Cost of feeding!

Ladylina83 said:
Ah right well if you had asked " where can I get my feed from cheaper , I don't want to change anything "perhaps you would have got some very different answers.............................toddles off confused as to what on earth the point to life is
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Just read whole thread and read this just as I thought it.. lol :D

teasle said:
Oberon, please continue contributing, many others read the threads and benefit from your advise.
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This is very true.. if it didn't benefit the question asker I think at least it has a few others including me. Cheers!
 
tallyho! said:
Just read whole thread and read this just as I thought it.. lol :D
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Same as you, how to reduce feeding costs not how to source cheaper of the same. :confused:



This is very true.. if it didn't benefit the question asker I think at least it has a few others including me. Cheers![/QUOTE]


Totally agree. Please Oberon, stay and help us, at least we're grateful.
 
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Rosehip said:
What I was basically asking was can I buy X feed for £10 a bag instead of £11 a bag..... did that not come across?
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No, it didn't come across that way at all! Surely if you want to know where you can buy the same branded product cheaper, you first need to let us know how much you are paying per bag of feed or tub of supplement?
 
I feed my boy a bit less than ad lib haylage plus 3 hours grazing, the haylage is £10 per week, though I buy it through my YO, it is the standard charge round here.
Per day, my 15.00 gets 1. kg fast fibre mixed with Calm and Condition and 100-400gm of Mare and Youngstock, costing £10.50. £12.00 and £12.50 per 20 kgs respectively, plus 100 gm Linseed meal:
Total £1.00 per day
He gets some additives which add on 0.50 per day, the idea is to calm him and feed his feet, so I am still working on this, biotin and Steady up are quite expensive, but I save on shoeing bills [£450 per year]
I have one horse, can't afford any more, this is your basic problem I am afraid.
I too agree about feeding top quality, you could cut back costs by feeding Quick Beet, I did this from September to October when there was still some goodness in the grass, but you have to watch out for any signs of loss of condition, and for this reason I an sticking with the Branded feeds while my boy is in work.
I decided that FF was probably providing enough vits and mins for maintenance, so cut out the expensive Dengie Molasses free chaff which I feed in summer [when stabled for a few hours.]
I agree yours are getting too much for horses on maintenance, my horse gets more than he needs, but I like to see him "bursting" with health, if he was out of work, i would be happy to have him at a steady weigt [use a weight tape weekly.
My orthopedic consultant old me that it is no use eating glucosamine for my knee because there are few blood vessels in that area, so try to cut back on the joint supplements and substitute Linseed meal.
 
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I don't think you can cut the cost of your feeds, but I suppose you can ring around, more likely is to substitute your additives with straights [see barefoot horses posts] or Natural Horse Supplies.
If you can persuade a friend to pick up feeds this will save your own fuel costs!
I assume you rug them, this will save some energy, but good rugs cost over £50 and may not last one season.
 
MrsD123 said:
I feed my boy a bit less than ad lib haylage plus 3 hours grazing, the haylage is £10 per week, though I buy it through my YO, it is the standard charge round here.
Per day, my 15.00 gets 1. kg fast fibre mixed with Calm and Condition and 100-400gm of Mare and Youngstock, costing £10.50. £12.00 and £12.50 per 20 kgs respectively, plus 100 gm Linseed meal:
Total £1.00 per day
He gets some additives which add on 0.50 per day, the idea is to calm him and feed his feet, so I am still working on this, biotin and Steady up are quite expensive, but I save on shoeing bills [£450 per year]
I have one horse, can't afford any more, this is your basic problem I am afraid.
I too agree about feeding top quality, you could cut back costs by feeding Quick Beet, I did this from September to October when there was still some goodness in the grass, but you have to watch out for any signs of loss of condition, and for this reason I an sticking with the Branded feeds while my boy is in work.
I decided that FF was probably providing enough vits and mins for maintenance, so cut out the expensive Dengie Molasses free chaff which I feed in summer [when stabled for a few hours.]
I agree yours are getting too much for horses on maintenance, my horse gets more than he needs, but I like to see him "bursting" with health, if he was out of work, i would be happy to have him at a steady weight [use a weight tape weekly].
My orthopedic consultant told me that it is no use eating glucosamine for my knee because there are few blood vessels in that area, so try to cut back on the joint supplements and substitute Linseed meal.
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Wait till you hear this one:

TB (ex-racer) had recurring colic and is allergic to fructan (fixed by limited turnout Oct to Apr) and hay (eats horsehage)!!

Horse Hage Hi Fibre £7 per day x 7 days = £49 per week = £212 per month
Slobber Mash X 3 small feeds per day = 1 bag per week at £12.50 = £54 per month
Coligone Supplement x 1 tub per month @ £50 = £50 per month

Total feeding cost per month without livery, insurance, shaving, shoes etc = £316 per month (with the above other costs she sets me back £585 per month (husband doesnt know the extent of the cost of her thank God!!!!!!!!!

Luckliy she is worth it, and we are not having the stress of vets and colic.

The pony we have thank god lives on a handful of Happy Hoof and his hay is in with the livery.
 
Rosehip said:
I dont have an ebay account, and dont want one. I know that magnitude is magnesium - I feed that as a dual purpose, for weight loss and as a calmer.

Mobile Mover has added herbs in it as well as the devils claw. I give both no-bute and mobile mover as I dont want to over do melody on the additional herbs in the MM. Equivite Orig is ONLY fed to Melly, who DOES NOT have the nuts as she is LAMI.

Laminitis Prone - Yea-sacc and L-Glutamine do not work as effectively. I have tried.

Glucosamine. Melly on it - sound, Melly off it - lame. It works for us. I cannot feed linseed as she has LAMI.

With regards feeding the same things twice, please give an example?
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Oberon, Im sorry, but how does my reply (above) make you disgruntled? You broke down the supplements I am giving, and gave your explanation as to why they shouldnt be fed, and I replied with the reasons as to why I feed them.
I mearly explained that some of the alternatives you suggest cant be fed for one reason or another, and that I dont like ebay.....I cant see how I was rude to you at all?? Sharp maybe, and I appologise if I was, but Im being berated and made out to be an imbacile when Im not one.

Anyway, have fun picking me apart all of you, I wont be back.
Even when I clarify my initial post Im still being slated, so obviously the majority of you dont actually want to help, just give me your threpence worth as to why Im a shite owner.

Ladylina - wondering what the point of life is..... rather dramatic dont you think? Jeez!
 
Goodness sake.

I've read the whole thread and tbh there are some really good ideas/experiences offered and you seem to have came up with a reason to dismay all of them. The majorty of the feed and the supplements your giving all seem similiar if not the same, so you're basically paying alot for stuff you're already feeding.

Oh and somewhere you said you like to feed big feeds, I'm not sure if you're aware but 'little and often' is much more suited. The amount of people that feed absolute bucket loads is unreal.
 
Kirsty, I said I like to give a feed high in fibre to encourage chewing and help prevent ulcerrs. Very different to big feeds.

Marmalade, - another example of people not reading posts! Yes I feed that to a 12.2 LACTATING BROOD MARE. They have VERY different dietary requirements to the average bog pony.
 
Rosehip said:
Kirsty, I said I like to give a feed high in fibre to encourage chewing and help prevent ulcerrs. Very different to big feeds.

Marmalade, - another example of people not reading posts! Yes I feed that to a 12.2 LACTATING BROOD MARE. They have VERY different dietary requirements to the average bog pony.
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Yep, I read that. I know/have known a few folks who breed ponies, none of them fed anywhere near that much to pony broodmares.
 
They obviously are lucky enough not to have skinny bloody mares then! Jesus! I had a TB who did 2 years unrugged and unfed, someone on here feeds double to their freaking TB than I do to all 3 of mine!
Horses dont follow a flaming pattern, they are all individuals!

Im seriously getting fed up of defending my feeding! Come and see my horses, come and see how bloody good they look! I wanted a simple yes or no to a costing question, not vilification!!!!
 
ok i am here to be shot down

feed................dengie oil + mare and foal cubes for the mare and foal, hifi light for the lami

for supplements have you looked at feedmark

http://www.feedmark.com/quick-shop.asp

i have has a quick look
magnesuim works out at 12p a day, devils claw is 48p a day, multivit is 27p a day and glucosamine is 86p. if you order over £40 then you get £10 off on top. if you have more stuff to order split the order and get two lots of £10 off!

i order when i go to yhl or bughley for the year, normally works out at about £60 i make my own mix of brewers yeast, magnessium, multivit in the winter and rosehips.
 
Hollyandivy123 OP isn't keen on changing feeds although Your supplement suggestions are good - I rate feedmark.

OP Hay is high fiber and cheaper than bagged feeds, They will all survive on hay grass and water but I understand they may need a top up ! have any of yours shown previous signs of ulcers before - aloe vera juice is very good for this or you can grow it yourself an squeeze it into the feeds - I know from personal experiance it is yummy.


PS I know I am still going on about it but linseed sounds perfect to me for a skinny Lami brood mare Feed mark do that too, is really non of the advice in this thread any good ?? I'm not sure what you are so upset about, some really experianced people have spent time to reply to you. Although if you really have already tried every single one of these suggestions then there is no wonder you are fed up !! print them out sit down and go through them one by one before you dismiss them all we are not having a go at you for being wrong, all of what you feed is good but you are struggling to afford it - something needs to give !!
 
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Rosehip said:
Ive just worked out how much it is costing to feed the girls per week...and now Ive put the willies up myself good and proper!

I feed the following:-

Hi Fi Lite
D&H Mare&Youngstock
Spillers Horse&Pony nuts
A&P Fast Fibre

They are fed twice a day, and the amounts are:

Melly

1/2 kg Fast Fibre
2 scoops (600g) Hi Fi Lite

Seren

1/2 kg Fast Fibre
1 kg Mare&Ystock
1 scp (300g) Hi Fi Lite
1/2kg Horse&Pony nuts

Maisie

1/4kg Fast Fibre
1/4kg Mare&Ystock
1/4kg Horse&Pony nuts
(handful of Hifi Lite too)

In total that costs £2.10 a day = £14.70 a week

Then there are the supplements!

Glucosamine
Magnitude
Laminitis Prone
Equivite Origional
No Bute
Mobile Mover

A total of £2.49 a day = £17.43 a week. Grand total £32.13 a week!

I really cant afford to be spending that much when I only earn £80 a week, so have you guys got any idea how to make savings without compromising on quality?
I absolutely refuse to buy Pegasus nuts or mix (Made by spillers, their economy range) as I may as well feed floor sweepings, so I would rather be paying a little more for better quality stuff......

Sorry its so long!! x
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No problem: we think you are doing very well, we can make no suggestion as you are doing so well, but I would ask your employer to check on the Minimum wage!
 
If the mare has a 5 month foal at foot who is nearly as big as her dam I suggest you think about weaning. The foal is effect being fed twice.
I too cannot understand why you need to feed the amount of hard feed you are - unless you have no grazing. I have 3 broodmares, in foal for next year, with foals at foot, which are currently on grass only. In fact ALL of my horses are just on grass. They will have access to adlib haylage over the winter and the in foal mares will be given stud mix but apart from that nothing else. How on earth can you sustain a spend of over £30 weekly just on feed when you earn only £80 - what do you eat?!
 
ofcourseyoucan said:
good quality hay/haylage ad lib and water, and a bit of green stuff. dump the supplements, and go with veg/soya/corn oil as on offer in the supermarket. equivite if you feel the need to supplement. personally i would rather be well wormed. teeth done than fed in the bucket. let the pony baby grow as nature intended .. on long stem fibre.
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100% Agree! My 17h WB is on ad lib good quality haylege and for "dinner" she gets a dbl handfull of chaff, garlic and carrots. She looks great and has all the energy she needs, Obv if she starts to lose ill give her more. :)
 
belle31 said:
Wait till you hear this one:

TB (ex-racer) had recurring colic and is allergic to fructan (fixed by limited turnout Oct to Apr) and hay (eats horsehage)!!

Horse Hage Hi Fibre £7 per day x 7 days = £49 per week = £212 per month
Slobber Mash X 3 small feeds per day = 1 bag per week at £12.50 = £54 per month
Coligone Supplement x 1 tub per month @ £50 = £50 per month

Total feeding cost per month without livery, insurance, shaving, shoes etc = £316 per month (with the above other costs she sets me back £585 per month (husband doesnt know the extent of the cost of her thank God!!!!!!!!!

Luckliy she is worth it, and we are not having the stress of vets and colic.

The pony we have thank god lives on a handful of Happy Hoof and his hay is in with the livery.
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Def one to hide from the hubby!! lol :)
 
If all you're looking for is prices, we don't you just ring around all your local feed merchants? We get people price checking us from time to time, have no issue with it at all. You do of course have to factor in the distance you have to travel to get to various merchants... always a source of amusement to us in the shop, when someone will drive an extra ten miles to save 50p... the smart ones order from those who offer free delivery!
 
Can't comment on feeding broadmares as I've not idea, I have a lami with joint issues though. He gets haylage, grass and enough healthy hooves to mix in some flexi-joint (on the recommendation of my vet).

My poor doer IDxTB was on all sorts before I got him, all meant to keep the weight on etc etc, it didn't and he looked awful. Changed after taking some advice from here and alot of nerdy research to simple alpha-a and sugarbeet, now have a happy and I think healthy horse. For extra vitamins I like to use seaweed for both, cheap as chips. So cheers to all the folks who take the time to offer your advice, its appreciated :)
 
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