Alternatives to Pure Feeds

[TableDancer]

Anyone got any suggestions? Thinking of changing regime, I've been feeding PF for about 18 months and have been broadly happy. I like the all-in-one approach, so no messing about with chaffs etc, I like the fact you can switch between the feeds as needed according to workload etc, I like ordering in bulk on the internet. However, I don't find the customer service very good, my horses don't seem to find it as palatable as they used to - I'm having to add speedibeet for two otherwise they won't eat it - and the final straw is that I've just rung them to tell them that two bags in my most recent order were mouldy when opened and they told me because I hadn't informed them on delivery they weren't interested! As I order over 30 bags at a time, and one of their big selling points is the long use-by date (these bags are use by 10/13) this seems unreasonable - I can hardly open every bag on arrival!

So...Time for a change. Suggestions, folks? Most of you know our set up, but small yard of eventers, youngsters to Int. level...

 

[KatB]

Tbh, with the content of pure feeds you'd do as well to feed a good quality chaff or beet (unmolassed) and a good quality balancer with added oil. However, this doesn't provide a 1 bin covers all type type scenario! Winergy is the only other one I can think of that does....

 

[maxine1985]

Closest alternative would be Winergy, fantastic feeds all very low starch and sugar fibre based feeds

http://www.winergy.com/Products/

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

winergy for sure.

used to run both the boys on the condition and after a stint on saracen re-leve fig is now back on the condition as he gradually over time got stressy and upset and agitated on the re leve.

never had a bad bag and have always had decent customer service, prompt reply to emails etc.

considering the high energy as one option for CS as the condition no longer has enough DE to fuel the GP work.

 

[Freddie19]

Said it before and I will say it again...Rowan Barbary to on to their website, and you will see listed all their feeds, plus ingredients, for help ring and speak to Becky or just go on their face book page. Just, as I have said before, annoyed that we cannot get this feed in Northern Ireland!!

 

[MillionDollar]

I was also on PF, but switched as 2 of mine reacted to it (very scurfy skin). Mine are now on Hi-Fi Molasses Free with 365 Complete added and then I add oats to the one in work.

 

[kerilli]

I use Hi Fi Molasses free as a base (it has all sorts of nice stuff in, it isn't like normal bland Hi Fi) and Graze On or Readigrass, then add Baileys Stud Balancer, Alfa A, Conditioning cubes or whatever else I think they need.
I'm a new fan of Fast Fibre and Calm & Condition too, only have 1 who doesn't think these sloppy feeds are scrummy.
That's a shocking attitude from Pure Feeds. I tried them for a bit but went back to the above and am v v happy with how my lot look on it.

 

[TableDancer]

Thanks for the suggestions I am swaying towards trying Winergy, but any more ideas welcome

 

[LCH611]

Thunderbrook?

I must say though that I have always had really good customer service with PF. Is it possible that your sacks got damp? I don't think they have mould inhibitors in them, although mine have usually survived getting rained on when the delivery company leaves them on my front doorstep. Like you I have to say that the all-in-one approach works for me and it is bliss not to have to faff about mixing horse feeds as the crescendo from my hungry pigs thinking they should be fed first, is truly deafening and seconds saved make a real difference to my ear drums

 

[Sparkly Snowdrop]

I feed Simple Systems and am very happy with the quality of their feeds and the customer service I receive. Might be worth trying them.

 

[IncaCola]

I also tried pure feeds when they had a promotion a while ago, but also found it a bit unpalatable even for the greedy one and wasn't that wowed by energy levels/coat shine either. Like you i found that the last few bags i opened were in part mouldy, so i wasn't impressed even they had been stored in a dry barn From what i have heard it is a common problem and a bit of a worry that bags go mouldy well before expiry date. So i left. i did have an owners horse on the winnergy and i must admit had non of the above problems; very palatable and gave her good condition and shine plus never any mouldy bag. i did get it 2-3 bags at a time form the local feed store so probasbly worked out a bit more expensive. I have settled on alfa a oil or dengie molasses free as a base and add either high fibre cubes dodson and horrel stay power cubes and calm and condition if needed plus sure grow balancer and horses all looking great!

 

[TableDancer]

In fairness, I have now had a call from BBM (big boss man ) who has given me a credit on the two bags. We had a perfectly reasonable conversation about it and came to the conclusion they probably got wet in transit: I can't get a pallet through my feedroom door so although they are stored on a pallet, I have to unload and carry in by hand and restack, hence the ones that were on the top end up on the bottom and vice versa - he said normally if any get wet they are the first to be used so they don't get a chance to go mouldy...

So all fine, it's just that I can't help feeling (with my marketing hat on) that it has ended up as a lose lose situation: he has lost the money, and I'm left feeling a bit dissatisfied that I had to justify myself and, in effect, demonstrate as best I could that I am not lying! If I had a business like that I would train my staff that the customer is always right and, in such situations, would always offer an immediate refund in the first instance - obviously if someone kept coming back you would have to challenge their honesty or their storage methods!

So I'm still inclined to try an alternative to see if I'm missing anything, even if I go back to Pure...

 

[Llanali]

I'm another who operates a similar system to Kerilli and others, having tried Pure and it not being for me.

The base is AlfaA, with a broad spectrum vit and mineral. They then get oil, sugar beet (not speedibeet!) and A&P power and performance or Calm and Condition as needed. Seems to work for me and is relatively straight forward.

 

[kirstyhen]

I really liked PF, Mally liked it etc etc, but I found ordering it such a faff. I also like to be loyal to my local feed merchant as she is fabulous.
So I buy a bag of Readigrass, a bag of oats and a bag of Baileys Performance Balancer. Then I alter the quantities to suit what I want. Mally is a fat cow so she needs as little as possible, but she needs something to help with her energy, so this way I can cut the oats out on her days off, reduce the Readigrass when she's getting plenty of grass and I know that she's still getting everything she needs from the balancer.

Mally was on the PF Fibre Balancer, I looked at the ingredients and matched them as best I could.

 

[Jane_Lou]

We trialed PF but we don't have a lot of storage so it was proving expensive and I didn't see any improvement over how I was feeding. I feed Alfa A or Hi-Hi unmollassed according to workload and then balancer (Equilibria 500), linseed meal and Tiger Oats, again according to requirements. We add a bit of speedibeet which we upped in the winter. All are looking amazing and the coats on them are incredible. I know its not the one bin solution but I find it easy to adjust and very cost effective.