04/15/2020
Great read!
On this week's I will be discussing protein percent. This is a topic that I tend to hear different opinions across the board from making horses hot to it’s all the same thing. Well I'm here to tell you that those are both common mistakes that often lead to undesired results and often times more cost.
When you look at the crude protein (CP) percentage on a feed label, all it represents is the amount of nitrogen available in the ingredients (that are used to make the feed) multiplied by 6.25%. Unfortunately, this doesn’t give a full picture of what those ingredients are also bringing into the formula, such as starch and sugar content. In fact, research indicates it’s the starches and sugars in the feed that make the horse “hot”, not the protein as many would suggest.
Again, crude protein is just relative to available nitrogen. Now, if the feed is using ingredients such as corn, oats, or barley as protein sources, then they are also bringing in starches and sugars with them. In comparison, 100 g of pulled pork with BBQ sauce contains 13 g of protein and 4 g of sugar, whereas, 100 g of Reese’s Pieces contains 12 g of protein and 53 g of sugar.
It’s a lot more obvious to see the difference between pulled pork and Reese’s Pieces but not so much when you see X brand pellets and Y brand pellets. Therefore, shopping based on protein percent doesn’t paint the full picture of that feed. The same goes for fat percent. As many of my professors used to say, not all proteins are created equal!
Remember, amino acids are the building blocks of protein. If you’re looking for muscling, quicker recover, top-line, then you’re gonna need those amino acids not just protein.
If your horse is suddenly getting hot, running out of gas sooner than before, or even losing weight, then you might want to check your tag on where those protein sources are coming from.
If your tag says “grain products or processed grain by-products” then that formula is considered “least-cost” and can change as much as once a day!
I hope this helps you understand protein percentages more. If you’d like a free consultation, feel free to reach out!
Stay safe!
God Bless and Gig ‘Em!
