Ashley Griffin, University of Kentucky
All concentrates do not weigh the same.
For example:
A 3-lb coffee can full of
- 32 lb/bushel oats = 2 1/2 lbs
- 34 lb/bushel oats = 4 lbs
- corn or pellets = 5 lbs
Therefore, a coffee can full of oats is not the same as a coffee can full of pellet or sweet feed. This doesn't mean you can't use the coffee can method to feed your horses. Simply weigh out the appropriate amount of concentrate and mark the coffee can with a permanent marker so you know where to fill it each time. This technique allows you to standardize the amount of concentrate you are feeding.
All hays do not weigh the same.
A flake of grass hay can appear twice as large as a flake of alfalfa and weigh the same or less. So, it is a good idea to weigh your hay flakes to get an idea of how much a flake of the hay you're feeding would weigh.
Anytime you change feed, it is a good idea to reweigh the feed to make sure the amount is right.
