I need advice on what hay to feed minis

AnitaP · 04-27-2009, 12:49 PM

I have so many things to post that I will do them one at a time. We have been feeding our minis alfalfa hay and a little sweet feed through the cold months and I have a couple that are so fat. I know that this is not good for a mini to have to much weight on them.

My husband got a call and he went and bought some hay from this man. It was suppose to be grass like with a little alfalfa in it well it has no alfalfa in it at all. It is just grass like and my minis don't like it and are not eating it. We bought 100 bales of it and put out some money on it. We thought if we keep giving it to them they would eat it after over a week they are not eating it. I really need advice on this. We gave them some of the other hay today and they eat it.

Please someone tell me what kind of hay should my minis be eating. They don't like Timothy hay, they don't like this grass like hay.

KayKay I know you live in Ohio and breed minis can you tell me what to feed them and were I can get hay. As far as that goes anyone help please.

I am really worried about this I thought if they were hungry they would eat it.

AnitaP

TheUpNorthCowgirl · 04-27-2009, 12:58 PM

My minis will not eat timothy either, but they do eat grass hay. I fed mine alfalfa for a long time, but it just makes them too pudgy. I had to really work them to get them back into show shape after a winter of alfalfa. My minis are kind of weird, they especially like brome and canary grass.

Mine wouldn't eat the grass hay at first either, but eventually they got hungry enough and now they eat it like it's going out of style

short_kid · 04-27-2009, 01:01 PM

Mine just get a grass hay. No to little alfalfa.

kaykay · 04-27-2009, 01:16 PM

We feed alfalfa or alfalfa grass if we can get it. Alfalfa is harder to find in Ohio unfortunately. Since we most of our horses are breeding or showing we need the alfalfa hay so they get the extra protein and calcium.

We have had times when we could not get alfalfa only grass hay. Horses that are used to alfalfa are very stubborn about eating grass hay but eventually they will. When its really bad I will buy a bag of alfalfa pellets and throw it on top of the grass hay to encourage them to eat it.

Please be sure your horses are truly overweight. Minis in winter coat can look really fat when in fact they are too thin. Minis that are thin will get a big bloated belly. If you put your hand on their back it should be totally flat. If the back bone is sticking up then they are too thin and probably protein deprived. If you can post a couple pictures that would help!

Now if they really are heavy just cut back the alfalfa hay a bit. Remember when you feed alfalfa especially pure alfalfa you dont need to feed near as much as you do grass hay.

Please do not feed them sweet feed. Sweet feed imo is just full of sugar and empty calories. Always feed a pelleted feed. Here are the feeds we use according to age and work

Weanlings/Yearlings Purina Equine Jr Complete Feed Or Tiz Whiz 16

Pregnant mares or nursing mares Tiz Whiz 16

2 year old show horses Tiz Whiz 12

Idle mature horses not breeding and not showing only get hay

AnitaP · 04-27-2009, 02:18 PM

Thanks for all the information so alfalfa hay is OK for them just don't feed them as much. I was getting so worried when they would not eat the other. Should I still try to get them to eat it? Yes I am new with horses and I need all the help I can get. I will post some pictures of them KayKay when I can as you know I lost Glory so I am not up to it right now. Just want to make sure the others are eating right.

AnitaP

Skylight · 04-27-2009, 02:49 PM

How bout mixing a little alfalfa in with the grass hay. Its a little bit more work than just tossing a bale of hay out but it works. I have a stallion that just wouldnt eat the grass hay so i bought a bale of alfalfa and mixed in a little alfalfa with the grass hay and he would eat most of the grass hay that way where as before he just wasted it. Make sure the grass hay you bought smells good and doesnt smell moldy.

minis4me · 04-27-2009, 03:06 PM

Ditto to what Skylight said. That's what I do with my guys, except my broodmares get more alfalfa and some Tiz Whiz.

melissah · 04-28-2009, 07:12 AM

I hear you. I am always going round and round on what to feed. I give them timothy pellets and a handful of timothy hay. Sometimes I will give just a smidge of alfalfa hay because I know how much they love it. But for some reason they love their pellets too.

farmergal · 04-28-2009, 10:09 AM

Unfortunately my minis are eating a very poor hay and love it.

When I say poor I don't mean hay that was left to get rained on before it was baled or moldy but hay that well, really isn't hay, it's weeds. I had the opportunity to get some really good timothy hay last year when my neighbor let us buy his standing hay. I cut and bale it myself so I know for a fact that my hayfield is crap and neighbor has good hay. I couldn't believe my minis turned their noses up at the good stuff.

Then when I finally got them to liking that it was gone and I'm back to feeding my poor hay. What was once yummy is now being picked over.

If my horses are being picky I feed a little more than normal until they go back to cleaning it up. I just have to figure a way to keep hubby out of the barn. We go round for round about how the horses should go hungry. His thought is if they get hungry enough they will eat it. My thought is if they don't like it feed a little more till they get used to it. Hubby came along just the other day and asked what was all that hay Monty had wasted. I looked in the stall and said that's not hay that's weeds.

horselady · 04-28-2009, 12:50 PM

I give my minis an average quality timothy, broome and orchard grass.
And trust me not all of it is green, but they do clean up everything. and I also give a 12 % mixed sweet feed with pellet.
So yours can get used to not having alfalfa. try mixing it together until the ratio is more regular and less alfalfa.

jjsimsez · 04-28-2009, 04:27 PM

i fed my mini grass hay.and he got about 1 cup of swwet feed a day.just enough grain to make him feel like one of the big horses.face it your ponies are spoiled on that alf hay.

mickey was bigger around than tall.big ol belly.def a fatty.funny thing is he could go longer on the trails than my horses.like others said,make sure hay isnt moldy or dusty.mix with the alf for awhile.alf is sweet and they do like it.i dont feed alf cause you feed less of it than grass hay.horses like to munch all day long.with a less carlorie hay they can eat and feel full without getting the hay belly.

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04-27-2009, 12:49 PM
AnitaP Weanling Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Milan, Ohio Posts: 206	I need advice on what hay to feed minis I have so many things to post that I will do them one at a time. We have been feeding our minis alfalfa hay and a little sweet feed through the cold months and I have a couple that are so fat. I know that this is not good for a mini to have to much weight on them. My husband got a call and he went and bought some hay from this man. It was suppose to be grass like with a little alfalfa in it well it has no alfalfa in it at all. It is just grass like and my minis don't like it and are not eating it. We bought 100 bales of it and put out some money on it. We thought if we keep giving it to them they would eat it after over a week they are not eating it. I really need advice on this. We gave them some of the other hay today and they eat it. Please someone tell me what kind of hay should my minis be eating. They don't like Timothy hay, they don't like this grass like hay. KayKay I know you live in Ohio and breed minis can you tell me what to feed them and were I can get hay. As far as that goes anyone help please. I am really worried about this I thought if they were hungry they would eat it. AnitaP

04-27-2009, 12:58 PM
TheUpNorthCowgirl Long Yearling Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Upper Michigan Posts: 1,420	My minis will not eat timothy either, but they do eat grass hay. I fed mine alfalfa for a long time, but it just makes them too pudgy. I had to really work them to get them back into show shape after a winter of alfalfa. My minis are kind of weird, they especially like brome and canary grass. Mine wouldn't eat the grass hay at first either, but eventually they got hungry enough and now they eat it like it's going out of style __________________ The horse has so docile a nature, that he would rather do right than wrong, if he can only be taught to distinguish one from the other."

04-27-2009, 01:01 PM
short_kid Greenbroke Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: michigan Posts: 3,291	Mine just get a grass hay. No to little alfalfa.

04-27-2009, 01:16 PM
kaykay Long Yearling Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,256	We feed alfalfa or alfalfa grass if we can get it. Alfalfa is harder to find in Ohio unfortunately. Since we most of our horses are breeding or showing we need the alfalfa hay so they get the extra protein and calcium. We have had times when we could not get alfalfa only grass hay. Horses that are used to alfalfa are very stubborn about eating grass hay but eventually they will. When its really bad I will buy a bag of alfalfa pellets and throw it on top of the grass hay to encourage them to eat it. Please be sure your horses are truly overweight. Minis in winter coat can look really fat when in fact they are too thin. Minis that are thin will get a big bloated belly. If you put your hand on their back it should be totally flat. If the back bone is sticking up then they are too thin and probably protein deprived. If you can post a couple pictures that would help! Now if they really are heavy just cut back the alfalfa hay a bit. Remember when you feed alfalfa especially pure alfalfa you dont need to feed near as much as you do grass hay. Please do not feed them sweet feed. Sweet feed imo is just full of sugar and empty calories. Always feed a pelleted feed. Here are the feeds we use according to age and work Weanlings/Yearlings Purina Equine Jr Complete Feed Or Tiz Whiz 16 Pregnant mares or nursing mares Tiz Whiz 16 2 year old show horses Tiz Whiz 12 Idle mature horses not breeding and not showing only get hay __________________ Breeding AMHA/AMHR/ASPC horses in pinto colors! http://www.baxterspaintedpasture.com Visit our newest site! www.americanshetlandpony.com Miniature Horse Conformation Book by Kay Baxter Ask me about Weefoal mare pregnancy tests that you do on your farm!

04-27-2009, 02:18 PM
AnitaP Weanling Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Milan, Ohio Posts: 206	Thanks for all the information so alfalfa hay is OK for them just don't feed them as much. I was getting so worried when they would not eat the other. Should I still try to get them to eat it? Yes I am new with horses and I need all the help I can get. I will post some pictures of them KayKay when I can as you know I lost Glory so I am not up to it right now. Just want to make sure the others are eating right. AnitaP

04-27-2009, 02:49 PM
Skylight Weanling Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Alachua, fl Posts: 331	How bout mixing a little alfalfa in with the grass hay. Its a little bit more work than just tossing a bale of hay out but it works. I have a stallion that just wouldnt eat the grass hay so i bought a bale of alfalfa and mixed in a little alfalfa with the grass hay and he would eat most of the grass hay that way where as before he just wasted it. Make sure the grass hay you bought smells good and doesnt smell moldy. __________________ "Lighting up the world one mini star at a time." Whoever said money cant buy love didnt own a mini! Please visit our new site! www.skylightminis.com

04-27-2009, 03:06 PM
minis4me Halter broke Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Arizona Posts: 167	Ditto to what Skylight said. That's what I do with my guys, except my broodmares get more alfalfa and some Tiz Whiz.

04-28-2009, 07:12 AM
melissah Weanling Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Sunny SoCal Posts: 303	I hear you. I am always going round and round on what to feed. I give them timothy pellets and a handful of timothy hay. Sometimes I will give just a smidge of alfalfa hay because I know how much they love it. But for some reason they love their pellets too.

04-28-2009, 10:09 AM
farmergal Kid Safe Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Posts: 6,334	Unfortunately my minis are eating a very poor hay and love it. When I say poor I don't mean hay that was left to get rained on before it was baled or moldy but hay that well, really isn't hay, it's weeds. I had the opportunity to get some really good timothy hay last year when my neighbor let us buy his standing hay. I cut and bale it myself so I know for a fact that my hayfield is crap and neighbor has good hay. I couldn't believe my minis turned their noses up at the good stuff. Then when I finally got them to liking that it was gone and I'm back to feeding my poor hay. What was once yummy is now being picked over. If my horses are being picky I feed a little more than normal until they go back to cleaning it up. I just have to figure a way to keep hubby out of the barn. We go round for round about how the horses should go hungry. His thought is if they get hungry enough they will eat it. My thought is if they don't like it feed a little more till they get used to it. Hubby came along just the other day and asked what was all that hay Monty had wasted. I looked in the stall and said that's not hay that's weeds. __________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiiHKOLiCG4

04-28-2009, 12:50 PM
horselady Kid Safe Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: albany new york Posts: 7,079	I give my minis an average quality timothy, broome and orchard grass. And trust me not all of it is green, but they do clean up everything. and I also give a 12 % mixed sweet feed with pellet. So yours can get used to not having alfalfa. try mixing it together until the ratio is more regular and less alfalfa. __________________ www.rainbow-horse-retirement.com We love and take care of your companion for the remainder of his lifetime

04-28-2009, 04:27 PM
jjsimsez Yearling Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: indiana Posts: 952	i fed my mini grass hay.and he got about 1 cup of swwet feed a day.just enough grain to make him feel like one of the big horses.face it your ponies are spoiled on that alf hay. mickey was bigger around than tall.big ol belly.def a fatty.funny thing is he could go longer on the trails than my horses.like others said,make sure hay isnt moldy or dusty.mix with the alf for awhile.alf is sweet and they do like it.i dont feed alf cause you feed less of it than grass hay.horses like to munch all day long.with a less carlorie hay they can eat and feel full without getting the hay belly.