~~ ad lib pellets/nuts ? anyone done this? ~~

[shiresrus123]

reading something else, someone advised for a poor doer, to fill a feedbucket up with pellets and leave the horse with it to empty it over a week adlib and then refill as needed, like an ongoing supply of pellets in addition to feeds etc

anyone done this?

 

[Nailed]

erg.. i wouldnt..
Its done with calves.. but they never known anything diffrent.. a horse would wolf it down.

Lou x

 

[charlie55]

Would cause colic for my horse.

 

[shiresrus123]

thanks both, they were what i thought as well, glad to see im not too mental, it was an american site so maybe its something they do over there, or more likely, someone writing crap LOL

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

Unless they mean hay replacer - an equal mix of high fibre nuts, chaff and beet - v useful for oldies and any that don't eat hay. Just leave a big bucket and fill up when needed.

 

[gothdolly]

I think in America they can get hay cubes which we dont have in the UK - maybe its different with hay cubes? In the UK I would not do it as Im sure it would result in colic.

You would feel OK leaving adlib hay and a huge tub trug of Dengie Hi Fi with a poor doer as this is safe, so perhaps that could be the safe alternative?

 

[Pep12]

There was work done in the states on feeding complete feeds to horses. Complete is as it sounds everything they need including the all important fibre portion, which your "normal" feeding nuts would not contain. These nuts would be incredibly high in fibre (70-80%) and therefore could be fed ad-lib. Do not try it with any of the UK off the shelf products, you will give your horse colic or laminitis or both.

Better to stick to hay or a light chaff instead.

 

[zizz]

we did this with our boy some years ago when he was recovering from a bout of grass sickness. we used the 16% protien grass nuts from our local feedmerchant. It worked becaues he didn't particularly like them so just niblled at them through the day. He also had ad lib haylege as well as his normal feeds.

 

[kellyeaton]

if it was a hay replacer chaff or nuts than yes other wise no!

 

[Fransurrey]

Spillers say that their Hi-Fi pellets can be used in this way, but my shettie colicked on it. Would never, ever do it again.