Barley Fodder for Horses

[NHmitch]

Hi,

We have a small equine breeding farm, and we are currently feeding grain, and hay every day, and we have been looking into switching to a fodder system using barley. Has anyone on here used Fodder to feed their horses, and has it worked? WE have found a supplier for bulk Barley, and they can deliver it in 2000lb deliveries. We do not have a dry grain silo, or storage and I was looking at using 375 gallon IBC containers, however I am not sure how heat will effect the grain in the summer. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[zzvyb6]

You better check with your Vet about this. My education and professional advice lately is that horses need the kind of roughage that chewing hay or grass provides. Otherwise, its colic city. We have a dire hay shortage here in Michigan because of weather and other issues, so a LOT of people are scrambling to find alternative horse feed. Michigan State Vet School advice was to feed straw with nutrient supplements if it came down to no hay available. An older horse can be given 100% feed such as Purina Senior, but still need some course stems to push it through.

 

[AKfish]

Lot's of interest regarding the use of barley as a green crop fodder utilizing grow lights and a multiple tray incubator/growing system. Rotate a series of tray's from sprouts to green forage 12"-18" in height at feeding.

Units can be sized from just a few head to several dozen! Great option for small footprint-small acreage operations.

As zzvyb6 pointed out; still need dry forage component in diet to maintain proper digestion and elimanation. Some of the literature indicates that 25% of daily rations should be dry hay.

If the barley is dry (5% or <) and stored in a cool, dry location you should not have any problems. It's not heat per se, that will cause the biggest problem - it's moisture AND heat.

AKfish

 

[Xfaxman]

Hi,

We have a small equine breeding farm, and we are currently feeding grain, and hay every day, and we have been looking into switching to a fodder system using barley. Has anyone on here used Fodder to feed their horses, and has it worked? WE have found a supplier for bulk Barley, and they can deliver it in 2000lb deliveries. We do not have a dry grain silo, or storage and I was looking at using 375 gallon IBC containers, however I am not sure how heat will effect the grain in the summer. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Just saw this on OKC craigslist: Grow Your Own Livestock Feed

Grow Your Own Livestock Feed - $11000 (Witchita)

Brand new, never been used Fodder Solutions Livestock Feeder. The model is T18 and it will produce 165 lbs of fresh fodder per day. This is enough to feed 9 horses or cows per day (1000 lb animal at 2% of his body weight). Depending on the price of barley seed in your area, fodder can be grown for about 50.00 per ton. The machines pay off rather quickly and you get much better nutrition to you animals. The picture is the factory picture, but is the same unit. I payed 13,000 for this unit, had to wait 10 weeks and it cost me $1500.00 to ship it from California to Kansas. I added to my herd so I need a bigger unit already. Cows and horses thrive on this stuff.
In order to deal with the high costs of feed these days, you may want to consider an alternative feed source known as Fodder Feeds. Widely known in other parts of the world, it has now reached the states. Barley seed is sprouted in a controlled environment and grown hydroponically with automated watering, heating/cooling, humidity control, and lighting. 2 lbs of barley seed becomes a 20 lb tray of nutritious feed in six days. The feed is 80% digestible and has more nutrition, minerals, vitamins, and protein than traditional grass hay. All this and it can be grown yourself for about .70 cents per 20lb tray. Call Greg for more details. 541 977-4104 (anytime)
Location: Witchita

Phone number is on this website: http://fodderfeeds.com/Contact%20Us.htm

I was concerned because they misspelled Wichita, but it looks legit.

 

[OldMcDonald]

I have not used the system, but did a lot of research on it when it was first brought to my attention via Australia quite some time ago. Cannot remember the timeframe, but several years ago. I looked at it closely again maybe a year ago. On both occasions I decided that it could not live up to the sales pitch. As already pointed out too, you will still need dry roughage.

Is it worth the cost of the set-up and running costs? I reget that only you can answer that question.

 

[blueriver]

Why dry forage? Don't they thrive very well in the summer on lush grass?

 

[rockinmywaypa]

I'm no nutritionist but I know that some animals won't grow on really lush spring grass because what they are eating has too much water content in it and the animal can't get enough through their gut to grow on. Back to the topic, if you can cut your hay usage in half what would you save? If the price of hay saved is more than the cost of doing this system then doesn't it make sense to do it. Animals need roughage to keep their gut in good health but that needs to be only a small portion of what they eat. I am seriously thinking about building a room to grow this stuff for my sheep flock, I would love to be able to use it as a creep for the lambs that are a few weeks old to get the rumen started to utilise forages to grow on.

 

[blueriver]

I'm no nutritionist but I know that some animals won't grow on really lush spring grass because what they are eating has too much water content in it and the animal can't get enough through their gut to grow on.

I'm not either... just wondering. I know the few horses I have get real fat on summer grass. I would think this Barley Fodder would be good. Just thinking ....

 

[zzvyb6]

I'm not either... just wondering. I know the few horses I have get real fat on summer grass. I would think this Barley Fodder would be good. Just thinking ....

The lush grass will give them founder (hoof delamination from circulation failure). No Hoof, No Horse.

Eat prime rib everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and tell me what happens just before your heart attack.

 

[AKfish]

I'm not either... just wondering. I know the few horses I have get real fat on summer grass. I would think this Barley Fodder would be good. Just thinking ....

The major differences between pasture grazing and fodder is both the relative maturity of the plants i.e; lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose content of pasture grass at turnout versus the immature fodder barley and the difference in the plant species. Barley is NOT the same as western wheatgrass, etc. it does not have the same fiber composition as pasture grasses. That's a significant reason that grain plants will "lay down" in the field and they don't "pop back up" very well..

AKfish

 

[blueriver]

The lush grass will give them founder (hoof delamination from circulation failure). No Hoof, No Horse.

Eat prime rib everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and tell me what happens just before your heart attack.

I've not heard of founder from grass ... thats interesting. As for the "beef" issue thats an entire new topic.

 

[blueriver]

The major differences between pasture grazing and fodder is both the relative maturity of the plants i.e; lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose content of pasture grass at turnout versus the immature fodder barley and the difference in the plant species. Barley is NOT the same as western wheatgrass, etc. it does not have the same fiber composition as pasture grasses. That's a significant reason that grain plants will "lay down" in the field and they don't "pop back up" very well..

AKfish

OK ...

 

[Tx Jim]

A horse can founder on lush pasture as I had one that did it back in the Spring of the early 60's. She was turned out on pasture with no supplemental feed. This mare of mine that foundered was a very "easy keeper".

 

[blueriver]

A horse can founder on lush pasture as I had one that did it back in the Spring of the early 60's. She was turned out on pasture with no supplemental feed. This mare of mine that foundered was a very "easy keeper".

One can learn something everyday.

 

[OldMcDonald]

AKfish - Very well put.

 

[SimplyCountry]

Perhaps I can be of assistance. Simply Country Inc is the licensed manufacturer and distributor for Fodder Solutions in the United States. Horses do extremely well on fodder. We have many customers throughout the United States seeing excellent results. Fodder is relatively new to the US, but has already been proven in other countries. For example: Team Fredericks switch to "fresh fodder" for their Olympic hopefuls - Horse & Hound

Although it's absolutely true that you can founder a horse or have colic issues on grass, fodder is in fact not a grass. It is a sprouted grain and is nutritionally very different. It is an extremely cost effective and healthy way to feed. Feel free to call us with any questions. (530) 615-0565.

 

[Tx Jim]

Perhaps I can be of assistance. Simply Country Inc is the licensed manufacturer and distributor for Fodder Solutions in the United States.
Although it's absolutely true that you can founder a horse or have colic issues on grass, fodder is in fact not a grass. It is a sprouted grain and is nutritionally very different. It is an extremely cost effective and healthy way to feed. Feel free to call us with any questions. (530) 615-0565.

So are you stating that a horse won't founder/colic on your fodder?? How is fodder "very different" from green grass??

 

[SimplyCountry]

Tx Jim,

That is correct. Our fodder is only sprouted for 6 days. This is when it has the best nutritional value. Beyond 6 days it will begin to change (and will eventually become a grass) and could cause those issues. This article goes into much more detail and may help explain things: http://www.foddersolutions.net/brochure/Benefits of sprouts for feed.pdf

 

[Tx Jim]

You must not know much about a horse and it's digestive system if you think your product can't/won't founder/colic a horse!!!!!!!!! A horse is the easiest animal on Earth to have digestive problems. How does green grass differ from your 6 day old Barley?????

 

[SimplyCountry]

Actually, we do have several decades of experience feeding livestock and horses at Simply Country, Inc. Lamanitis or founder are caused by high levels of fructin in green grasses. Fodder, or barley sprouts do not contain these fructins and thus cannot cause lamanitis.

Colic is caused by a blockage in the intestines. The high moisture content of fodder (typically around 80%) makes it very easy to digest. There are no known cases of colic in horses that are being fed fodder.

Aside from that, I would recommend talking to someone who is currently using fodder with their horses. Sometimes you have to see it to believe it.