Advice on splitting feeds? Does anyone weigh theirs?

Blizzard

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Ok new horse is coming home this weekend, he is unfit and needs condition on, contacted Topspec who devised to following feeding plan:

ad lb haylege only for 1st week.

Then introduce him to TopSpec Comprehensive Feed Balancer over 4 days building up to 300 grams twice a day. This should be fed with a good quality, nutritious chaff e.g. Dengie Hi-Fi Lite or Dengie Hi-Fi Oil. Half a kg twice a day would be about right. To this I would add 1 Stubbs scoop, i.e. 2kg of TopSpec CoolCondition Cubes twice daily.



ok my question is, would 2kg be one big scoop, Im so rubbish at weights, may need to buy some scales for up the yard!
It sounds like a big feed!

Also do you think I could feed Alfa A oil instead of hi fi? Seems to get better reviews!
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Best to take some scales up to the yard and weigh how much your scoop takes of each feedstuff. Feeds vary enormously in terms of weight to volume, plus scoop sizes vary a lot as well!

Once you know how much a scoop of your different feedstuffs weigh then you don't have to weigh out everyday, just use the scoop.
 
Wee I went to our Teso todsay to look for some, hmm why does a huge tesco extra not have one set of scales LOL!

A visit to Argos is needed I think!

I just thought the feed amounts souded like a lot but as you say I suppose some are much heavier than others, I was just wondering if I should split his feed further, dont want it passing through him if he is getting too much.
 
I have always done my feed by "scoops", not very accurate i know, i contacted dengie as was curious how much Hifi i should be feeding my pony in comparison to what i do....turned out i should be feeding 2-3 big scoops a day!! So i stick to my own feed ideas from now on!
the thing is feed like hifi is so light to get to the recommended you often have to feed half a tonne of the stuff. or maybe im just doing it wrong i dunno! im sticking to good old fashioned 1/4 scoop, 1/2 scoop, 1 scoop .....
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[ QUOTE ]
I was just wondering if I should split his feed further, dont want it passing through him if he is getting too much.

[/ QUOTE ] If you can split his feeds into 3 a day rather than 2 a day then that would be better. Normal recommendation is maximum of 2kg concentrates to be fed at one time, so you are up to the limit if you have been told to feed 2kg of cubes twice a day.
 
Thanks guys, ha ha Ive always been a scoop girl too Vicki!

Thanks TGM, yes i just dont want to waste money on food that will come straight through him if he is getting too much in one go.
 
You need to weigh the feed with scales, every feed weighs differently so you can't go by the number of scoops.

If you're feeding for condition, definitly go for Alfa-A or Alfa-A Oil (I recommend the later). Hi-Fi has it's place but is not conditioning.

If you can split into 3 feeds then it would be better as said above, otherwise at least 2.
 
Use those spring balance type scales which you hang from the top - avaliable in most hardware shops, methinks. It's best to weight stuff when you first start a feed regime - especially if you are trying to correct a nutrition problem. Once you get to know how much a certain quantity looks like then you can revert to judging by eye.
 
A stubb scoop of nuts weighs about 1.75 of a kilo. A horse can only optimally digest about 2kg in any one time.

I'm a bit confused as to why top spec have recomended the cubes and a balancer? surely it would be cheaper and less confusing to feed just the cubes?

SPILLERS Horse and Pony Cubes are very simelar, I was at a lecture demo a few weeks ago with Jeanette Brakewell and she uses the for Over to You, he went to the olypics on them!

If I were you I'd save your money and use Horse and Pony Cubes with a chop of some sort, Hi Fi light or Happy Chaff until you have had him for a few months and know exactly what he needs. The SPILERS care line number is 01908 226626
 
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