feed back from the batch with too much molasses! AND I don't have to switch!!!!

(Now, as for the rest of my day-

)

View Poll Results: Pellets or Textured?
Pelleted Feed	3	25.00%
Textured/Sweet Feed	9	75.00%
Voters: 12. You may not vote on this poll

02-10-2005, 07:44 AM
muttduck Kid Safe Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Central Kentucky Posts: 7,182	Molasses - TOO MUCH? Okay, I love the feed I have been using. It's Super Horse Performance 12 Textured, by Manna-Pro. (Meaning 12%Sweet.) It offers the most complete nutrients list, I have found, and the protien/ fat/ calcium/ magnesium is just right for my girls. Now... the problem is, the last four bags I bought (same feed store I always use) have had so much molasses, that your arm turns brown when you scoop out of it, the bag weighs an extra five pounds where it has soaked up the molasses, and the feed is blackened with it. My girls won't eat a full meal without taking a water and hay break, and my filly has been licking weird stuff,(ie: the door, my house, the steps, my shirt, the dog...) :tongue: -between mouthfuls!! I mentioned it to the feed store. Nothing else is wrong with it, no mold, not sour, etc... Will feeding the large amount of molasses do anything besides give the girls a sugar rush??? :drunken: I am hoping that it was just a weird batch, but if not, I'll have to switch! Any ideas? __________________ www.woodburnedpetportraits.com - Custom wood burned stall plaques, portraits, and farm signs, featuring your equine or pet.

02-10-2005, 07:52 AM
divinemisselle Bombproof Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: At the bar... Posts: 8,359	I have my feed custom mixed at the mill. I do know that in the winter they add more molasses. I guess it's for the extra fat content. Here I thought that it was to tick me off when it froze into a solid 100 pound block! I did feed pelleted at one time, but because it was so dry, most of my horses had choke problems with it. That came to a swift end! They prefer the sweet grain anyway. They always think they're getting "treats". __________________ . Lead me not into temptation..... I can find it just fine on my own.....

02-10-2005, 08:02 AM
muttduck Kid Safe Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Central Kentucky Posts: 7,182	Well, trying to win over the mare, we decided sweet is more enticing, and she smacks her lips when we come. The almighty bucket talks her langauge and usually overrides her fear factor! But I think there is a point where it is TOO sweet. And we've reached it! __________________ www.woodburnedpetportraits.com - Custom wood burned stall plaques, portraits, and farm signs, featuring your equine or pet.

02-10-2005, 11:13 AM
EquineAlberta Kid Safe Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 6,624	Can you mix it with some 12% pellets to dilute it and make it taste better? I know mixing molasses is so much fun! Feed molasses is usually diluted and processed and so tends to only have a 40% sugar content. So if the feed is 10% molasses, then the horse is just getting 4% sugar content...which is less than good quality grass or alfalfa hay (4-10%). In theory it is the percent of Non-Structural Carbs you have to worry about (starches and sugars that the horse can actually digest), but I don't remember how to calculate the percent, all I remember is that oats and corn had a really high percent, even compared to most sweet feeds, which is why oats and corn should not be fed to growing horses or horses prone to founder or cushings disease. So the moral of this is that the molasses is not going to be bad for your horses, just icky!

02-10-2005, 10:13 PM
TXCowGrl82 Greenbroke Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Huntsville, Texas Posts: 3,242	I choose to feed a pellet, partially because when I have a horse that goes off its grain I can add a little sweet feed and they will lap it right up. It's also easier for my older mares to chew. But too much molasses won't hurt your girls, just get your hands dirty!

02-11-2005, 05:53 AM
stormy Long Yearling Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Northwest Lower Michigan Posts: 1,068	to much molasses You all will really have a fit when you hear what I feed by horses! I feed an 100% oat pellet and it comes out of Canada. Its 12% and I also use a vitamin and mineral that I sprinkle on top. Our farriers wife did a soil sample in our area to see what the soil lacked. If it lacks certain things our horses need then you know they are not getting it thru the hay we grow cuz it isnt in the soil. So she had a recipe of vitamins and minerals made for our area and even down to the correct messurement of 1/4 cup per day. Its fairly inexpensive at $25 per 25 pound bag. I never feed Corn as it is just to hot a feed. COWS eat corn!!!! I have never had a horse founder or colic cuz of feed and all are lookin good. Even my old guy. My babies grow good and the feed keeps the mamas nursing well and looking good too. I am careful not to have FAT horses as that is not good for them. Did you ever look at your horses pooh and see all the grain that passes thru, oats and corn? That tells me they are not utilizing all there feed well as it is still identifiable With the oat pellet it is all utilized as there is NO trace of pellets in pooh. At this point have never had a horse choke on it. Maybe I have been lucky there. Anyways this is what we feed here Stormy Oh have a trace mineral block at free choice too __________________ Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

02-11-2005, 06:21 AM
drgnm5 Weanling Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 433	I had lots of problems with sweet feed and my horses. First they loved the molasses so much that they practically ran me over when I brought it out. Then it made my bay mare so "hyper" that she was untouchable for at least two hours after feeding it. I only used it to put weight on underweight horses and then stopped. My neighbor (who is also my trainer) talked it over and decided on corn and liquid feed with a small amount of dolomide powder to put weight on my young horses and help my pregnant mares. One ounce of liquid feed gives enough energy to replace 10lbs of hay, so my young horses are filling out more and my mares are maintaining nicely. We no longer have problems with hay bellies and they aren't all hyper when they eat it. It has no sugar but they really like it. The only problem I ever had related to it is that when I first started feeding it to my young horses, they liked it so much that they would pick through the hay and only eat pieces that had the liquid feed on them. So I started mixing it with their corn and that has been resolved. __________________ She had three lilies in her hand and the stars in her hair numbered seven...Dante

02-11-2005, 11:39 AM
EquineAlberta Kid Safe Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 6,624	I feed mostly extruded feed (martins), and some 12% pellets, but only to my broodmare and the babies. The rest seem fat and happy on hay, salt and minerals. I think Stormy has it right on, you have to feed in part based on your region, so it is best to buy feeds made for your area. Around here they add Selenium to feed for example, but I am sure in other areas they do not.

02-11-2005, 01:04 PM
TXCowGrl82 Greenbroke Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Huntsville, Texas Posts: 3,242	You feed corn and a liquid feed and your horses are LESS hyper!!!!! It is actually a common myth that molasses makes horses hyper. That is not the case. Neither is it the protein that will make them hyper. Like EquineAlberta said, only like 4% of the feed is actual molasses. They don't even process all of it. For an animal of that size, that amount of sugar is not going to cause hyperactivity. What gives a horse 85% of its energy is fat. Too much fat and they get hyper. Too too much fat and it goes beyond hyperactivity into lethargy because of too much body fat.

02-11-2005, 01:17 PM
ToveroMom Pasture Pet Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Cleveland TX Posts: 17,059	Well they do get energy from fats-but it is not the quick blast that hi carbs gives the animal. It is all in how the body burns them. I do not feed sweet feed-feed a 12% protein 8% fat pellet now and have had great results with it. There have been many breakthroughs recently and many of the changed ideas regarding the diet-is that fats[from plant sources] are actually a very good way to go with MOST horses. Reducing the carbs and upping the fat/protein ratio can give a calmer better fortified individual. __________________

02-12-2005, 07:41 AM
muttduck Kid Safe Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Central Kentucky Posts: 7,182	Okay, the feed in question was so soaked that the first inner layer of the bag is sopping, and the second layer is browning. :monkey: BUT THERE IS A MERCIFUL GOD!!!! I ripped a hunk of the bag and took it to the feed store. They all stared open mouthed. Then, they pulled the pile of feed apart and looked for a different batch. They opened a bag and it was perfect. I bought it on the spot! Employee even gave me his discount. I stopped by later for hay (forgot it earlier.. )and the store owner GAVE me another bag from the new batch and apologized!!!! Perfect ending to the saga!!! :sunny: They are sending the feed back from the batch with too much molasses! AND I don't have to switch!!!! (Now, as for the rest of my day- ) __________________ www.woodburnedpetportraits.com - Custom wood burned stall plaques, portraits, and farm signs, featuring your equine or pet.