Molasses is a term applied to a variety of by-product feeds resulting from sugar-rich crops. Molasses is a liquid by-product of the sugar industry, and may come from sugar cane, corn, sugar beets and even wood. Liquid molasses is combined with an absorbent carrier material, such as soybean hulls, then dried. The result is easier to transport and use as a feed ingredient than the original wet molasses. Molasses is mostly used in horse feeds as it has a number of significant advantages which include;
1. The palatability of molasses intake in complete feeds binds dustiness and restricts losses due to the wind.
2. If you give your horse a lot of work to do, it is necessary to include sugar in the hard feed as a source of energy. Molasses meal is rich in easily digestible energy.
3. Molasses contains certain B vitamins and minerals and is an ideal energy source.
4. Molasses is a great source of potassium. Potassium looks after the control of water absorption by organs, bones and muscles.
5. Molasses is low in nitrogen and high in Sulphur.
6. Molasses meal is an ideal energy replacement for a part of the grain component in self-mixed ruminant mixed concentrates, complete feeds and licks.
7. It reduces the ability of picky horses to sort through feed.
8. Finally, because of the syrup consistency, molasses is perfect to press firm cubes and also prevents mueslis from de-mixing.
Overall molasses is very effective in reducing the inherent dustiness of grain feeds, which in turn can reduce respiratory disorders. Molasses helps prevent separation of feed ingredients, and therefore acts as an effective carrier for medications and supplements. It is very effective in pelleted feeds as a natural ‘binding agent’, it also adds a pleasant aroma and generally increases taste in horse diets.
Just remember, when molasses makes up more than 20 percent of an animal’s diet, it may suffer from a depressed ability to digest other feed. This can be a serious problem when the remainder of the feed is mostly cell-wall carbohydrate, such as grass. It is therefore advised that animals eating more than 20 percent molasses should receive more fat, protein or starch-based feed to prevent carbohydrate competition in the stomach.
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