alternative to dengie hi fi molasses free

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lucymay9701

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Hi everyone, I've just posted on the veterinary forum about my mare who is having problems with allergies at the moment. I am going to start eliminating things to see if i can get to the bottom of it (her allergy blood tests came back normal but I'm sure there must be an allergy going on). My mare needs some feed for her supplements and so I was going to give her just chaff and sugarbeet (am eliminating her other hard feed at the moment). She's on dengie hi fi molasses free though which has soya and alfalfa in it, both of which I know can cause allergies.

I just wondered if anyone knows of an alternative chaff that is molasses free and doesn't have soya or alfalfa in? If not would anyone have any suggestions for simple ways to get supplements down please? My mare is really fussy just to make it more difficult!

Her weight is fine at the moment so that is not a problem but her feeds need to be a reasonable size to disguise the supplements.

Thanks, Lucy x
 
I've managed to find this old thread http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/foru...ing-as-Alfafa-and-Molasses-and-oil-free/page3
which is great and has lots of suggestions so no need to reply!
I like the look of the Halleys timothy chop - just wondered if anyone had tried this and whether fussy feeders will eat it quite well?
One of the things she hasn't been on during her time with the allergies is timothy grass so hopefully this would be OK. Thanks Lucy
 
You could make your own chaff with good quality hay and the garden shredder. You will save pounds and you will know exactly what you are feeding.
 
I feed my alfalfa allergic horse Graze On Gold Blend which is more in line with hifibre calories wise that Graze On or Readigrass or the like which are more like Alfa A.
I've also used Just Chop for minimal calories and did quite like the Halleys Timothy chop somebody mentioned. My favourite is definitely the graze on gold though- the quality is fantastic.
 
Thanks very much, I'll take a look at that. I've contacted Halleys feeds to see if they may send me a sample of the timothy chop but unsure if they will! Otherwise I'd have to order 2 bags - which is a pretty good deal (once I know if she likes it!) with free delivery but not so good if she decides she doesn't! I can't imagine there's much to dislike with the timothy chop but not sure they'll be much of a taste to tempt her to eat her supplements with it which could be the problem.
 
Thanks again for the replies, they're really helpful. She's on day 2 of just speedibeet and her usual dengie hi fi but not going too well as she's only eaten half her bf (that has supps in) and its a struugle to get her to eat her tea (have to keep adding more speedibeet) and she just about eats it over night! I think she will need something added to improve the taste so not sure how she'll get on with the other plain chops but will keep trying! Maybe soaked grass pellets or nuts may add taste (if don't worsen her allergy problems) but she does have borderline cushings so not sure if they're suitable - will post another question!
 
Yes I did find that mine were not keen on the speedibeet - probably tasted of cardboard - I used to feed Easy Rider - which is not made anymore and have found Mollichaff - calmer a good replacement - one of my mares has Insulin resistence so Alfalfa and Molasses is no go. This works well with ad lib access to a mineral lick.
 
cut out all hard feed and just feed good hay (of which there is plenty this year)instead. Your horse wont suffer for lack of energy either. Are your suplements really necessary. Maybe some time out on a very basic diet would be better.
 
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Why do you need chaff at all if you are feeding sugar beet (unmollassed I assume)? It has all the fibre and some protein and will easily mask any supplements you need to give. I knew someone who's horse was severely allergic to timothy (found out by skin patch testing) so use just one form of fibre etc before you begin adding other things?

ETA - grass nuts are fine to add to beet, my 34 yr old cushingoid lady had plenty with no ill effects, but they do get used to the taste of beet pulp eventually, it is just not what they have been used to. I use a tiny sprinkle of mix with it for a few days to bridge the gap.
 
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Marksway mollichaff calmer and mollichaff hoofkind are both alfalfa free. They are stocked in a decent number of feed shops so you can buy one bag at a time which is good if you are experimenting.
 
Thanks again for all the replies, I could do with cutting everything out for a while but am worried about stopping her probiotic due to previous colic operation. Through experimenting we've worked out that she does seem to prefer a chaff to the speedibeet. I've got samples of the grass nuts (JillA - good to know you find these OK with you cushingoid pony as hoping she will like these!) honey chop and waiting for a sample of the just chop. I think she may prefer the haysoft hay chaff though as I assume no oat straw in that - she always seems to leave the thicker pieces of oat straw!
Snopuma - please could you tell me if the haysoft hay chaff is equivalent to a meadow hay or is it richer like the readigrass etc which would be too rich for her with the cushings.
Thanks again!
 
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If you buy a ready made chaff, check ingredients. Some manufacturers add things to improve palatability etc and to get a base line for allergens you need to have one with no additives (or as little as possible). Do your feed merchants do chaff on its own, or how about Readigrass or one of the other grass products?
 
Hi JillA, the ones I have ordered samples of have no added ingredients, the just chop is oat straw and meadow hay only and the honey chop just oat straw. Shes been on dengie hi fi molasses free but that does have soya oil and alfa alfa so thats why I'm stopping that one. My feed merchants can order in the just chop and apparently local pets at home do honeychop - looking into the haysoft hay chaff aswell but not had a reply from haysoft as yet. Also got a sample of the ossichaff being sent which again is just meadow hay and oat straw. Forgot to mention on my previous post - yes her speedibeet is unmolasssed. Thanks for the replies.
 
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