Chaff free from molasses and alf-Alfa, any recommendations?

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TandD

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Can anyone recommend me a chaff or grass type chaff free from molasses and alf-Alfa?

Under veterinary guidance I am doing my best to remove molasses from my horses diet and put her on one similar to what a PSSM horse would be fed.

I feed her equifeast cool core already and she is going to start on their more muscle feed.

I require a fibre to put the equifeast in, she's not totally happy about the equifeast taste so gets a a whole scoop of molasses chaff atm, so need something relatively tasty to keep encouraging her to eat.

She is alf-Alfa intolerant (and I am intolerant of her when she's on Alfa!! ) so need a chaff/fibre free of this.
Would prefer not to soak but if there is a grass nut out there that's perfect I will!

Thank you for reading and any suggestions :)
 
Graze on? Simple systems timothy chop? Readigrass? Emerald green do a plain grass chaff? There are a few, just depends what your local feed merchants carry or will order in for you.
 
Micropony said:
Graze on? Simple systems timothy chop? Readigrass? Emerald green do a plain grass chaff? There are a few, just depends what your local feed merchants carry or will order in for you.
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as above. I tend to alternate between graze on and emerald green depending on what I can get at the time. My horses prefer the emerald green really, you can also buy pellets and soak them into a mash if you prefer.
 
I've got 2 PSSM horses and they're either on honeychop oat chaff or topchop zero - depends what's in stock.

Check the NSC levels of the various grass chaffs because some are surprisingly high. A lot of people say it doesn't matter as you're only giving a scoop, but if you have a symptomatic type 1 then it can really matter - the insulin spike post eating is an issue
 
Top Chop Zero is what I give to my two fatties (the others get Dengie Hi Fi). It is just chopped oat straw.
 
honey chop, country wide natural chaff. I avoid chopped dried grass as my mare gets sensitive feet on it, she is on restricted grazing and hay so it makes no sense to me to add grass to her diet in dried form.....
 
Ive been all around the houses trying to find a molasses and alfa free chaff (not easy!) I had mine on Top Chop Zero for a while but its terribly bland and it was hit and miss whether she would eat it. After a very informative meeting at Badminton with Michelle from Red Rufus (Agrobs) we are now on Agrobs green oats chaff (Grunhafer) and Alpengrun mash. So far so good. Its lovely quality, though not exactly cheap. But i dont mind the price as my horse has terrible tummy problems so i will do whatever i can to help her
 
I feed agrobs aspero because apparently that is nicer according to the pony, prior to that I fed D+H just grass.

I tried to steer away from some of the other brands that are ryegrass only given the current research on that.
 
I feed Thunderbrooks Healthy Herbal mixed with a plain oat straw chaff or Top Chop Zero. It seems to provide enough flavour so that it gets eaten but avoids alfalfa and molasses.
 
Thanks for your recommendations!

I've come down to 2 different feeds!

Dengie meadow grass: cheaper for me to feed but there's less recommendation for it

Argos aspero: pricier, but more of you seem to like it?

Can anyone help me decide? They both seem quite similar, I'm guessing the agrobs would be a higher quality?
I can get dengie more easily....
 
TandD said:
Thanks for your recommendations!

I've come down to 2 different feeds!

Dengie meadow grass: cheaper for me to feed but there's less recommendation for it

Argos aspero: pricier, but more of you seem to like it?

Can anyone help me decide? They both seem quite similar, I'm guessing the agrobs would be a higher quality?
I can get dengie more easily....
Click to expand...

The Aspero smells lovely, if that's any help? Mine all love it :) I buy it online via equisupermarket as they offer the best postage costs to NI. A 20kg bale lasts me about six weeks between two horses and a companion pony.
 
I think the Dengie grass stuff is a fairly new addition to their range so possibly not a lot of people have tried it yet. Friend was looking around recently as her horse is a poor doer and costs a fortune to feed, and their grass nuts seem to be cheaper than other brands weight for weight. If you're after a chaff to feed alongside other stuff rather than using it as the main feed in itself I am not sure I would pay the premium for the agrobs, especially if it's going to be difficult to get hold of. Another friend uses it and rates it highly, but has ended up having to buy it by the pallet in order to secure a reliable supply.
 
TandD said:
Thanks for your recommendations!

I've come down to 2 different feeds!

Dengie meadow grass: cheaper for me to feed but there's less recommendation for it

Argos aspero: pricier, but more of you seem to like it?

Can anyone help me decide? They both seem quite similar, I'm guessing the agrobs would be a higher quality?
I can get dengie more easily....
Click to expand...

Mine love the Dengie meadow grass. I have two good doers on it in winter. One of then has ulcers so he has a big chaff bucket for breakfast in winter and it doesn't but weight on.

Mine didn't like the sample if agorbs I got so I've just stuck with the Dengie.
Both are on the pssm diet as event though type one negative they go better with the vit e and alcar
 
The dengie has 12% sugar I believe, which would be a bit high for my PSSM horse unless only fed in tiny quantities. I think the agrobs one is around 8% but not totally sure. Do you need to be very strict on sugar levels?
 
Last edited:
TandD said:
Can anyone recommend me a chaff or grass type chaff free from molasses and alf-Alfa?

Under veterinary guidance I am doing my best to remove molasses from my horses diet and put her on one similar to what a PSSM horse would be fed.

I feed her equifeast cool core already and she is going to start on their more muscle feed.

I require a fibre to put the equifeast in, she's not totally happy about the equifeast taste so gets a a whole scoop of molasses chaff atm, so need something relatively tasty to keep encouraging her to eat.

She is alf-Alfa intolerant (and I am intolerant of her when she's on Alfa!! ) so need a chaff/fibre free of this.
Would prefer not to soak but if there is a grass nut out there that's perfect I will!

Thank you for reading and any suggestions :)
Click to expand...

Top Chop http://www.topspec.com/products/topchop-zero/
 
Dengie is new, I'd give that a go but prefer the lower energy content of the agrobs as mine is now dossing. But you don't feed much kilo wise so it's not a huge concern. My main issue is he has to have his supplements so if feeding him more expensive European grass works I stick with it ;)
 
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