A quick poll, buying feed, brands, and what makes you buy certain feed?

How do you buy your feed?

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KatB

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Just doing a bit of research really...

*Where do you buy your feed, and why?

*Would you consider other ways of buying feed?

*What makes you choose the brand you use?

*If a relatively unknown feed company contacted you to try their feeds at a competitive rate for a "trial pack", would you do it?

*What would make you try a different brand of feed?

Any answers HUGELY appreciated :) ;)
 
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Ignorance helps me chose my feed in that I know little / nothing about cereals , oats etc etc so rely solely on well known branded food as I assume they will have done the nutritional work.

I then chose the appropriate feed within that brand.

I would trial a new food if it was made easy for me ie someone came around to the yard for a freebie and I had confidence in their knowledge.

I wouldn't be bothered to send off for or collect from this place on a monday type trial offer.
 
Local feed store for convenience, although am in a bit of a rubbish area for decent feed stores!

Have in past ordered by palletload but storage is an issue!

Brands I have are fairly widely available and seem to suit my horses (r has ride and relax, j has staypower cubes, both alfa a)

might well try another feed for roo, would be more reluctant with j as know he is starch intolerant and have got to what we have after lots of trial and error.

Would try new brand if needed mre/less weight or energy! Mine were both condition scored last summer by spillers lady and weighed and she said both were spot on so am very lucky that they are easy to feed really and both def have right amount of energy ATM.
 
*Where do you buy your feed, and why?
At the moment I don't as on livery and they buy it in bulk from local feed merchant. When I was buying feed it was from local feed merchant, sometimes in store sometimes delivered.

*Would you consider other ways of buying feed?
Probably not

*What makes you choose the brand you use?
Currently using D&H as this is the only feed range livery offers. Previously it was a case of trial and error until finding a feed that suited old horse.

*If a relatively unknown feed company contacted you to try their feeds at a competitive rate for a "trial pack", would you do it?
In theory yes, provided the company were ale to provide a good breakdown of content and it was similar to current feed.

*What would make you try a different brand of feed?
Current regimen not working or something on a really well priced special offer!
 
Ok, so I've had 8 people answer they buy from feed merchants. If you could order feed by the bag at a very competitive price direct from the manufacterer (cutting out the middle man), to be delivered, would it be something you'd be interested in?
 
Where do you buy your feed, and why? Vines Farm Close - as it's near to me and if they don't have what i want they'll get it in for me.

*Would you consider other ways of buying feed? If it worked out more cost effective then what i already do.

*What makes you choose the brand you use? If it does it's job. I like Baileys a lot but i also buy own brand high fibre nuts and cool mix, just the more spiecalist stuff is branded.

*If a relatively unknown feed company contacted you to try their feeds at a competitive rate for a "trial pack", would you do it? If it was a like for like competitor for what i was using then yes I would.

*What would make you try a different brand of feed? Reccommended or it was what i was looking for while researching feeds.
 
KatB said:
Ok, so I've had 8 people answer they buy from feed merchants. If you could order feed by the bag at a very competitive price direct from the manufacterer (cutting out the middle man), to be delivered, would it be something you'd be interested in?
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No unfortunately not. That would take waiting in for a courier to deliver it, planning when I was due to run out of food in order to get my order in on time and lastly I have a good relationship with my local merchant and would want to support his business.

Not much help am I.
 
Yep potentially - but to make cost effective to deliver usually have to buy in bulk and current yard has rat problem so storage can be tricky!
 
I buy from the feed merchant or more preferably from a local store (like to support local businesses). I would get it delivered, but TBH the costs are prohibitive - eFeed want £3 per bag to deliver, and the manufacturer (who I contacted directly) aren't any cheaper. For convenience, if I could get 4-6 bags a month delivered at less than it costs me to drive to the feed merchant, I would definitely do that, but £3 a bag is too high for me.

Would I consider other ways - yes....are there any other ways?!

Brand I use: cost effective, has no cereal grains in it, has no mollasses in it, has alfalfa in it, has chopped straw in it and contains a balancer pellet. It cuts costs, is easy to feed, is cheaper than what I was feeding and is suitable for a horse which has had ulcers. Horse also eats it! Feeds like that are hard to come by - winergy costs £££ and horse won't eat it and topspec just got too expensive. So I'm now on Pure Feed Company. It is a complete pain to get hold of though - have to do a 25 mile round trip to get it and it is only just cheaper to do this than have it delivered.

Would I try an unknown feed - yes, if it did everything current feed does, I could have a complete nutritional breakdown and it compared favourably with current feed and it was cheap.

Trying different brands - either what I'm feeding already not working/being right or cost. It was cost which made me swap to Pure Feed Company stuff, topspec just became silly money IMO.
 
KatB said:
Ok, so I've had 8 people answer they buy from feed merchants. If you could order feed by the bag at a very competitive price direct from the manufacterer (cutting out the middle man), to be delivered, would it be something you'd be interested in?
Click to expand...

Yes.

Where do you buy your feed - local farm/equestrian supplies


Would you consider other ways of buying feed - Yes I'd condsider it.

What makes you choose the brand you use - Clear feeding instructions/ nutritional information/feed guide both on the bag and on the website. I use Bailey's, Allen & Page and Dengie.

*If a relatively unknown feed company contacted you to try their feeds at a competitive rate for a "trial pack", would you do it? - Probably not to be honest, I'm happy with the feeds I use, I can't be bothered changing and trialing different feeds just for the sake of it or even if its just a wee bit cheaper.
 
I actually wanted to pick Feed merchant AND direct as I mix and match.

*Where do you buy your feed, and why?
I rang around and my local feed merchnat is actually the cheapest supplier of the brands I use. Its convenient to drop in and he will order what I want if he doesnt stock it.

*Would you consider other ways of buying feed?
Yes if it was cheaper....without having to buy a whole pallet load ;)

*What makes you choose the brand you use?
Recommendation and necessity. I use A&P for the barley intolerants and Spillers for the eventers because our trainer swears by it. All of them get Simple Systems as a base feed and it works wonders and it relatively cheap and convenient.

*If a relatively unknown feed company contacted you to try their feeds at a competitive rate for a "trial pack", would you do it?
Yes providing it was more than just a trial pack. I like to feed for a good month not just a week, otherwise you cant gradually creep it in and see the results before its being crept back out. I never understand the little doggy bags you get given at shows !!

*What would make you try a different brand of feed?
If the company was so sure it was worth a gamble that they run a free trial of it (like Equilibrium feeds do)
 
Ok, thanks guys :)

Soooo... most important is:

*Supplying a full nutritional breakdown
*Not having to order large amounts for storage
*Competitive pricing
?

Do sponsered rider etc have any impact on your decision to what to feed? :)
 
KatB said:
Ok, thanks guys :)

Soooo... most important is:

*Supplying a full nutritional breakdown
*Not having to order large amounts for storage
*Competitive pricing
?

Do sponsered rider etc have any impact on your decision to what to feed? :)
Click to expand...

No! You'd have to be some kind of idiot to feed something just because a sponsored hero got given the stuff for free.....
 
Lol not really! I'm not massively suceptible to advertising really. Tend to talk to guys at local feed merchants and go on here if I ever do need to change feeds and need advice!
 
Where do you buy your feed, and why?
Buy it from a saddlers, as they are the only one in my area that stocks it. I used to buy from a wholesaler
*Would you consider other ways of buying feed?
wouldnt buy online
*What makes you choose the brand you use?
Price and quality
*If a relatively unknown feed company contacted you to try their feeds at a competitive rate for a "trial pack", would you do it?
Depends what type of feed - and the normal price
*What would make you try a different brand of feed?
If the current feed wasn't working - have changed brand over the last month
 
Fair enough :) Interesting you say that advertising etc doesn't influence it, yet I'm sure we probably unwittingly favoured "familiar" brands because they feel safe, which are only known due to advertising/exposure/marketing... :)
 
KatB said:
Fair enough :) Interesting you say that advertising etc doesn't influence it, yet I'm sure we probably unwittingly favoured "familiar" brands because they feel safe, which are only known due to advertising/exposure/marketing... :)
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There's a difference between advertising and buying/feeding something because a sponsored hero does! You didn't ask about advertising, you asked if a sponsored rider makes an impact on the decision as to what to feed ;)

For me, a sponsored rider may increase brand awareness in me, but it wouldn't influence my choice of what to feed, which is (in order of priority) down to:
1. Nutritional breakdown and ingredients.
2. Cost.
3. Ease of availability.

I might be more likely to look into a feed because I have seen a sponsored hero (or indeed a complete nobody!!) wandering around with a jacket on/a banner on a fence etc - but it wouldn't make me more likely to feed it unless it fitted all my criteria above! So it doesn't matter who they sponsor, a feed company which makes a highly mollased cereal grain based feed will never get my business ;)
 
My lad is on Pure Feeds because he cannot have anything with molassas in it and apart from Allen & Page (which doesn't suit him) there isn't a huge amount of choice..seeing as even low calorie seems to still mean smoothered in molassas. :mad:

* Supplying a full nutritional breakdown
ABSOLUTELY 100% important beyond anything else for me!

*Not having to order large amounts for storage
Not bothered could store it if I had to but luckily delivery isn't that expensive so I can manage.
*Competitive pricing
Luckily it's not that bad a price and because the quality and content is better than alot of brands I feed less..much less if I'm honest, so in the long run I'm saving money.

And endorsed by a famous person...couldn't care less to be honest.
 
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No I completely agree, i should have worded the first post about sponsorship better!

Basically, I am not sure Bailey's for example would be as well know if it wasn't one of the most widely seen name on the eventing circuit, and has a LOT of high profile riders riding under their banner, same with Dodson and Horrell, having Ellen Whitaker, Oli etc plastered all over their ad's certainly doesn't harm them.. :D
 
KatB said:
Fair enough :) Interesting you say that advertising etc doesn't influence it, yet I'm sure we probably unwittingly favoured "familiar" brands because they feel safe, which are only known due to advertising/exposure/marketing... :)
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and use :D

Brands marketing may attract you initially but to keep using them they have to work IMO.
 
KatB said:
Fair enough :) Interesting you say that advertising etc doesn't influence it, yet I'm sure we probably unwittingly favoured "familiar" brands because they feel safe, which are only known due to advertising/exposure/marketing... :)
Click to expand...

I think you are 100% right there hence the zillions that gets spent on marketing every year!

However for me I have a good doer so give very little thought to feed, she has a tiny meal twice a day so she isnt left out when the others get fed.

When I have given thought with prior horses I would only go and shop at local feed store and my decision would be based on 1. What level I was competing at that time and what energy I wanted to give 2. The cost of the feed 3. The breakdown and ease of sourcing the info on the packaging so I can quickly glance and see what ingredients are in there.
 
*Where do you buy your feed, and why?

Couple of local feed merchants, one close-ish to work, other close to OH and they off loyalty points, also can get in what I want if they don't have it and are competitively priced.

*Would you consider other ways of buying feed?

Yes if it was going to make life easier for me and not having to cart it around in the car and didn't have to order huge amounts of it....

*What makes you choose the brand you use?

Horse do really well on it, Baileys Lo-Cal and Dengie Alfa A Oil for one and Top Spec Top Chop for the others....

*If a relatively unknown feed company contacted you to try their feeds at a competitive rate for a "trial pack", would you do it?

Yes as long as they have a breakdown of ingrediants, nutritional values etc.

*What would make you try a different brand of feed?

If what I am currently using was not doing what I expected it too.
 
Buy online and local feed merchants - both near home and work.

Yard will feed madam at random intervals, but at best its cheap pony nuts and sugar beet. I therefore buy better quality food to feed when I go.

Henry had Spillers Instant Response Energy mix - this suited him amazingly.

I had problems with Trigger last year, and he ended up on a diet of outshine, topspec balancer, cool condition cubes, alfa-a oil and sugar beet (although wasnt fed on this alone, got some of yard stuff fed to him as well, again at random intervals). Worked a treat with Trigger and he put all weight back on.

Etta is now fed on outshine, topspec balancer, cool condition cubes, sugar beet and the new unmollased alfa-a chop. I feed this as it had good results on Trigger. When she has finished latest bag of outshine she will just be on more of the cool condition cubes.
 
*Where do you buy your feed, and why?

Local feed merchant, because they supply the feed I normaly get direct from the feed company, at only £1 extra per bag

*Would you consider other ways of buying feed?

No I love being able to read and compare prices and ingredients in the shop, plus my feed merchants are brilliant and will try and get what I need with as small a mark up as possible

*What makes you choose the brand you use?

Ingredients are the most imporatnt factor, I am a feed bag bore I am affraid

*If a relatively unknown feed company contacted you to try their feeds at a competitive rate for a "trial pack", would you do it?

Trial packs are useless, all feed needs to be introduced over a few feeds, and then on their own for a period of time to get a true reflection, I would prefer a money off period tbh

*What would make you try a different brand of feed?

Ingredients, cost and ease of supply
 
KatB said:
Just doing a bit of research really...

*Where do you buy your feed, and why?

Local feed store - really convenient as 5 minutes from home and close to school and shops, so can combine with other essential journeys. Plus they keep my preferred feed in stock, whereas other local feed stores have to order it in for me.

*Would you consider other ways of buying feed?

Have tried Thoroughgoods - but it is only worthwhile for me if I order haylage at the same time, which I don't want to do at the moment. Plus needs careful organisation to ensure you don't run out of feed before your next order is due to be delivered.

*What makes you choose the brand you use?

I don't stick to a specific brand all the time - I just choose the feed that suits a horse's individual needs at the current time. Current feed is chosen on the basis of low starch level and correct MJDE/kg for the horse's condition and workload.

*If a relatively unknown feed company contacted you to try their feeds at a competitive rate for a "trial pack", would you do it?

Possibly - but would want full nutritional breakdown and I would have to know feed will still be competitively priced even after the trial, and with good availability.

*What would make you try a different brand of feed?

I'm happy with the product used at present, so would have to offer same nutrition at at lower price.
Click to expand...
 
*Where do you buy your feed, and why?
Badminton alfalfa light and Speedibeet from local feed merchant because I have an account there.
Allen and Page stuff from local stockist because not available from above.

*Would you consider other ways of buying feed?
Not enough horses to buy in bulk on line.

*What makes you choose the brand you use?
Feed has to be molasses and barley free for all of the horses and Allen and Page is such good stuff.

*If a relatively unknown feed company contacted you to try their feeds at a competitive rate for a "trial pack", would you do it?
If it complied with above stipulations.

*What would make you try a different brand of feed?
Something really stupendous.
 
BBH said:
No unfortunately not. That would take waiting in for a courier to deliver it, planning when I was due to run out of food in order to get my order in on time and lastly I have a good relationship with my local merchant and would want to support his business.
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Ditto this!
 
ditto the above, local feed merchants is very good and i like supporting them.
if i got a bulk order i'd have to be more organised (local merchant delivers for free, weekly) and have more storage bins for the feed.
i'm rather set in my ways anyway, it's Happy Hoof or Healthy Hooves as a base, plus Alfa A if they need it, Baileys Stud Balancer and if necessary Baileys Conditioning Mix or maybe Baileys No 1. I've had such great service from Baileys over the years that I really can't imagine defecting wholesale.
I might possibly try a trial bag, it'd need a full nutritional breakdown etc though.
 
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