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Feed Spent Grains to Horses?

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  • Feed Spent Grains to Horses?

    Hi, I know you can feed spent grains to chickens, pigs, cows, but can you feed the grains to horses?
    Horses tend to have sensitive digestive systems and if I were to make them sick, my wife would kill me!
    Other than that, can I compost them, or would that just turn into a smelly mess?
    Thanks for any info.
    Andy

  • #2
    I know of cows that climb into the back of the farm ute (pick-up) and have smashed the headlights trying to get at spent grains.

    Scotty
    Head Brewer Rocks Brewing Co.
    Sydney, Aust
    scotty@rocksbrewing.com

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    • #3
      Spent Grains high in extract

      Originally posted by Andy Bishop
      Hi, I know you can feed spent grains to chickens, pigs, cows, but can you feed the grains to horses?
      Horses tend to have sensitive digestive systems and if I were to make them sick, my wife would kill me!
      Other than that, can I compost them, or would that just turn into a smelly mess?
      Thanks for any info.
      Andy
      Do not feed any spent grains to cattle or pigs the is high in extract.
      Years back a Falstaff brewery fed cattle spent grains that contained first wort 18Plato. The next day the cattle were down with their legs up,bloated and dead. Very costly for the brewery.

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      • #4
        a horse of course

        Our ex head Chef used to occasionaly swing by the brewery to get a bucket of spent grain for his horse. Claimed the horse loved it, especially the Weizen (maybe because it had less hops?)

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        • #5
          give it to Santa

          Reindeer supposedly are among the few animals that can efficiently digest spent grain. Just because something likes to eat it doesn't mean it is good for it or the environment. Spent grain gives cows bad gas and besides stink it might add to our air/atmosphere polution issues. Pigs have been known to overindulge on spent grain piles and go teats up. Reindeer (and I wonder about the moose that have gotten into some of my spent grain compost piles!) have the enzymes to break down the stuff and can live on it alone.

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          • #6
            We've had dairy farmers, pig farmers, sheep farmers and horse folks all take our spent grain. The horse folks said that the horses weren't anywhere near as thrilled as the other livestock, but would eat it mixed in with their oats (and of course it was free, so their cost to feed the horses went down!).

            As for concerns about harming the animals, apparently the key is to not make it a large part of their diet, but rather a nice treat (at least for the cows, etc, who love the taste so much!).

            Cheers, Tim

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            • #7
              grain only as part of diet

              Ruminants (cows, sheep, goats) can certainly digest grain, and do a much better job of it than single-stomached critters like horses. Nevertheless, none of these animals should be fed high concentrations of grain - their systems were designed for large amounts of low-protein (relatively speaking) roughage, which they digest efficiently and which, incidentally, doesn't give them anywhere near as much gas. The idea is to give them some, which improves weight gain, milk production and short-term energy, but not a lot, which results in bloat and other digestive issues, including death.

              Pigs, whose system very closely resembles our own, can eat masses of grain. However, they must still have supplements (whey works really well, as well as pasture) for micronutrients and protein.

              Our dog seems to like the spent grain too, proving that dogs are omnivores (sort of).
              Crannóg Ales
              Canada's Certified Organic, on-farm microbrewery
              www.crannogales.com

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              • #8
                Animal Rations

                Cattle can digest brewers and distillers grains just fine if used as a small percentage of they're ration. I can tell you that when we used to raise pigs we did experience a higher death loss when we added even a small amount of distillers grain. I'm not an expert on horses but I would suggest contacting a livestock specialist at a co-op or a large animal vet. if the farmer is concerned.
                BJ Knoke
                Hub City Brewing Company
                "The Largest Microbrewery In Stanley, Iowa"

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                • #9
                  distillers grains

                  Just a further note on the content of grains: brewers grains containing barley and/or wheat are relatively easy to digest. The issues start to arise with distillers grains from making ethanol or high-gravity beers. Corn, rice, soy etc. have a whole bunch of issues, including some by-products which are apparently difficult to digest. One might also note that all three are, unless they are certified organic (and possibly even then) contaminated with genetically engineered stock. GE corn, rice and soy have all been shown to cause digestive problems in various creatures. This may well be part of the problems currently arising in the feeding of distillers grains to feedlot cattle.

                  We raise pigs on a high percentage of spent grains containing only barley and a bit of wheat, and have never had a death. Mind you, our pigs are also fed whey, garden waste and are on pasture, so they have very lively digestive systems!
                  Crannóg Ales
                  Canada's Certified Organic, on-farm microbrewery
                  www.crannogales.com

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                  • #10
                    compost

                    Oh yeah, and of course you can compost spent grains. However, it has been my experience that they do best if mixed with grass, hay, leaves, weeds and so on - green matter with fibre. But they make great compost quickly, especially if you add warm grains to a cold compost in the winter: it heats things up again quickly.
                    Crannóg Ales
                    Canada's Certified Organic, on-farm microbrewery
                    www.crannogales.com

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                    • #11
                      Grain - harmful? Why would it be?

                      I bring spent grains to cattle and pig farmers in town regularly. The grain:

                      - has had the sugar rinsed out during the sparge (doesn't matter what kind of beer you are making - high grav or low)
                      - contains no hops (those are not added during the mash)
                      - is almost entirely barley (maybe some wheat or oats from time to time)

                      These grains should be able to be used like supplementary grains are already used with animals: not the primary staple of the diet but a (potentially significant) contributor.

                      I don't see how this barley would be dangerous to horses, cattle, or pigs. And definitely don't understand how spent grains from a brewery (grains that were rinsed) caused cows to go hooves up. What made that happen? Cattle eat windfallen, fermented apples all the time...and a little extra sugar on the grain shouldn't cause death!!!

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                      • #12
                        Ruminants, like cows, should have no problem with spent grain as an ad libitum feed supplement. Perhaps the grains were rotten or something else was wrong with the ration to cause such bloat.

                        I would be cautious with monogastrics like pigs and horses. It's been my experience that horses don't like it much.

                        Pax.

                        liam
                        Liam McKenna
                        www.yellowbellybrewery.com

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                        • #13
                          I started raising pigs as a way to dispose of my spent grain. I brew 3 times a week and have avg 800# spent grain each time. The problem is the quantity, as it really has to be consumed in 2 or 3 days as it goes rancid fast. I started with 3 pigs and am now up to 10 and planning on raising pigs to sell at market weight. They are on pasture and woods and their primary grain is spent barley. Never have I had any issues. They do grow a little slower on barley than corn but they are very healthy. Also, they eat it better if a scoop of cracked corn is mixed in. I also feed it to chickens and as a treat to our family cow. What a great cottage industry for a brewer!!! Our pastured pork is free, And we are able to sell to friends at prices they can afford. We have a horse, but I am very careful to only give him small amounts at a time.
                          Steve Purdie, Brewer
                          The Terminal BrewHouse
                          Chattanooga Tn

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                          • #14
                            10 pigs are eating 2400lbs of grain a week?!

                            Any update on this?
                            -------Reformation Brewery---------
                            redeeming beer for the community
                            a 15bbl dream hoping to brew in 2013
                            www.reformationbrewery.com

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                            • #15
                              spent grain and acidic pH

                              The pig farmer who takes my spent grain says that the acidic pH (5.4 approx) is fine for her pigs but not for the ground the grain is dumped on. She says that the grass does not grow back. Pigs destroy the bins that she puts the grain in and prefers to have it dumped on her grass. Any suggestions to change the pH or any reason why?

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