Best chaff/bulky feed to encourage weight gain?

CassTheCob

CassTheCob

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 August 2014
Messages
134
Visit site
Hello,
I recently got a little colt that came to me quite ribby. He's already on Baileys No.17 topline and condition mix, cold pressed linseed oil and coconut oil twice a day and he's also getting haylege. He was having some of the basic apple Mollichaff left over from my other horse, but I only have about two feeds worth of it left. As I'm trying to build up his condition, when I get some more feed in tomorrow I'd like to get something that will encourage weight gain. He's stabled 24/7 at the minute and gets a half an hour run about in the arena everyday when I muck out as the yard has nowhere for him to safely turnout (will hopefully be moving him to a small paddock next week). From experience, what is the best chaff for weight gain? If not, /any good very pulp for weight gain? Thanks!
 
That is quite a lot of food for an unexercised animal...

I'd be tempted to take it slower with mostly plenty of hayledge (will he ad lib sensibly?). He won't starve now and weight fluctuations can be too rushed.
 
If he isn't getting turnout yet I'd be sticking to as much forage as you can get into him.

How long have you had him? Have you seen any change since he arrived?

I'd be prioritising the turnout and trying to get that sorted ASAP. What will he have as company?
 
I would give ad lib hay, a good supplement and some unmolassed sugar beet to feed the supplement.
Has he had a worm egg count done? How old is he? Also could you post a piccy?
Unless he is really young I would not feed a hard feed, I would let the weight go on slowly from the most natural fibre you can give. Turn out and company would be top priority for me too, does the small paddock have grass, how big is it and how long will he be out for each day?
Unless he is exceptionally poor I would be getting him castrated asap too.
 
i don't think its judgey as a worry that introducing too much or too varied food to a young cob might cause issues. we get ribby rescue horses in her a good bit and once they are kept warm and their weight is heading the right direction then you are better taking it slow and letting the weight go on gradually. good quality hay is the best thing ever. if you were really worried about weight then something like equijewel is good. I'd keep them on adlib hay and stick it in a haynet to save wastage. i'd get him turned out if possible as its not great to keep a youngster in that much and he could stress of weight due to confinements worries and lack of other horse interaction. has a worm count been done as well?

In your boat i;d rather stick him out 24/7 with forage and a suitable rug and look at him again in spring.
 
Not judgy just trying to impart the benefit of their experience - I too would be going for a lot more forage and a lot less hard feed - exercise for a young horse is a must and an hour in a paddock is not really anywhere near enough - I would be looking around if I were you for a yard more suited to a youngster, in the meantime -can you add walking in hand for 1/2 hour, or some ground work in the school or even some loose schooling to burn off energy - as for the hay - yes it's ideal to feed from the floor if you can, but the reason he probably doesn't eat it all is because he is dragging it around into his bed, grab some large holed haynets and pack them full. If he were mine I'd be looking at something like a chaff ( I prefer to use a grass chaff and not something like molichaff or alfalfa) some linseed if condition is needed and some speedie beet, as he is a little poor I'd be investing in a good supplement - I like equimins and complimenting this will a LOT of forage.
 
yep you could be in trouble intenstinally if you feed a lot of hard feed or big quantities of feed. if you got a skinny child in you wouldn't make it sit down and big dinners with a load of high sugar high fat feed suddenly. getting weight on fast isn't a positive. you want the body to adjust and for the weight to go on gradually. we got coat racks in here and they go on equerry conditioning mash and ad lib hay until they can get turned out.
 
He was he was on two scoops of feed with last owner, just not sure what sort of feed it was. Have gradually been building up his feed as I didn't want to dump it all on him suddenly and possibly cause colic. He hasn't had much apple mollichaff as it isn't that nutritional so there was no point (originally was jus bought as a treat for my ish). He's been on a couple of handfuls of chaff, about 4/5 of a Stubbs scoop a day of Baileys17, two tbsp of coconut oil and 65ml of flax oil divided into two feeds a day (I like to have all my horses on the coconut oil and flax oil anyway for the safe energy and MCTs.) All the horses on the yard get hayed twice a day so he gets hay at the same time as the rest of them and gets a decent pile each time. Since the mollichaff has now run out I was leaning toward Alfa-a oil or a grass based unmollassed chaff (all mine are on chaff as have had too many close calls with choke) and possibly an unmollassed mash. Would just rather the chaff have some kind of nutritional value rather than just being a sugary filler!
 
I always up the hay first before bumping up bucket feed especially with a youngster doing nothing, but if I wanted to feed something I would feed graze on chaff it's just dried grass nothing added and unmolassed sugar beet with some micronised linseed or oil which you are already feeding.
 
Agrobs Aspero would be my choice as far as chaffs go; no rubbish in it and it has the same nutritional value as good hay. I feed it with unmolassed beet pulp and salt. Obviously the sooner he has proper turnout the better.
 
Have you tried balanced horse feeds show mix? Its a chaff based conditioning feed..2 small feeds and plenty of ad lib haylage sounds ideal ..show mix is fully balanced so no need for extra supplements.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top