Best feed company?

[IveRunOutOfNamesToThinkOf]

Just as the title says

I mainly used Thunderbrook but for many already discussed issues I moved away, have now moved back to them as my horses do love their feed and the customer services is massively improved since the previous problem has been removed

I’m still thinking is their a better alternative though? I know all the main brands but is there a smaller company? Is there anyone doing similar I could buy from?

 

[sunleychops]

All depends what you're looking for to be honest. In my opinion Baileys are the best one as they suit mine perfectly, Dengie are probably the best for dried forage.

Allen & Page have their intolerances range so probably best suited to horses with intolerances.

If your horse likes the feed, they look well and there is no problem - Why look to switch? If it isn't broken, don't try and fix it.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Just as the title says

I mainly used Thunderbrook but for many already discussed issues I moved away, have now moved back to them as my horses do love their feed and the customer services is massively improved since the previous problem has been removed

I’m still thinking is their a better alternative though? I know all the main brands but is there a smaller company? Is there anyone doing similar I could buy from?

1. My favourite is D&H and Simple Systems
2. D&H
3. Spillers for the ready grass
4. Grass nuts and hi fi.

 

[TPO]

Depends why you need to feed and what you are feeding for

I rate Dengie for forage (excluding Fat Cob who gets topspec zero) but use a mix of Charnwood, Keyflow, Baileys and spillers to meet other requirements. I also feed progressive earth pro balance, magnesium & salt.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I love Simple Systems - their products were great & customer service is faultless.

But my boy cant tolerate alfalfa so he's on Agrobs which so far, I'm really pleased with

 

[sbloom]

Agrobs, Pure Feed, Simple System...all overlap with what Thunderbrooks does, and then Forageplus, Progressive Earth (there are others) for iron free vit and min supplements and other more focused feeds.

 

[Fransurrey]

Agrobs is what most of TB is based on. I would try that.

 

[HollyWoozle]

As others have said I think it really depends on what you need to feed.

Spillers feeds suit ours fine (although our needs are quite basic to be fair) and in my experience their customer service is excellent. Have never had issues with any of their products and horses and ponies all in good form.

 

[Follysmum]

My top favs are
Progressive earth - pro balance
Northern crop driers - grass chaff/nuts
Emerald green feeds

 

[The Xmas Furry]

My go to in the last 3 years is Pure feeds, with some added TopSpec and Emerald green.

 

[GreyDot]

Just as the title says

I mainly used Thunderbrook but for many already discussed issues I moved away, have now moved back to them as my horses do love their feed and the customer services is massively improved since the previous problem has been removed

I’m still thinking is their a better alternative though? I know all the main brands but is there a smaller company? Is there anyone doing similar I could buy from?

Pure Feed for my in-work horse and my yearling , both lick the bowls clean, have plenty of energy and lovely coats. Used to be a total Baileys No. 19 fanatic but was put off by the 15% ash content.

 

[Squeak]

As others have said it depends what you're after. I really rate GWF as they're so in to their science and my horses have done really well on their feeds.

Category Page - Horse & Pony – GWF Nutrition

 

[ycbm]

If your horse likes the feed, they look well and there is no problem - Why look to switch? If it isn't broken, don't try and fix it.

Going to derail the thread now, but personally I would only feed stuff sold by a sexual predator if it was the last stuff on earth.
.

 

[ycbm]

In answer to the question my views on feeding have completely changed over the years. I now believe that most horses need nothing but forage, and most of the rest need nothing added but grass nuts, and some oil for the really poor doers. Plus vits and minerals if your forage is unbalanced or you soak it.
.

 

[TGM]

Used to be a total Baileys No. 19 fanatic but was put off by the 15% ash content.

You do realise that 'ash' is not added to the feed don't you? The ash content in the analysis actually shows the amount of minerals in a feed - it what is left of a feed after it has been heated to a very high temperature and all the organic matter has been burned off. And as No 19 is a balancer, and is designed to supply vit/mins in a concentrated amount of feed it is, therefore, going to be high in minerals and therefore have a high ash % in the analysis.

 

[CMcC]

Switched from Thunderbrook to Simple Systems and Agrobs

 

[lynz88]

I am experimenting with going back to some basics to an extent. Mine has been on the saracens competition mix and dengie hifi, micronized linseed, with a 50/50 mix of hay and haylage. Although it is the first time in his life that he has looked amazing in terms of weight and has actually built muscle (with the help of additional vit e which made a world of difference) it has come at a price in that I've had all sorts of weird things go on and I'm now wondering if it was the feed. I've switched him over to saracens high fibre and alfa a oil along with the linseed, hay/haylage mix, FP balancer (and have kept him on the vit e) and suddenly his coat is looking a lot deeper...goodbye ugly rusty coloured coat! So far so good though he brings a whole new meaning to "hard keeper".

Back home mine did well (although struggled with muscle but think some of that is down to EPM) and was kept barefoot - on basics - beet pulp, hi fat/fibre, and lots and lots of hay via a slow feeder (mine may be a skinny minny but he is also an absolute pig at heart).

Was chatting with my YO the other eve and we were talking about how he found it so much easier back in the day with feeds and he often wonders if it is worth just going back to basics instead of using all of these commercial mixes.

 

[PapaverFollis]

"Ugly rusty coloured coat"...

Get your forage analysed if you can. You may have high copper inhibition and need to be adding extra copper and zinc to the diet...
This was last summer, his summer coat came in like the 1st picture.


Images about a month apart, 2nd image 3 weeks into adding extra copper. I now have a recipe for forage balanced minerals from ForagePlus... this year he looks like this.

 

[lynz88]

PF - agree and mine is/was similar to what yours looked like. I had talked to FP and they had suggested their winter balancer and had said it could be high iron blocking zinc/copper uptake or a general zinc/copper deficiency. This was my first full year on chalk as opposed to clay and figured it was something to do with the livery/soil change. I saw some difference within 2 weeks of putting him on the winter hoof and skin, when I noticed that he suddenly had pigmentation back again around his lips. However, it hasn't been until I have switched his feed that I've really started to notice a difference.

(Sorry to hijack OP.....)

 

[PapaverFollis]

I think forage balancing is worth considering for anyone trying to determine the best feed company, so don't think it's a thread derail.

My go to company is now ForagePlus because of the crazy difference I saw. I've tried various base feeds for the ForagePlus minerals (changing mineral recipe slightly accordingly) and at the moment have Dengie healthy hooves as a base for one, and am trying Spillers speedy mash for this chap. I rate Dengie generally but we'll see how the Spillers works out. He chokes on anything that isn't a smooth mash, and my feed man only really does standard commercial feeds, so limited choices.

I decided to try some complete feeds as base just to boost their vitamin intake a bit. And so it's tasty enough for them to just effing eat up which was a problem on plain chaff and plain speedibeet. Still experimental so we'll see. But the mineral balancing and ForagePlus is the keystone for me.

 

[sunleychops]

Pure Feed for my in-work horse and my yearling , both lick the bowls clean, have plenty of energy and lovely coats. Used to be a total Baileys No. 19 fanatic but was put off by the 15% ash content.

Wait, you were put off a vit/min balancer having a high level of vit/mins?

 

[IveRunOutOfNamesToThinkOf]

Thank you for the suggestions, I’ll make some enquiries based on them