Different Types of Straw - Lots of Q's!

[CobsGalore]

Can anyone tell me about the different types of straw?

How would I tell which straw my yard uses?

Are certain types better than others for horses that like to have a little nibble on their bed?

Will any of the straw types put weight on a horse if they were to eat it regularly?

Is there a risk of colic even if they only eat a small amount? What if they eat a larger amount but their tummies are used to it?

 

[Orangehorse]

Like any feed, a horse can gradually get used to eating straw, but it has to be introduced carefully, so they don't gorge themselves and end up with impactation colic, which can happen. Lots of fibre feeds are based on chopped straw. Mine are bedded on good clean wheat straw and they definitely eat it but since they are used to it they come to no harm. They also have plenty of hay, so are not short of fibre. I supposed if I really wanted to slim them down they would have to go onto shavings.

So wheat straw is generally regarded as for bedding. Oat straw is usually regarded as feeding straw and is probably what is in manufactured fibre feeds. It would be softer than wheat straw. Barley straw is somewhere in between. It is not generally regarded as so suitable for horses, although mine have both eaten it when mixed with hay, and had it in their stables. Cattle are often feed barley straw as their only fibre feed.

As always, it is important for bedding and feed that it was baled when really dry and is nice clean straw with no dust or mould.

As for telling what sort - take a close look at the heads of the straw. It is often difficult to tell the difference between barley and wheat, although barley would be softer. Oat straw is softer again. Oat would be the most expensive to buy and wheat the cheapest.

 

[Polos Mum]

Common ones are oat, barley, wheat - if you can find some in the bed with the grains/ seed head still on it'll help you identify which (google pictures) or ask your YO.

Oat is softest so digested most easily - hence most popular for feeding horses - also rarest as it breaks down easily in the soil farmers just plough it in after harvest as free fertiliser
Barley better then wheat - least popular as feed.

There are still calories in it so yep - if enough is eaten - weight will go on (I've heard vets recommend soaked straw for bad lami cases)

There is a colic risk - but IMHO not massive if introduced slowly and lots of access to water (mine drink loads when given new straw beds - which they scoff!)
Horses have been bedded on straw for a very long time and I'd be sure eating it for all that time too.

My big horse loves it and will eat it in the field over picking at short grass!

 

[CobsGalore]

Thanks.

I will take a look at the seed heads tonight and try and work out what type of straw it is

 

[putasocinit]

barley is golden, oat is very pale almost cream and wheat is yellow. Wheat has the lowest water absorbancy, then barley then oat for max absorbancy.