Alfa A Oil - does your horse eat this product?

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Struggling with feeding my very fussy horse. He's currently on Dengie Alfa A Oil and Allen & Page fast fibre. He's been a bit fussy lately eating up but has decided (after I've bought a new bag of this product) to not eat it.

I've tried him on Mollichaff which I just happened to have a sample of in my car from Your Horse Live and he's wolfed it down.

Does your horse object to the Alfa A Oil or is it just my horse? I think its the consistency and the oiliness of it that he doesn't like. Do you think my local feed merchant would swap the Alfa A Oil for a bag of mollichaff? Its obviously unopened.

 

[nutwood]

My very very fussy elderly TB stallion loves Alfa A Oil. He is a fussy feeder and at 26 is losing his teeth so hay and haylage are difficult. He relly enjoys a bucketful of Alfa a Oil. He also enjoys his stud nuts, oats and senior mix - but he wont eat them mixed! He has them all seperately - 4 bowls in a row, and eats a little from each. If you mix any of them together he wont eat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is spoilt, but his worth it.

 

[Kiristamm]

Yes, and some!!

 

[nikicb]

Sorry, not relevant to whether your horse will eat it, but my husband picked up a bag of Alfa A instead of Alfa lite by mistake from Scats. They wouldn't take it back though as their rules (for want of a better word) meant they couldn't in case of contamination. I guess it's fair enough, especially as we have a lot of competition/racing yards near us and they have to be compliant with banned substances etc. I was lucky that a friend's horse ate this so swapped for a few pounds of sausages (farming family!!!).

 

[3Beasties]

I fed this until recently to my TB (Poor doer) but just before xmas I suddenly decided that it was ridiculous to be paying nearly £15 for a bag of chaff that my horse wasn't overly fussed on. He would eat some of it but would also 'throw' it out of his bowl with his nose so he never quite got a full feed!

Have since swapped over to chaff that is similar to Mollichaff, it only cost £5.50instead of nearly £15!!!) a bag and he gobbles it down with out wasting any! Better still he has actually put weight on since being on it.

Happy horse, happy me (

 

[Puzzles]

The fussy Tb x that I ride is a poor doer and we give her Alfa-A Oil. She loves it, though we always soak it (it takes a good litre of water because it's so dry) and add some sugarbeet to make it easier to eat. Maybe your horse is bored of it as Alfa-A Oil is designed to be fed in large volumes? You could try adding a slosh of fruit juice or some mint to make it more palatable?

 

[Daytona]

My horse won't eat Alfa A just picks at it. Eats chaff no prob though

 

[palomino698]

Got some for the old Irish boy in his last months, he didn't like it, and even the greedy pig of a Welsh D would only tolerate tiny amounts. We did finish the bag, padded out with the Hi Fi that they know and love, but wouldn't buy it again.

I'm not sure it was the oil that bothered them and maybe it was an odd batch, but the bag I had was incredibly coarse and stalky compared to any other bag of any Alfa-A variety - this was autumn 2009 though.

 

[schneeko]

I have the opposite problem.

My tb won't touch chaff, just picks round it to get to the nuts, but he loves Alfa-A Oil.

Chaff would be much cheaper but at least this way he eats it

 

[Puppy]

I tried my old mare on the Alfa A oil and she was not at all impressed with it.

More recently I put my young horse on the Alfa A Molasses free and it sent him completely off his head. Have now cut all alfalfa from his diet and he is doing brilliantly - condition and and temperament wise - on Mollichaff calmer.

Talking about it on FB a lot of my friends said their horses went bonker on Alfa A products, so do be careful.

 

[Puppy]

Have since swapped over to chaff that is similar to Mollichaff, it only cost £5.50instead of nearly £15!!!) a bag and he gobbles it down with out wasting any! Better still he has actually put weight on since being on it.

£15 for Mollichaff??

I pay £8.45 a bag for the 'calmer' version.

 

[SS.89]

Mines on Alfa a oil and the Alfa balancer and he wolllfs his dinner down every night.

SS x

 

[CracklinRosie]

I had my Tb on Alph A Oil and my IDx on Hi-Fi good doer! Both of them hate the Hi-Fi but will happily scoff all of the Alpha A Oil!!!

3 Beasties, what chaff do you use now that's putting weight on????

 

[3Beasties]

£15 for Mollichaff??

I pay £8.45 a bag for the 'calmer' version.

Sorry my post didn't make much sense! I was paying nearly £15 for a bag of Alpha A oil that my horse wasn't even that fussed on (would throw it around his stable!) so have now swapped to some chaff that is similar to Mollichaff and only £5.50 per bag!

The horse and my bank balance much prefer it!!

 

[3Beasties]

CR - It's very similar to the likes of Mollichaff but is made by my local feed merchants so probably not much use to you. I think it's more the fact that he is actually easting a full meal now rather then spreading it around the stable which has helped him put on some weight!

 

[TheBayMonkey]

Mine loves it although he's not overly fussy

 

[whizzer]

My mega fussy horse would begrudgingly eat it but it sent him bonkers! He adores the spillers conditioning chaff & the mollichaff conditioning chaff.

 

[tonitot]

My girl eats it quite happily, but then she isn't fussy

 

[MeganLindsx]

Try mixing it with a bit of water...worked for me

 

[luckyhorseshoe]

My mare ate it but as you say would pick and waste some - i did change from it but not due to this - mainly because it was rocket fuel!!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

my mare was only on speedybeet and she stopped eating so i bought alfa a lite and she likes it eats it no problems
another thing allot of fussy feeders like is D&H Fibergy smells nice

 

[trottingpole]

mine took a little while to get used to the alfa a, but now they eat it happily. might be worth sticking with it longer? i do find it's a great feed.

 

[gundog-1]

My thoroughbred wont touch mollichaff, but will tolerate Dengie Hi-fi, but she loves alpha a oil. She cant get enough of it. Alfalfa can be bitter unless its mixed up with something tasty. Try grating carrot or apple into it or adding something else to it, that wont heat him up.

 

[asbo]

jay has decided since i have just bought this months feed that he now doesnt like alpha a oil, hes munching his feed happily without any chaff now, pony will get the alpha a oil in tiny tiny amounts instead.

 

[wiglet]

My veteran TB is very fussy and won't touch the stuff. I think it's the prickly, stalky texture that she doesn't like although I have been informed that Alpha A is bitter tasting - so this could be a reason as well.

 

[Kenzo]

Both love it, but then there not fussy types , it could be that the Fast Fibre is making it all a bit bland, I've known horses go off CC and FB before if they are not mixed with something a little more tasty or with a mix that makes it a bit more interesting and crunchy rather than a soggy chop like consistency.

They may swop the bag if it's not being opened, or perhaps someone you know will buy the bag of you a bit cheaper?

 

[Wagtail]

Struggling with feeding my very fussy horse. He's currently on Dengie Alfa A Oil and Allen & Page fast fibre. He's been a bit fussy lately eating up but has decided (after I've bought a new bag of this product) to not eat it.

I've tried him on Mollichaff which I just happened to have a sample of in my car from Your Horse Live and he's wolfed it down.

Does your horse object to the Alfa A Oil or is it just my horse? I think its the consistency and the oiliness of it that he doesn't like. Do you think my local feed merchant would swap the Alfa A Oil for a bag of mollichaff? Its obviously unopened.

One of mine won't touch it.

 

[BigRed]

My mare did not like it. It is very dry and the edges are very sharp.

 

[claracanter]

I tried my old mare on the Alfa A oil and she was not at all impressed with it.

More recently I put my young horse on the Alfa A Molasses free and it sent him completely off his head. Have now cut all alfalfa from his diet and he is doing brilliantly - condition and and temperament wise - on Mollichaff calmer.

Talking about it on FB a lot of my friends said their horses went bonker on Alfa A products, so do be careful.

I agree with this. My TB couldnt cope with it but is fine on Molichaff calmer too

 

[Marydoll]

All 3 of mine love it