Do You Have to Feed Chaff?

[lucemoose]

Hiya, posted a little while ago about what kinda of alfalfa chaff to feed, and as my alfa oil is running out I am moving him onto alfa nuts (dengie). I know that with most molassed straw based chaffs they are used as a filler and to stop horses bolting their meals, but does not feeding a short chop affect a horse at all? Digestion wise? I guess its just because nuts look so different to chaff!
Bearing in mind he is the slowest eater (aside from myself!) ever know, so no damage will be done by him wolfing his dinner down, he as practically ad-lib hay and he is out all day. So now hes on soaked oats aaaaaaand soaked alfa nuts..
Thank you, sorry for being such a nit picker!

 

[Scarlett1980]

No so long as he is getting plenty of fibre (over 70% of his total intake) you don't have to feed a chaff.

However some feeds contain short chpped fibre because they have particular benefits that you can't get from a cube as by blending the fibre up into a cube you are changing it's digestive effects.

If your horse is looking well, has enough evrgy and eating fine I think he will be ok without any chaff.

If you would like to feed a high fibre feed you should look at the new winergy equilibrium ones. I spoke to them at Burghley and they put me on a trial completely for free. The feed are brilliant. If you email winergy.equilibrium@effem-equine.com they will do you a diet for your boy and give really good non-biased advice.

Hope that helps! x

 

[loobylu]

I didn't feed my old mare chaff of anysort as she was an incredibly slow eater aswell as being picky. She did have a huge rack of haylage at night and was turned out during the day.

 

[Tia]

Over here chaff is totally frowned upon - most believe it is the floor scrapings from hay barns.....

Hence we don't have chaff over here. I feed a similar feed to you and so long as the horse has plenty of hay then no there is no reason whatsoever to feed chaff.

 

[Judie]

I don't feed it, can't see the point, my horse has good quality haylage so there is no need for extra fibre, he enjoys his hard feed for what it is, 'a hard feed'.

It makes such a bloody mess aswell

 

[amandaco2]

as long as they are fed adlib forage no.
mine dont get it anymore as we dont have the space to store it.
they just get a stud balancer and ad lib forage.

 

[barkinghorse]

I feed Alfa as it bulks his feed out and slows him down, no other reason, he has good quality haylage ad lib so get plenty of fibre.
Jo

 

[WishfulThinker]

I feed chaff as cant feed mix. But some days he does just get Sugar beet and balancer, going by what his poos have been like.
HE just gets grass when he is out (duh) and haylege when he is in.

 

[lucemoose]

Thank you everyone, so helpful ..Cheers!!