A & P Fast Fibre - yes or no?

[Rupert-the-bear]

http://www.allenandpage.com/Products/Rest-and-Light-Work/Fast-Fibre.aspx

I love it! Use it as a partial hay replacer, although I use about 1.5 times water to feed as otherwise its slop! Goes all fluffy then and pony loves it! Also, its only 2.5% sugar...average hay or lo-cal chaffs are 10%

 

[tallyho!]

You forgot to factor in the starch at 5% which makes it 7% all told. They have cleverly disguised it

 

[Perissa]

This is from their website, it doesn't seem to have garlic in it now or do they not match what's on the bag?

Fast Fibre Composition & Nutritional Additives
FAST FIBRE Product Code 1765-20
Allen & Page Ltd., IP25 7SD. Tel: 01362 822902
A COMPLEMENTARY FEED for feeding to HORSES

Composition:
Nutritionally Improved Straw, Oat Feed, Unmolassed Beet Pulp, Linseed Expeller, Grass Meal, Di-calcium Phosphate, Soya (bean) Oil, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Mint, Fenugreek, Yeast, Fructo-oligosaccharides

Nutritional Additives (per kg):
Vitamins: E672 Vitamin A: 10k iu (as retinol acetate); E671 Vitamin D3: 1.5k iu (as cholecalciferol); E3a700 Vitamin E: 120mg (as all-rac-a-tocopherol acetate)
Trace elements: 200mg Ferrous Sulphate Monohydrate (E1-Iron); 278mg Zinc Oxide (E6-Zinc); 160mg Manganous Oxide (E5-Manganese); 3.25mg Calcium Iodate Anhydrous (E2-Iodine); 1.76mg Sodium Selenite (E8-Selenium); 83mg Cupric Chelate of Glycine, Hydrate (E4-Copper)

On the little label that comes with the bag it definitely says that it contains garlic.

 

[mightymammoth]

I've heard that it contains garlic as well but it's strange as it doesn't smell of garlic at all.

 

[Mynstrel]

On the little label that comes with the bag it definitely says that it contains garlic.

How strange, I'll have a look when we next go in a feed shop. As V1980 says though it doesn't smell of it at all, you'd never guess if you didn't check the label.

 

[SmartieBean09]

I'm guessing they have recently changed their website and their recipe but obviously the last few bags available still contain a small proportion of garlic.

 

[amandaco2]

I use it with hifi molasses free.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

thankyou to those who replied on the 'whats in it question' - thats really interesting. I hope they have removed the garlic. 7% is still pretty low isnt it - similar to lo cal chaff but without the alfalfa that some dont like for lamis.

I might give it a go then! Girlie has mainly soaked hay (and oat straw when i can get it/when it is too frozen to soak hay, but has some (1kg) hifilite as a carrier vits mins and PP plus mag ox - could try replacing the hifi with the fast fibre as I can always boil a kettle even in the -20 we get up here (Cairngorms).

 

[yuipopo]

thankyou to those who replied on the 'whats in it question' - thats really interesting. I hope they have removed the garlic. 7% is still pretty low isnt it - similar to lo cal chaff but without the alfalfa that some dont like for lamis.

I might give it a go then! Girlie has mainly soaked hay (and oat straw when i can get it/when it is too frozen to soak hay, but has some (1kg) hifilite as a carrier vits mins and PP plus mag ox - could try replacing the hifi with the fast fibre as I can always boil a kettle even in the -20 we get up here (Cairngorms).

I like all post. The post is very Useful. I wanted to thank you for this excellent read!

 

[Daytona]

I spoke to A&P about fast f

It's designed as a complete hay replacer for old horses, a bag should only last 3 days, they told me

It's not meant to be used as a feed. I had my horse on it and wondered why he was losing weight so rang them.

I think a lot of people on her have the wrong idea about that stuff.

It's for horses with no teeth etc or who struggle eating hay.

 

[Liath]

I spoke to A&P about fast f

It's designed as a complete hay replacer for old horses, a bag should only last 3 days, they told me

It's not meant to be used as a feed. I had my horse on it and wondered why he was losing weight so rang them.

I think a lot of people on her have the wrong idea about that stuff.

It's for horses with no teeth etc or who struggle eating hay.

Thats odd, because that isn't what they told me! They told me it is great stuff for any horse, particularly those over weight or prone to laminitis or fussy eaters and that you can feed as little (to disguise supplements for example) or as much (within reason, as a hay replacer) as you like and that a bag can last for ages....

What's more their web site says:

•For horses and ponies at rest or in light work
•High fibre, low starch, low sugar and boosted with essential vitamins and minerals
•Can be fed as a partial or complete hay replacement
•Suitable for all types of horses and ponies, including good doers and those prone to laminitis
•Contains Ceregest GLC 2, a unique prebiotic for Gut Loving Care
•Suitable for horses and ponies with intolerances to barley and molasses


I might have to phone them again... my 8yo ISH seems to be doing very well on it though!

ETA: The website also gives feeding guidelines for light work, medium work, hard work and as a 'total hay replacer' so I really can't work out why they told you that!

 

[Daytona]

That's defo what the last told me. I was feeding it to my rising five year old in similar amounts you would feed say sugar beet.

Told me it was not suitable and as I said that bag should only last a few days as its to be fed in large amounts instead of hay to older horses.

Yes ring them and mention what they told me, this would of been around last Xmas time

 

[Daytona]

Lass not last

 

[Goldenstar]

Basically it's straw and unmolassed sugar beet with bits and pieces added I can do that myself and be sure that I have the minerals and vits at the right level without having to wiegh out the Fast fibre every day so if mine are in longer I just give them more chopped straw without giving needless giving more vits and minerals .
It's really a good bucket feed replacer for fatties.

 

[SmartieBean09]

Fast fibre is basically a quick soaking high fibre cube and can be fed as a bucket feed or hay replacer, the same of which a high fibre cube can. Their website states that for a large pony in light work 0.75kg-1.75kg can be fed. This amount is not sustainable as a hay replacement (as much larger amounts would be required) so I have no idea why they advised that it can only be fed as a hay replacer as their website contradicts this.

 

[Daytona]

Sb09 I do t understand your post you say basically it's a hay replacer - which is what A&P confirmed to me the you go on to say its cant be used as a hay replacer..??? You have confused me..?? Either it is a hay replacer or is not.?

 

[Daytona]

Any how I'm just telling you what the lass who picked up phone at A&P told me when I rang to ask about amounts to feed my horse to substain his weight and not lose weight.

 

[little_critter]

As I understand it Fast Fibre can be used as a complete feed using the smaller quantities quoted on the bag OR it can be used as a hay replacer but of course you'd have to feed a lot more if it then.

 

[little_critter]

Just to add the A&P rep visited my yard last year and recommended fast fibre as a feed (not hay replacer) at the quantities their bag suggests.

 

[Daytona]

No idea then, my boy lost a lot of weight on it, that's why I rang them as wondered what I was doing wrong I guess maybe for good doers it's ok as a bulk just to be giving them something but if the horse actually requires energy and calories then it's of no use.

 

[HazyXmas]

I spoke to A&P about fast f

It's designed as a complete hay replacer for old horses, a bag should only last 3 days, they told me

It's not meant to be used as a feed. I had my horse on it and wondered why he was losing weight so rang them.

I think a lot of people on her have the wrong idea about that stuff.

It's for horses with no teeth etc or who struggle eating hay.

I wish that mine would lose some weight on it!

To be honest, i think that's why a lot of people like it, it is an excellent 'carrier' for vits & supplements & you can make a reasonable size feed with hardly any calories. I just wish that i could feed the family on it too

 

[SmartieBean09]

Sb09 I do t understand your post you say basically it's a hay replacer - which is what A&P confirmed to me the you go on to say its cant be used as a hay replacer..??? You have confused me..?? Either it is a hay replacer or is not.?

Basically a hay replacer is a high fibre feed fed in large quantities for a horse or pony that can not cope with hay. For example, my old pony was on Fast Fibre as a hay replaced and was fed 7.7kgs of it! Fast Fibre can be fed as a hay replacer just like any high fibre cube. If Allen and Age advised you that it it not meant o be used as anything other than a hay replacer then they are contradicting their own advice as their websites states that it can be fed in much smaller quantities as a feed also.

I hope this makes sense

 

[OFG]

I dont make it up as they state on the bag as it is sloppy and messy, I put a measure into a bucket and just cover with enough water for it to soak fully, you get used to judging it and because it soaks so quickly you can always add a little more water, once soaked I scoop it out and mix with everything else.

I feed it to all mine, they have just FF plus supplements and one or two get other feeds added to it, I do not use chaff now as there is no need to add any more bulk.

^ This

Took me a while to suss a good pellet / water ratio but now super easy and quick to use. Definately don't go by what it says on bag as you will end up with a watery gruel!

As BP says, put desired quantity of pellets in bucket and add enough water to just cover them, this then gives a lovely fluffy mix.

My horse loves it

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

My two love it, to the extent that if I try to feed them Euro-beet instead I get a hunger strike!

So now I mix in a bit of both just to placate & keep the peace.

 

[Daytona]

Ok SB09 - not sure why the lady told me that, maybe because my horse was losing weight as hazyx says maybe only good for horses that hold weight or need to lose rather than like mine who needs weight put on.

 

[hairycob]

I emailed them last week to ask if there is garlic in FF. The only response I have had is an email to tell me they have set up an account for me!

 

[hairycob]

Had a look at a bag in a feed store at lunchtime - batch date middle of August & it does still have garlic on the white label.

 

[TGM]

No idea then, my boy lost a lot of weight on it, that's why I rang them as wondered what I was doing wrong I guess maybe for good doers it's ok as a bulk just to be giving them something but if the horse actually requires energy and calories then it's of no use.

Fast Fibre is a low calorie feed. It can be used as a hay replacer OR a bucket feed. When fed as a bucket feed it is ideal for good doers as it contains vit/mins in a low calorie base. Because it is low calorie you would need to give lots to a poor doer to make it put on weight, so most people would find it better to give smaller quantities of a higher calorie feed.

For example, Fast Fibre has 8 MJDE/kg, compared to conditioning feeds which usually have at least 12 MJDE/kg. So you would have to feed 1.5kg of Fast Fibre to get the same amount of calories that are in 1kg of a 12 MJDE/kg conditioning feed.

So it is not quite true to say it is no use for weight gain - just that you have to feed a lot for weight gain!

 

[AdorableAlice]

My boy likes it - I do find it hard to get the consistency right sometimes though. I'm probably going to switch to Rowen Barberry fibre mash this year though as it's cheaper and lasts longer.

I came across Rowen Barberry Soft N Soak whilst looking for an easily eaten and digested feed for a sick horse. Never heard of it before but tried the red bag aimed at veterans.

Very very impressed, dreadfully picky horse who was very sick at the time, loved the stuff even with his med's mixed in. He is much improved now but I have left him on the feed, even though I have to make a special trip to pick it up. Just 2kg a day with adlib good hay and he looks great (17.2). It makes up using equal parts into a crumbly not sloppy mix. The amount will increase as we go into winter and the hay will be replaced with haylage.

I would thoroughly recommend the feed for a horse that is tricky to feed.

 

[LaurenBay]

I am putting my girl on to it this winter. She is a good doer and was previously on Happy Hoof, but I now understand that Happy Hoof, does contain molasses.