Posted 2011-01-17 1:48 PM (#128980) Subject: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 342 Location: Ohio
Alright--I hope I don't open too big of a can of worms here as I realize feed preferences can be fightin' words in some parts.
I have been feeding my mares a 1.5 lb Sweet Feed/ 2.5 lb Purina Strategy mix for about 6 months now. I love Strategy because I seen its results when I really put my horses through paces. After some discussion with my "feed guy," he tells me that he and Purina are on the outs because they continue to raise the prices. Strategy is over $16 a bag now and I have 2 growing 4 year olds and an 8 year old on it. I'm buying 2 bags every 2 weeks. YIKES! He also suggested that I try out Kalmbach "Tribute" feeds. He's a supplier for them. Any experience? I was feeding my old horse the Kalmbach "Tribute" Maturity Pelleted, but have since switched to Purina Equine Senior and like it, but again, its over $17 a bag. Kalmbach's senior feed is in the $16 range, the Kalm 'n Easy (supoosed to be similar to Strategy) is in the $15 range.
So, I was at my local Tractor Supply Co to see that they are now selling Nutrena feeds along side of Purina. On a whim, I bought a bag of the Nutrena Safe Choice to "try out" at $13.49 a bag. I compared the labels and the contents between Safe Choice and Strategy were almost identical. After doing some horse forum trolling, some say they are completely different? Also, I am not opposed to switching my old guy over to Nutrena because it is in the $14 range as well. I would just like to hear some positives/negatives of both. I have had good experiences with Purina and limited but good experience with Kalmbach and have not had a bad bag yet of either. My horses all do well on Purina, but if they will do equally well on Nutrena at a lower cost, then thats where I'll go.
What do you all use/prefer? Pros/cons? Nutrena says they're the "official feed of the AQHA" however that doesn't mean anything to me. I also know they are featured on RFD TV quite a lot.
Posted 2011-01-17 2:24 PM (#128981 - in reply to #128980) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
Elite Veteran
Posts: 781 Location: La Cygne, KS
I'll continue to use Purina because the horse feed is manufactured in a horse-feed only plant. Some other feeds are manufactured in the same plant as cattle, chicken etc. and the risk of medicated feed stuffs accidently getting in a bag a feed is of concern to me. As well as "moldy" corn. I trust purina to test corn products along with other ingedients that go into a bag of feed along with the stated protein contents on the bag. You'll also need to look at the amount of feed that is needed to match the same nutrition pound per pound.
A dollar a bag is not enough of a price point for me to continually change feeds as it takes time to switch feeds. I'm paying $15.49 for Strategy and $16.89 for Senior. I go through a bag each a week. I also supplement with TNT alfalfa chops.
What I want to know why is the price increasing so dramtically? Strategy went up $3 in just a few weeks. There is an abundance of corn and fuel prices is just now increasing. Everything we do revolves around the price of oil though. Too bad my income isn't increasing with the cost of goods and services.
Posted 2011-01-18 10:00 AM (#129006 - in reply to #128980) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
New User
Posts: 3
Location: Lobelville Tn. 37097
I feed Safe Choice to my 6 yr. old mare and she does well with it. I feed her very little feed and plenty of hay and she is nice and trim. I think it does have some molasses in it but nowhere near the sugar that sweetfeed has. I have been feeding Safe Choice for about a year now and have had no problems. She has a beautiful coat and hooves, also.
Posted 2011-01-18 11:15 AM (#129007 - in reply to #128980) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
Veteran
Posts: 186
$6 dollars a week is $312 a year. In five years you could buy a new saddle. I talked with a representative when Safe Choice first came out. He said it did not contain any corn products. I don't feed corn in any form to my horses. I used SC as something to mix vitamines with when my mare was in foal because she liked it so much she didn't pick the vitamines out. When I travel/camp where they require certified weed free, I carry a bag of certified cubes but my mare chokes on them so I use SC. Never had any issues with "feed change" from pasture straight to SC.
Posted 2011-01-18 12:07 PM (#129009 - in reply to #128980) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 342 Location: Ohio
This is great to know. The price has gone up so much with Purina that it has led me to these choices. I like to think of myself as a man of principle and if I can go with Nutrena that is even just a dollar a bag cheaper and it yield the same result and recovery for my horses, then thats what I'll buy, just to not give Purina my business. They have great feed, but the prices going up $3 a bag in a week is just ridiculous. My "feed guy" told me he only makes about $1-1.50 per bag of feed now where a few years ago he was making about 4 dollars a bag. So it's hurting him now to the point that he's considering selling supplements and tack only. Changing to Nutrena I would actually be saving about $10 a week which equates to $520 a year, barring Nutrena doesn't hike their prices, which is about my hay bill for the winter. That's worth the switch to me.
Posted 2011-01-18 6:43 PM (#129024 - in reply to #128980) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
Regular
Posts: 90
Triple Crown feeds are my choice. I used the Complete as it is low starch, high fat, and normal protein. Horses look and feel great. Healthy hair and hooves, bright eyes.
Posted 2011-01-18 9:12 PM (#129026 - in reply to #128980) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
Elite Veteran
Posts: 781 Location: La Cygne, KS
Just bought some more feed tonight and Nutrena at my feed store is only 20 cents cheaper now on the senior. So it's starting to creep up here too. Golly, every where we turn we pay higher prices for this hobby. I would hate trying to make a living training horses or breeding to sell which has been in the dumps for several years now.
Posted 2011-01-19 4:05 PM (#129045 - in reply to #128980) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 430 Location: TN
Prices on feed will continue to rise because agricultural commodities are rising. Corn is harder to come by due to ethanol production and companies are looking for other ingredients to replace it with.
The major difference between Kalmbach and Nutrena and Purina is that Kalmbach products are fixed formulations, meaning their formulas are locked, and Purina and Nutrena both use variable formulation, which means their formulas change with the cost of ingredients. Variable formulation is also know as "least cost formulation".
I have worked in feed sales for the last 12 years and your feed guy is correct. Most dealers average between $1- $2 per bag margin, which is much lower than your average retail margins on other merchandise.
Posted 2011-01-20 1:48 PM (#129073 - in reply to #128980) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1069 Location: MI.
Just my two cents....I have been using Triple Crown Feeds(I feed Low Starch)for quite some time. My horses have never felt and looked better. I feed free choice hay in the winter and the most pellets they are on is 1/2 to 1 pound daily depending on the horse. Their weight is very good. During spring, summer, and fall, I do up their pellets to 3/4 to 1 1/4 pounds daily depending on the horse because they do not get free choice hay and they are being worked. I pay about 17 bucks a 50lb. bag but they aren't on that much so.....
Posted 2011-01-20 1:57 PM (#129075 - in reply to #128980) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
Expert
Posts: 1723 Location: michigan
I have fed Purina feeds for many years. The horses have always looked good on it. Its highly palitable and always looks and smells fresh. There is more to keeping a horse healthy than just a supplemental feed but unless there is a really good reason I will continue to use Purnia.
Posted 2011-01-20 2:42 PM (#129077 - in reply to #128980) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 430 Location: TN
The advice I give on a daily basis is to buy the best quality hay available and feed plenty of it. My goal is usually to get as little feed into your horse as possible, unless there is a real concern with a hard keeping, underweight horse. My own horses get 1 lb. of ration balancer per day and 30-35 lbs. of grass mix hay per horse.
I would feed whatever you can readily get and can afford. If you have to drive miles out of your way to get a certain feed and it is inconvenient, than just about every feed company has a similar product. Pricing is NOT going to go down. Any large reputable feed company does quality control and raw ingredient testing. I have a former co-worker who always says "What is horse feed? Common ingredients and foo foo dust. Every company can make it!” Remember too that you tend to get what you pay for. More expensive feeds tend to be higher in fat so you feed less. Cheaper feeds tend to be lower in fat so you may need to feed more.
Gone- In your situation, if you are feeding less than 4-5 lbs. per head per day of almost any commercially manufactured feed, your horses may not be getting any value from it. Most companies, including Purina, Nutrena, Kalmbach, and Triple Crown make a product known as a "ration balancer" where you feed 1 lb. per horse per day. It is designed to be feed that way and ensure that the horse is getting all the required vitamins and minerals. Lite feeds are usually meant to be fed at a rate of 3 lbs. per head per day.
Posted 2011-01-21 7:38 AM (#129105 - in reply to #129077) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1069 Location: MI.
Originally written by cutter99 on 2011-01-20 2:42 PM
The advice I give on a daily basis is to buy the best quality hay available and feed plenty of it. My goal is usually to get as little feed into your horse as possible, unless there is a real concern with a hard keeping, underweight horse. My own horses get 1 lb. of ration balancer per day and 30-35 lbs. of grass mix hay per horse.
I would feed whatever you can readily get and can afford. If you have to drive miles out of your way to get a certain feed and it is inconvenient, than just about every feed company has a similar product. Pricing is NOT going to go down. Any large reputable feed company does quality control and raw ingredient testing. I have a former co-worker who always says "What is horse feed? Common ingredients and foo foo dust. Every company can make it!” Remember too that you tend to get what you pay for. More expensive feeds tend to be higher in fat so you feed less. Cheaper feeds tend to be lower in fat so you may need to feed more.
Gone- In your situation, if you are feeding less than 4-5 lbs. per head per day of almost any commercially manufactured feed, your horses may not be getting any value from it. Most companies, including Purina, Nutrena, Kalmbach, and Triple Crown make a product known as a "ration balancer" where you feed 1 lb. per horse per day. It is designed to be feed that way and ensure that the horse is getting all the required vitamins and minerals. Lite feeds are usually meant to be fed at a rate of 3 lbs. per head per day.
Thanks....I didn't know that and I will look into it. I am also for feeding the best hay possible before adding any other feedstuff. Forage first...
Posted 2011-01-21 10:13 AM (#129115 - in reply to #128980) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 342 Location: Ohio
The more I learn about feed, the better I am! So no hijack in my book..
I am more concerned about my hard keeper elderly horse than I am my 3 mares (they're fat and happy if they just smell grain). For the mares, I am more after recovery and important vitamins come spring time and summer when the mares will be worked/ridden.
Posted 2011-01-21 11:53 AM (#129118 - in reply to #128980) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 430 Location: TN
Gone and GrnMchnDaze- Triple Crown is the BEST out of all the feed companies out there. Their service and formulation is second to none! Their products offer many bells and whistles that other companies don't, plus I LOVE great customer service and theirs is hands down the best!
GrnMchnDaze- I would use the Triple Crown Senior for ANY hard to keep horse, regardless of age! It has a 10% fat and is beet pulp based. I don't think in 12 years of selling feed I've ever had a horse turn it's nose up to it. I've used it with a lot of rescue horses and it does a great job on the off-the-track thoroughbreds that are almost impossible to get weight on. It's also great for horses with ulcer issues. You can get Triple Crown at most Nutrena dealers, except Tractor Supply, nationwide. If they don't stock it, they should be able to order it in for you!
Please let me know if I can answer any other questions for you! I love to help people with their horses!
Posted 2011-01-22 4:15 PM (#129151 - in reply to #128980) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
New User
Posts: 3
Location: Colorado
I have always fed Purina to all of my pets, and they each have lived very long lives (including a pure St. Bernard who lived till over 12, maxed out at 207 lbs.). My horse is now 34, will be 35 in May, yet because he doesn't have many teeth left, I prepare him a Gourmet Mash, from Purina Senior and Puriona Middlin Wheat Bran every morning and evening. Most including my Vet, are amazed that he is as old as he is, for he still muscle tone, a semi-big belly and lots of energy.
If interested in the recipe, please contact me privately!
Posted 2011-01-23 9:59 AM (#129163 - in reply to #128980) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
New User
Posts: 3
Location: Colorado
Hi Love Duffy,
Ahh, I see you too have a Palomino, who is also quite handsome! Purina, I believe is the best and will always purchase it over any other. Yet for the life of me, I don't understand why they changed the feed bags to a nylon type bag. It's not as if the feed last any longer, and paper can be easily recycled, nylon not so easily.
If you ever need that recipe, contact me off the site. I almost lost him about 8 years, colic. Got him to the hospital, but he refused to eat still after 12 days. So as Mom, (sorry cowboys) and a culinary person, I had to come up with something to help him eat and pass the waste. Molasses was a favorite, he would lick if off my fingers, and the rest of the mash recipe developed easily. Since then, he gobbles it up without a second thought. sure he gums grass, sucks out all the nutrients, but the mash is what keeps him going.
Posted 2011-01-23 3:14 PM (#129172 - in reply to #128980) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 430 Location: TN
Most companies are using poly bags these days due to the durability of the poly bags as well as the fact they are water resistant. Product loss to ripped or torn bags is huge in the feed industry.
Posted 2011-01-23 3:45 PM (#129175 - in reply to #128980) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
New User
Posts: 3
Location: Colorado
Thanks cutter! FYI, though I have lived high in the Rockies for a long time, I grew up off of route 30, if I remember it correctly. Enjoy those rolling hills!
Posted 2011-01-24 12:38 AM (#129189 - in reply to #128980) Subject: RE: Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 544 Location: Claxton, Ga.
Seminole Feed is the only feed I will buy. They make horse feed. That's it. The formula never changes and is marked on the bag, not on a tag they attach to the bag. Seminole also puts a a date on the bag when it was made. The biggest thing I see in the feed industry is getting fresh feed at the feed store and getting feed that the formula doesn't change. I have seen many people switch from Purina to Seminole because when prices rise Purina changes the formula to make it cheaper. Folks started noticing there horses didn't look as good, hence the switch. I can't stand buying feed and finding bugs in it. Tics me off big time. It's up to the feed store to order feed properly and ensure it dosen't ruin due to it sitting in the store for months because they bulk ordered feed for a cheaper price for them.
Horse feed--Nutrena vs. Purina vs. Kalmbach, etc.
$6 dollars a week is $312 a year. In five years you could buy a new saddle. I talked with a representative when Safe Choice first came out. He said it did not contain any corn products. I don't feed corn in any form to my horses. I used SC as something to mix vitamines with when my mare was in foal because she liked it so much she didn't pick the vitamines out. When I travel/camp where they require certified weed free, I carry a bag of certified cubes but my mare chokes on them so I use SC. Never had any issues with "feed change" from pasture straight to SC. 
