News

Spring is officially here and you’ve probably got a season full of shows, races, trail rides, and more planned for you and your horse. But before you put your horse back to work, take a minute to think about the importance of conditioning. Conditioning is a huge part of your horse’s health and well being. Taking time to prepare for an event by gradually increasing speed and distance over several weeks is essential to keeping your horse healthy and safe. Conditioning directly relates to five types of fitness in the horse: Cardiovascular fitness refers to how well the blood can circulate...

Summer has arrived and your spring chicks will be approaching puberty. Assuming they’ve enjoyed good food and care, the young hens, called pullets, begin laying sometime between their 16th and 24th week of age. You can anticipate the arrival of eggs soon! Discovering a hen’s first egg from your own hand-raised chicks is a thrill. Pullet eggs are tiny and look like gems in the nest. If your pullets are over 16 weeks of age, now is the time to switch them to a Nutrena layer feed, as laying hens need special nutrition. Producing eggs places great nutritional strain on...

We often receive questions from horse owners, wondering what the various units of measure on horse feed tags mean, and how they can use those units to figure out what their horse is consuming…and wondering why in the world they have to be so confusing, too! In short, feed companies use the units of measurements on nutrients that we do, because we are required to. Why? Because horse feeds and other livestock feeds are labeled as required by AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials) and the various state Feed Control regulations.  These regulatory bodies establish the units which are...

While recently reviewing farms feed program, the manager explained that some of her horses only received 1 pound of grain per day. She felt their weight was good, but yet they appeared to be lacking something in their diet. She was wondering what type of supplements she could add. When we looked at the tag on her feed, the problem was obvious. Her feed was designed for to be fed at a rate of 0.5 – 0.75 pounds per 100 pounds of body weight. This means that to provide proper fortification for a 1000 pound horse, she would need to...

Spring is an eagerly anticipated time for horse owners as it brings the opportunity to introduce their horses to lush, growing pastures. However, it is crucial to approach this transition with caution. Introducing horses to pasture too early in the season or allowing them to graze for extended periods can have negative consequences for both the pasture and the horses’ well-being Allowing Adequate Grass Recovery To ensure the health of the pasture and the horses, it is important not to turn them out too early. After enduring the stresses of winter, the grass needs time to recover. Ideally, the grass...