Alternatives to Hi Fi Lite

[superpony]

Having fed Dengie for nearly twenty years, I am looking to change as both of the last two bags have been off and my latest bag smells lovely but the horses won't eat it! I am unsure if it's because of how it has been stored at the feed merchants, if it is a bad batch or another reason but need them to be eating their feeds as the older boy has medication so need something different.

I am out of the loop having fed Dengie chop for so long. It needs to be something low energy, suitable for laminitics and not too pricy as I have three horses.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I am not going to recommend Honeychop because our latest bag of plain oat straw chaff smells as if it hasn't been dried properly. I gave them extra hay last night and will open the other bag tonight to see what that is like before speaking to the feed merchant.

 

[cauda equina]

Would grass nuts do instead of a chop?
Simple System Haycare is compressed Timothy with nothing added, is low in sugar and starch, soaks quickly to a mash and all mine love it

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I feed just grass chaff. Nothing added, just dried grass.

 

[brighteyes]

Depends on what you're feeding it for and to.

 

[Carrottom]

Mine started leaving the Hi fi so I stopped feeding it and just give fast fibre with a few hi fibre nuts mixed in.

 

[vmac66]

Give my mare hi fi molasses free, lower in starch and sugar than hi fi lite. It's the only chaff she will clean her bowl with.

 

[WispyBegs]

Spillers Fibrelite would be a suitable alternative, works well for my good doer

 

[spotty_pony]

Mollichaff molasses free? I currently feed Dengie Alfa A Original but thinking of changing now the spring is here as I do like the mollichaff range - and it must be nice to have a change of taste in the feed (obviously done gradually) from time to time. I also like the fact that mollichaff is a lot softer with my boy being older.

 

[rextherobber]

Honeychop lite & Healthy

 

[Ali27]

Simple systems Timothy chop

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Having fed Dengie for nearly twenty years, I am looking to change as both of the last two bags have been off and my latest bag smells lovely but the horses won't eat it! I am unsure if it's because of how it has been stored at the feed merchants, if it is a bad batch or another reason but need them to be eating their feeds as the older boy has medication so need something different.

I am out of the loop having fed Dengie chop for so long. It needs to be something low energy, suitable for laminitics and not too pricy as I have three horses.

Personally I prefer Fibergy.

Has a nice mint smell to it, and I started it when D and H said good for fussy horses, as my mare went off feed after hunting, they still love it today. I have Hifi lite for livery horses and the smell between
the two is obvious https://www.dodsonandhorrell.com/product/fibergy

I also have timothy chop but for winter but now weaning off and it is only a top up, and not fulfilling enough just giving them 1 scoop.

Oh and incidentally mine are laminitic and fine on Fibergy as it is safe as says on bag.




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[Limit]

Having fed Dengie for nearly twenty years, I am looking to change as both of the last two bags have been off and my latest bag smells lovely but the horses won't eat it! I am unsure if it's because of how it has been stored at the feed merchants, if it is a bad batch or another reason but need them to be eating their feeds as the older boy has medication so need something different.

I am out of the loop having fed Dengie chop for so long. It needs to be something low energy, suitable for laminitics and not too pricy as I have three horses.

Like you superpony I have also fed Dengie for may years. I have recently changed to Mole Valley Hi fibre lite chaff. My old mare and pony companion love it. The added bonus is it's more than £2.00 a bag less !

 

[Leandy]

I don't really get the obsession with low calorie feeds? What is wrong with grass and hay? Or even straw for v low cal. Both about as cheap as feed gets!

 

[Leandy]

In the olden days every yard had a chaff cutter and they just chopped the hay/straw themselves if they wanted chaff.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I just use grass chaff

 

[outdoor girl]

I had a bag of Hi Fi Lite which smelled different, as in much more mollasses and some funny little nut things in it too. I have a PPID/EMS horse so didn't want to feed it to her just in case it wasn't what was on the bag. I rang Dengie up and told them and they asked me if I would send them a sample, in the prepaid envelope they would send to me, and they would send me a voucher for a free bag. It turned out that the bag I'd bought did have more mollasses in it than it should have done, but it wasn't enough to have done any harm to my pony. They were so helpful and concerned and actually sent me 2 vouchers for free bags of Hi Fi Lite. It would be worth giving them a ring and having a chat.

 

[PeterNatt]

I have produced a chart of the numerous alternatives and if you send me an E-mail at peter.natt@btinternet.com I will send it to you.

 

[GoldenWillow]

If I want a low calorie feed I tend to use Top Chop Zero.

I don't really get the obsession with low calorie feeds? What is wrong with grass and hay? Or even straw for v low cal. Both about as cheap as feed gets!

I use one as a carrier for supplements that cob has. He doesn't need any "feed" as such.

 

[Nasicus]

In the olden days every yard had a chaff cutter and they just chopped the hay/straw themselves if they wanted chaff.

Sadly I lack both a chaff cutter and the patience to sit there with a pair of scissors and cut hay into chaff.

 

[Winters100]

I would suggest to contact the company. I had one bag which seemed fine, but none of mine would eat it. I contacted them to see if the composition had been changed, and they could not have been more helpful. They asked me to send a sample, but as I am abroad this was impractical, so they tested their retained samples. Although everything seemed fine the horses thought otherwise, and even though I had not requested any replacement they contacted my feed supplier directly to arrange a complimentary bag, which was happily eaten. I was extremely impressed with how they handled it, and to be honest this experience has made me more likely to stick with the brand as they are obviously quality focused.

 

[Ownedby4horses]

I’ve used Dengie (Meadow Grass with herbs) for as long as I can remember, I recently opened a new bag (with a best before/use by date of June 22) and it was much darker and smelt almost burnt, I contacted Dengie who couldn’t have been more concerned and helpful, I too couldn’t send a sample as I’m abroad, I sent photos showing the difference in colour, they retested the samples they keep themselves and confirmed it was ok to feed.

They asked for the details of the supplier I got it through and asked them to check all their stock was ok, I said I was reluctant to feed it, as it was so different to usual, they were brilliant, especially as I’m not in the UK. They spoke to my local feed supplier and organised a replacement bag at their other warehouse (the original supplier had opened their bags and they were the same brown colour with a burnt smell), I’ve had a couple of bags with a later use by date since and they’re fine.

I couldn’t fault their customer service and their genuine concern that I wasn’t happy with the product. I’ll Stay as a loyal customer to them as their customer service was fantastic.

I would definitely contact them and let them know, if you’re happy with the feed usually then it’s a shame to change it.