Recently he started leaving some of his alfalfa/beetpulp mix in the morning. Initialy I didn't think much of it but it began to be more and more. At first I thought that perhaps he had too much. I tried feeding him less hay at night. No change, he started leaving more. I tried giving him less of the alfalfa/beet pulp mix. That helped a bit but it was counterproductive. He was interested enough in the morning grain so I figured he wasn't full.
I know in the past he's gone off beet pulp so I began to wonder.....maybe the alfalfa wasn't disguising the beet pulp as much as I thought. So this week at supper time I left the beet pulp out all together. In the morning the soaked alfalfa was all gone. But one night is not enough to reach a conclusion. So for the past few days I've only fed alfalfa. Every morning it was all gone.
hmm.
Last night I put in the smallest handfull of beet pulp in the alfalfa. It was about 1/4 cup. I added the water and let it soak up.
This morning there was a small pile left in his feed bucket. I looked at it. It was virtually all beet pulp. It was as successful a hiding peas in mashed potatoes. Somehow my fussbudget spent the night carefully sifting through his evening feed taking only the alfalfa.
I have to face the inevitable.
It doesn't matter how I try to hide it.
Oh well. At least he eats the alfalfa. This evening he tucked right in to his pure alfalfa with the most delighted an innocent face ever seen on a gelding.
Outsmarted. Again.
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| I like what I like. You need to accept that. |
Yeah I'm beginning to think alfalfa is like crack to horses lol! Mine love it! It's really weird because Chrome will eat beet pulp sometimes and not other times. I think he doesn't like it as the weather gets warmer, but he loves it in the winter, so maybe it produces a lot of heat? I'm just glad it's the alfalfa they like since it's the tummy soother. :)
ReplyDeleteThey are so funny. Bre will eat anything. Dickie is a little pickier. Irish just wants you to accept he owns you and runs the show.
ReplyDeleteAllie is a super picky eater too. It's so frustrating! Why are the hard keepers always fussy and the pudgy ponies great eaters?!
ReplyDeleteEating the alfalfa is the more nutritious choice anyway. ;) He should keep weight nicely without the pulp if he is chowing down on the alfalfa.
ReplyDeleteHarley ate beet pulp with his grain for years and then decided one day that he wouldn't eat it anymore. Just like that. Oddly he did the same thing with alfalfa pellets. Now we are on regular hay pellets and he loves them. I hope it lasts!
glad to hear that other horses go on and off beet pulp. The alfalfa is over winter unitl the pasture comes in. Assuming that the weather ever warms up.
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