Choosing a feed? High protein, low starch

Fieldlife

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Choosing a feed? High protein, low starch.

Now I am not tied to part livery, I can chose my own feed.

My horse works hard, and I’d like something high protein, low starch and sugar, and not particularly processed.

Most of his calories will come from meadow hay / meadow grass. I’d like to top up the protein and have a tasty carrier for the power balancer and electrolyte.

He’s currently on Saracen’s Re-leve, readigrass, micronized linseed, linseed oil, forage plus balancer.

Ideally one feed that is palatable and will carry the powdered balancer, and salt and electrolytes:

Ideas



Things like sugarbeet / alfabeet don’t seem very palatable to him

Another option is a lower protein balancer, and to top up with Tri-amino acids?
 

milliepops

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I think i'd choose linseed over copra personally. but if fed in highish quantities both need to be balanced for calcium so you may need to consider sugarbeet/alfalfa anyway as an obvious pairing and/or limestone.

is there a reason why you're feeling that the protein needs upping?
 

Irish-Only

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After more years than I care to count and feeding allsorts, manufactured, mixing my own etc, I now refuse to be sucked in by all the different feeds and supplements that the manufacturers try to convince us we need and can't possibly survive without. Mine - soaked grassnuts and grass chop with an equine vit/min supplement that costs £50 for 25kg and lasts for months.
 

Fieldlife

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I think i'd choose linseed over copra personally. but if fed in highish quantities both need to be balanced for calcium so you may need to consider sugarbeet/alfalfa anyway as an obvious pairing and/or limestone.

is there a reason why you're feeling that the protein needs upping?

I dont think linseed alone as a straight is palatable enough as a carrier, and it is quite expensive.

I think it would be logical if have a fairly hard working, competing horse, to supplement protein to hay and grass. (I havent tested the protein levels of new yard hay, but I doubt if it is high?)

Current feed combination, supplements a fair bit of protein.
 

Fieldlife

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If your horse is ok with alfalfa , that would be my go-to. Alfa A with oil for extra oomph .

I have not fed him alfa before, and when I tried Alfa A oil for taste he wasnt very keen. It isnt really palatable enough to carry the electrolytes and bitter minerals.

I know alfa has mixed reviews for barefoot horses, and I would probably rather not.
 

Fieldlife

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After more years than I care to count and feeding allsorts, manufactured, mixing my own etc, I now refuse to be sucked in by all the different feeds and supplements that the manufacturers try to convince us we need and can't possibly survive without. Mine - soaked grassnuts and grass chop with an equine vit/min supplement that costs £50 for 25kg and lasts for months.

Yes, I am thinking I might try grass nuts and see if are tasty enough to carry the minerals and electrolytes.

https://emeraldgreenfeeds.co.uk/product/emerald-green-feeds-grass-pellets/ are high protein, and inexpensive, and the 10% sugar with 1.9% starch would be just about okay.
 

Leandy

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I used to feed my competition horses a balancer, naked oats, alfalfa chaff and haylage, so I would say naked oats.
 

Irish-Only

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Wheresthehoofpick

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After more years than I care to count and feeding allsorts, manufactured, mixing my own etc, I now refuse to be sucked in by all the different feeds and supplements that the manufacturers try to convince us we need and can't possibly survive without. Mine - soaked grassnuts and grass chop with an equine vit/min supplement that costs £50 for 25kg and lasts for months.
This is where I am ending up. Which supplement do you use?
 

HeyMich

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Bailey's Ease & Excel is high protein but low carbs (sugar and starch), and it does wonders for our skinny high-energy super-pony. It comes in a mixed feed (no 21) or a nut type feed (no 24) and you can either feed it wet or dry. Definitely one to consider.
 

criso

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But what % sugar are your farmers grass nuts, I want to know is 10% or lower sugar level?

The Emerald green is 10.9 sugar + 1.9 starch. The Dengie that I've also fed is a little more at 12 + 2, Readigrass 10- 12 so grass products generally are a little over.

I feed Copra which my fussy horse likes as long as it's mixed with a chaff, then Agrobs Musli for palatability and Emerald green Grasstastic to keep costs down as it's cheap.
 

GreyDot

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You could flip it a little and just go for a balancer like Baileys LoCal which ticks all the starch and protein boxes and would remove the need for adding 'bitter' minerals so it would be palatable.
 

I'm Dun

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I feed emerald green grass nuts, linseed and agrobs mash to mine. With a mineral balancer and electrolyte. In winter he gets vitamin e. Rather than look for a high protein feed where you don't know what sort of protein your getting Id be looking to add tri aminos or similar. They work out pretty economical and you know they will be exactly what they say. Anything with access to green growing grass wont need extra vitamin e or protein, compromised/PSSM horses aside.
 

milliepops

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You could flip it a little and just go for a balancer like Baileys LoCal which ticks all the starch and protein boxes and would remove the need for adding 'bitter' minerals so it would be palatable.
This is my approach for working horses. IIRC lysine is the limiting amino acid and that is found in reasonably high % in linseed and oats (and i think alfalfa to a degree) so i'd top up with those if needed, if wanting to avoid a commercial feed. but these days compound feeds are generally quite well formulated, it's vastly different to the days of sticky mixes and pony nuts.
 

marmalade88

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Generally I stick to a mix of my own straights. Linseed, rolled oats, and agrobs muesli as a carrier or a molasses free chaff. Possibly bran in winter. Depends on what hard work is, my definition is very different to most peoples. if they’re getting good forage and plenty of it just a handful of chaff with vitamins and minerals thrown in. I’ve used aviform for a few years because they don’t have bulk fillers.
 

Fieldlife

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Feeding plan for when move to living out

Emerald green grass nuts 300gms x 2
Agrobs Senior Musli 300gms x 2
Micronised linseed 300gms x 2
Forage Plus summer balancer (will have access to more grass)

Thinking
Grass nuts - good spec and cheap but average tastiness (need some bulk to help disguise minerals)
Agrobs Senior Musli – good spec, diverse, good protein, tasty
Micronised linseed (use to mix balancer into in pots before mixing into feeds, loads of benefits)
Forage Plus summer balancer (will have access to more grass than current)

In winter will add
  • Copra as needed
  • Linseed oil
  • Vitamin E

Will phase over last few weeks before move.
 
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