Chaff-type feeds - necessary?

[JenJ]

Just wondering about whether or not chaff is actually necessary or just an accepted feeding convention?

Every yard I've been on in the last 20 odd years has fed it as routine, usually with the normal mix/nuts and beet, but what purpose does it serve?

My ex-racer was getting a scoop of alfa a oil, but kept dunking his food in his water bucket and took about an hour to eat. I've cut that down now to a small halfish scoop and he seems to enjoy his feed better but I'm wondering whether to ditch it completely? The new girl I'm looking at buying is currently on just a mix and beet.

Both are out mostly, and when in they have ad lib haylage, so have plenty of forage throughout the day. The mixes are marketed as 'complete feed' so I don't think the alfa a/chaff/hi fi would add any missing nutrients?

Waste of money?

 

[webble]

I think of it as just being a filler really, I dont feed it

 

[L&M]

To stop horses bolting their food, especially useful for horses prone to choke....and a good way to increase fibre intake.

 

[TGM]

Useful for greedy types but I don't use it for fussy feeders or slow eaters. I don't think a handful or two of chaff in each feed makes a huge difference to the overall fibre levels if you give adlib forage!

 

[Loubidy]

I think its too slow them down when they're eating concentrates?

 

[JenJ]

That pretty much confirmed what I was thinking, thanks all! As I apparently have the world slowest eater, I'm not going to replace the alfa a once the last few handfuls have gone.

 

[Cragrat]

I had exactly the same thought a while ago. They get ad-lib hay, so what on earth was I paying for bags of chopped hay for?

For about 2 years, they have had UMSB, copra, linseed, minerals, and oats if working hard enough to need them. Droppings still a good consistency, no undigested food.

The only time I had a horse choke it was on well dampened molliechop

 

[criso]

I've had to start using it with one fussy horse that doesn't like the texture of feeds without it but wouldn't otherwise.

 

[GinaGeo]

Chaff in a feed, makes them chew more. This stimulates the production if saliva, which aids digestion. Horses don't produce saliva all the time, unlike us. So yes, the alfalfa you're feeding at present serves a purpose

 

[maccachic]

Chaff in a feed, makes them chew more. This stimulates the production if saliva, which aids digestion. Horses don't produce saliva all the time, unlike us. So yes, the alfalfa you're feeding at present serves a purpose

This.

Saliva also help buffer stomach acid.

There is research that adding chaff to feeds increases digestibility of the entire feed.

 

[lynsey1808]

Also alfalfa is conditioning in its own right so if you drop it you will lose some calorific value. Mollichaff is chopped straw so has limited nutritional value but this is not the case for products containing alfalfa

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

I feed my 20 yr old A&P Calm & Condition and oats. Sometimes I put too much water in so put a handful of unmolassed chaff in to soak up excess moisture. I have found that he takes much longer to eat his food if chaff is in it.

 

[ellie11987]

I fed chaff for years as it was the accepted norm - beet, chaff and nuts. Then I got a TB and realised it had absolutely no nutritional benefits and I was wasting my money. She just gets speedibeet, linseed, oats and supps now. She's happy to eat it even if I get funny looks of people for feeding her ''slop''.

 

[Maesfen]

Not at all necessary unless you have a food bolter and if I do, I put bricks in the manger so they have to work for it which makes them slower. Juste a waste of money IMO providing the horse is getting enough forage anyway.

 

[maccachic]

Bricks wont slow down the chewing process this is what gives you increased nutritional value.

 

[wench]

Mainly a waste of time.