Cheaper feed

Leam_Carrie

Leam_Carrie

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This maybe a silly question but went to feed merchant earlier and picked up for others on the yard, as well as mine. They just asked for the cheapest of everything (nuts, mix, apple chaff) while I got mine alpha-a chaff and topspec conditioning cubes - and realised I got two bags for the same as their four. I then wondered if I had fallen for marketing or if the feed I buy is twice as good... any thoughts?
 
Just wonder if its a case of what you put in you get out? Not a feed snob but wonder, is it chopped as fine, are the nuts molasses as it cheaper?
 
Topspec conditioning cubes - 14.5% protein and 15% fibre
Heygate pony nuts - 11% protein and 19% fibre (small amount of molasses for palatability)

Not the same thing, but interesting. Clearly I need to learn more about protein v fibre etc.
 
when I used to feed fibre cube I tried the cheaper ones, yard managers advise and I felt thoroughly ripped off, the last bit at the bottom of the bag was pure dust, so even though they were a couple of quid cheaper I got less for my money! would rather go for a more expensive brand after that!
 
Interesting.... I allways got baileys cond cubes and Alfa a oil. Then one week there was no baileys in feed store, it was in that snow bad weather. So I got the stores own brand conditioning cubes, then I compared the nutrition advice, and the own brand was not much less, only about 1.5% less in value, so now I get two own brands for same price of one baileys.
 
There are lots of factors to take into consideration - for example, the weight of the bag (chaffs particularly vary from 12.5kg up to 20kg) and the MJDE/kg or calorie content (a cheap own brand nut may only have 8 MJDE/kg whereas a branded conditioning cube may be as high as 13.5). You also have to take into account the horse, it's individual requirements and what you are feeding for. The cheaper feeds may be fine for some horses, but others may need more specialist feeds they may be more expensive.
 
Some of the 'own brand' nuts and mixes will be made by the big names for the store or company concerned so there won't be a huge difference in the quality or feed value. Cheaper because they can produce it in large quantities and the packaging will also be plainer.
 
I have found I feed a lot less of some of the more expensive feeds than I had to feed of the cheaper ones. Horses for courses I guess! Several of mine have very specific feed requirements which are not covered by own brand feeds. The other thing to remember is quality control, a lot of the branded feeds are guaranteed free from certain things, which for competition purposes can be quite important.
 
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