These are a great option during droughts and hay shortage—and the hay cubes are certified to be weed-free. They are smaller than traditional hay cubes and you can easily break them. In the past, the hay cubes available were compressed hard and were stiff. I was always worried about choke and impaction colic with those. I had also heard that this is what manufacturers did with older hay-—make it into cubes to make it sellable. At the time, I chose pellets instead of hay cubes because of my concerns. Danco Hay Cubes are DIFFERENT! These hay cubes are from long-stem forage. You can see the hay inside. It’s fresh hay without artificial binders. They break easily so horses comfortably chew. I like that you can free-feed the cubes. I put a bag out for my horses and they didn’t just stay and eat them all (as they would with grain). My horses are in good health and they eat what they want then walk away. It’s easy to travel with the cubes and it’s clean and easy to lift. Instead of buying a senior feed, choose the options with flax and oats included to help add weight with something that tastes good.
DANCO sources quality, clean alfalfa forage from well-managed Canadian (non-GMO/blister beetle-free) alfalfa producers as well as processing company-owned production fields.
The process begins with feed-tested, fresh-quality baled forage. The forage is ground into a 4 to 5 inch (minus stem length) product.
A high-heat flash process creates long-term product life span stability and subjects the forage to extreme temperatures that burn off any viable mold spores and low-incidence invasive weed species. This process also assists in a pre-digestive breakdown of the forage which benefits the digestive process and increases the bioavailability of the forage to the equine G.I. tract. The forage proceeds to metering boxes that suspend the dried stem and leaf in proper ratios (nutrient uniform) before being presented into the cubing machine.
Once inside the cuber, the forage is formed into cubes. This pressure creates high heat which assists in making the forage retain its densified format for shipping, minimal product oxidation, and feeding efficiency. The pressure is a precursor to mastication and digestion in the G.I. tract. The hay (alfalfa stems/whole grain and oilseeds) is “snapped open” from the extreme pressure and heat which does not diminish nutrient values and creates a proper blended balanced and uniform, long stem, high percentage forage product. This is much easier to digest for all classes and ages of horses—especially those challenged via dental issues and recurring G.I. tract problems. Once the cubes are formed, they go into a bin to cool and cure before the bagging process which is generally within 24 hours of the process beginning.
