Supplemental feed suggestions

[RG]

Back during another life I was a hunting guide/packer in Canada, Wyoming, and Montana.  We either packed in bales of hay before the season or turned out our stock to graze.  We always had pellet feed, we called it cake, in camp to give them a little extra when we brought them in.  It was big pellets, 1 to 2 inches long, and was mostly alfalfa without much grain to make them hot.  I haven't been able to find anything like that in my area, Snohomish.  Does anybody have any suggestions?  The stuff I find is either alfalfa cubes with betonite, which I won't use, or little rabbit food-sized pellets.  I used the little ones last year on a pack trip we made in Idaho but the big pellets could be fed on the ground with very little waste.  I had to pack in buckets or feed bags for the ones I got.  Thanks

[Sawbuck]

We used to use "Taco", but they went to small pellets only. Now I get "Purina Complete Packer Cubes". They are the large bite pellet (3/4-1"x an inch or so long) and come in waterproof sacks. The horses love them and with the large pellet there is not much waste. I buy mine at Laurel Farm and Feed, but they are available at feed stores closer to you. My dad priced them at the Mount Vernon Farmers Co-Op, but they were a little high. I bought a pallet last fall and got them for $13.50 a sack (40). I don't see Betonite on the label, could send you a pic of the label if you would like, I have four sacks left over from last year.

[Sawbuck]

Also, they are "weed free", the NFS won't bug you. I've been using them at trailheads instead of weedfree hay, and let them graze.

[RG]

That sounds like it might be what I'm looking for, I'll have to see if I can find some.  The feed stores around here don't know what I'm talking about.  The ones we used in Montana were called Ponderosa Pellets and I got them from a place in Livingston but that's a little too far to go now.  If you have a picture of the label that would be great.   Thanks

[fair-chase]

Give these guys a try RG. Located in Moses Lake...

http://www.agrexinc.com/index.asp


We used to have several cubing operations around here (Basin City, Othello area) but last I checked most had shut down. Getting hard to come by these days.

[6x6in6]

Same as Sawbuck and the Purina packer cubes from Laurel.

Have you checked with Del's in Monroe? 

Also, Cenex has a product called Brophy Cubes you might want to look into.  Not sure of what it's content is though.

[RG]

Thanks, I checked the COOP and other stores locally here, I haven't tried Del's.  I keep hearing bad things about the alfalfa cubes with betonite in them choking people's horses.  I'll take a drive over to Monroe and if that doesn't work I'll try to get in touch with the outfit in Moses Lake.  The problem I keep running into is the feed people here all deal with the show and performance horses and don't really understand why I want what I'm looking for.
Thanks again.

[oldcamper]

I think they ship.

http://tsc.tractorsupply.com/search?w=alfafa+cubes

[RG]

Thanks, I found some Purina packer pellets, I think they are going to be what I'm looking for.