Behind the Bit

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Beet pulp: When to feed, how to feed Part 1 Posted: 05 Jan 2010 01:25 PM PST Riley is still a young and growing boy, but look athis metabolic indicators: Easy keeper. Natural cresty neck. Fat deposits in all of the key places. There's a grazing muzzle in his future. He's not getting much in the way of feed -- just a ration balancer, Pro-Add Ultimate from Progressive feed. It's low starch (7%) and high protein (55%). Naturally, he makes up for it by hoovering down hay, and I'd like to find a way to fill his tummy at feeding time. What about beet pulp? Harv already gets beet pulp, and ecently I've been thinking of giving Riley a small amount of beet pulp. But what is beet pulp? What is its nutritional value? How might it benefit or harm Riley? Beet pulp comes from the manufacture of table sugar (from sugar beets). The pulp is basically what's left over when all of the sugar has been extracted from the beet. The process is so efficient, there is barely any sugar left in the pulp. Beet pulp isn't quite a forage, and it isn't quite an energy feed like grain. It's pretty unique, so it's probably good to review it's characteristiscs... The facts on beet pulp Beet pulp is... a good source of digestible fiber (around 16-18%). It's referred to as a superfiber because it lacks lignin (a substance found in tall, stemmy grasses) which impedes digestion. Beet pulp is easy on the horse's digestive system yet still provides the calorie content of a grain product. known for having the "scratch factor." This refers to additional fiber length (shredded form only) which is lacking in many alternative fiber sources. fairly comparable to a grass hay in protein (about 8%) not high calorie (.50%); it is lower in fat that cereal grains. low in starch (non-structural carbohydrate content of approximately 12%) low in vitamin B and selenium, with virtually no vitamin D or vitamin A higher calcium content than grass hay. The calcium/phosphorus ratio is 6:1. higher in digestible energy (1,060 kcal/lb) than grass hay but lower than cereal grains low in glucose with only 5-10% sugar in molasses-free formulations. It's glycemic index is 1 compared to oats (100) and bermuda (20). inexpensive, running between $9-18 for a 40 lb bag (dry). okay to feed dry, by all reports (personally I would never feed it dry -- sek) found in many quality feeds such as Triple Crown Senior, Triple Crown Complete, Triple Crown Growth, and Legends 12 Maturity Formula. These formulas add oils and molasses to eliminate the need for soaking. So, I think it is probably safe to feed a small amount of beet pulp to Riley, but there is a lot more info about beet pulp that is worth knowing. Stay tuned for Part II...

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