Economical feeds

[J&S]

I have just switched to more economical nuts and molasses free chaff. They will have hay 2 x a day untill the grass comes back. I may go back to better quality feed next winter. The feed I was giving them had increased in price enormously since a year ago, this new feed saves me £5.00 per bag. Quite frankly the native pony needs really very little but the veteran mare needs propping up a bit.

 

[I'm Dun]

Sensicare is a complete feed so adding/also feeding pink mash, beet, alfa and minerals is a lot of money for no reason.

Sensicare isn't cheap so if it's not doing what it should/isn't being fed at the correct levels to do what it should then getting rid of that is a big saving.

When I did a spreadsheet for my feeding seniscare came out the most expensive and there are cheaper ways to feed its ingredients of rice bran, omega oils, fibre and minerals. That was for a 16.3hh standard bred.

The pink Mash and sensicare feeds seems overkill alongside beet/alfa/self mixed minerals. So ditching them saves you straight away.

If you're looking for a complete feed Qllen and page Soothe and Gain ticks the boxes but is cheaper than sensicare. It gets fed as a mash so you are only feeding it and not everything else you've listed. I bung in some salt and a single handful of grass chaff. Its £15 a bag so much cheaper and simpler than the little bit of everything approach

Sensi care is designed to be fed alongside pink mash to add calories. Thats his feed. The sugarbeet etc is fed in a huge bucket he picks at during the day. I class that as part of his forage. I dont want to feed a complete feed, and when I looked the ingredients in soothe and gain werent great, sugar beet, linseed and fillers I think. It would definitely work out cheaper to feed beet and linseed over that. Same with the sensi care. Easy to feed but not the cheapest way to feed the ingredients that do anything.

I absolutely wont be ditching the minerals. Hes a barefoot TB and I've worked very hard to get his sick compromised feet into decent shape. The mineral profile of almost all complete feeds isnt the best for hoof health. With good feet you can get away with it, but he had such awful feet and the difference was so dramatic, that for the small cost its not worth it.

I know what parts of his feed I will look to change so wasnt posting to ask for advice on that, but thank you all anyway I was just curious to see if other people were making changes with the current state of affairs. I've spent £130 on fuel in a week which was painful and made me think about just how expensive towing is going to be, and how much hay etc is going to go up.

 

[I'm Dun]

Sensicare is a complete feed so adding/also feeding pink mash, beet, alfa and minerals is a lot of money for no reason.

Sensicare isn't cheap so if it's not doing what it should/isn't being fed at the correct levels to do what it should then getting rid of that is a big saving.

When I did a spreadsheet for my feeding seniscare came out the most expensive and there are cheaper ways to feed its ingredients of rice bran, omega oils, fibre and minerals. That was for a 16.3hh standard bred.

The pink Mash and sensicare feeds seems overkill alongside beet/alfa/self mixed minerals. So ditching them saves you straight away.

If you're looking for a complete feed Qllen and page Soothe and Gain ticks the boxes but is cheaper than sensicare. It gets fed as a mash so you are only feeding it and not everything else you've listed. I bung in some salt and a single handful of grass chaff. Its £15 a bag so much cheaper and simpler than the little bit of everything approach

Sensi care is designed to be fed alongside pink mash to add calories. Thats his feed. The sugarbeet etc is fed in a huge bucket he picks at during the day. I class that as part of his forage. I dont want to feed a complete feed, and when I looked the ingredients in soothe and gain werent great, sugar beet, linseed and fillers I think. It would definitely work out cheaper to feed beet and linseed over that. Same with the sensi care. Easy to feed but not the cheapest way to feed the ingredients that do anything.

I absolutely wont be ditching the minerals. Hes a barefoot TB and I've worked very hard to get his sick compromised feet into decent shape. The mineral profile of almost all complete feeds isnt the best for hoof health. With good feet you can get away with it, but he had such awful feet and the difference was so dramatic, that for the small cost its not worth it.

I know what parts of his feed I will look to change so wasnt posting to ask for advice on that, but thank you all anyway I was just curious to see if other people were making changes with the current state of affairs. I've spent £130 on fuel in a week which was painful and made me think about just how expensive towing is going to be, and how much hay etc is going to go up.

 

[I'm Dun]

Quite frankly the native pony needs really very little but the veteran mare needs propping up a bit.

The native pony and the cob get a tiny handful of sugarbeet and a dusting of alfa a in a couple of litres of water to make soup. They only get that to make my life easier at feed time.

 

[milliepops]

which spillers balancer do you use please? Have always not used them because £££ but feel like probably ought to....??

(I'm Dun not trying to jump on/derail your thread sorry.)

I just use the spillers daily balancer. No iron and an OK spec for the price

 

[TPO]

when I looked the ingredients in soothe and gain werent great, sugar beet, linseed and fillers I think.

There's not a huge difference between sensicare and soothe and gain; mainly the rice bran. Soothe & Gain is higher Mj/kg too if feeding for condition.

Pink Mash is lower calorie than unmolassed beet too.

I'm not saying to ditch the minerals, and I've had barefoot TBs for years, but it doesn’t make sense what you've written about feeding a complete feed and also the mineral alongside lots of other feed.

You said in your OP that you are "going to have a feed rethink" so that's a cheaper option thats more conditioning for a "poor doer" and doesn't need fed alongside anything else making it cheaper still. Apologies for misinterpreting your post/point of thread

 

[paddy555]

I was just curious to see if other people were making changes with the current state of affairs.
.

to answer your question then no, none.

 

[[153312]]

If you're really worried about costs, think quite hard about why you feed pink mash/sensi care and go for either alfa a OR grass chaff - not both. Sensi care isn't very calorific really, by comparison extruded rice bran is 15-16mJ/kg and linseed is ~20-22mJ/kg.
Sensi care is quite high in starch for something that's previously had dodgy feet as well . (That's why I feed micronised linseed not rice bran, rice is starchy/sugary).

So if he was mine I'd go for alfa a oil or grass chaff + linseed + sugar beet + minerals (+ hay obviously).

ETA nb not trying to lecture just brainstorming ideas.

 

[Ratface]

Old Horse (30) is on ad-lib hay from our own old ley pasture. A full barley straw-bedded large box with ample ventilation from back and front, and a few tiles above . .
He's out with his herd on well-managed old pasture, poo-picked every day. Acceptable weather he's out 9-10 hrs a day, in at night. Pouring rain/driving snow, they're out until they hang round their gates and look gloomy.
He has two token bucket feeds a day. Soaked sugar beet, linseed, a handful of homemade chaff, TopSpec Anti-Lam, grass nuts and a whole carrot.
He has ad lib, double netted hay, fresh water 24/7.
He's still up for a go round the lanes, fields, tracks and school. Haven't done much for a couple of months as I've been ill, but now getting better, so bring on slightly quieter weather!

 

[I'm Dun]

If you're really worried about costs, think quite hard about why you feed pink mash/sensi care and go for either alfa a OR grass chaff - not both. Sensi care isn't very calorific really, by comparison extruded rice bran is 15-16mJ/kg and linseed is ~20-22mJ/kg.
Sensi care is quite high in starch for something that's previously had dodgy feet as well . (That's why I feed micronised linseed not rice bran, rice is starchy/sugary).

So if he was mine I'd go for alfa a oil or grass chaff + linseed + sugar beet + minerals (+ hay obviously).

ETA nb not trying to lecture just brainstorming ideas.

I'm not worried really, I'm lucky to be able to live very cheaply and have gone from 3 horses to 1. But I'm going back to livery so my hay costs will go up as I cant buy a barns worth at a time, and they are going to be up signifcantly again from next autumn and I'd rather spend more on better quality hay than feed.

And just to be even more awkward, I feed the grass chaff with the alfa a as too much alfa a and he gets a bit scatty and silly, and too much plain beet and he leaves loads. But yes, thats what I intend to do. Drop the pink mash and sensi care and add linseed and rice bran to his beet and chaff mix.

 

[[153312]]

I'm not worried really, I'm lucky to be able to live very cheaply and have gone from 3 horses to 1. But I'm going back to livery so my hay costs will go up as I cant buy a barns worth at a time, and they are going to be up signifcantly again from next autumn and I'd rather spend more on better quality hay than feed.

And just to be even more awkward, I feed the grass chaff with the alfa a as too much alfa a and he gets a bit scatty and silly, and too much plain beet and he leaves loads. But yes, thats what I intend to do. Drop the pink mash and sensi care and add linseed and rice bran to his beet and chaff mix.

to pick holes even more in your plan: why linseed AND rice bran, rather than one or the other?

(Is it obvious I hugely overthink feeds all the time? )

 

[I'm Dun]

to pick holes even more in your plan: why linseed AND rice bran, rather than one or the other?

(Is it obvious I hugely overthink feeds all the time? )

I can feed linseed and then top dress with rice bran to match his workload. Hes looking really good at the minute and hasnt had the big buckets of beet and chaff since we came out of the depths of winter, so given hes going somewhere with much better grazing I might not need to feed very much of either next winter.

I'm a feeder so I also like to overthink feed I love having a poor doer and being able to feed him after years of chubby cobs and endless diets!

 

[ycbm]

I love having a poor doer and being able to feed him after years of chubby cobs and endless diets!

I'm with you there!

I don't think this is necessarily right for your horse, ID, but in case others are interested, there a brand of cheap nuts called Harlequin made by Lea Oakes (quality manufacturer) that put a ton of weight on my slim Standiex, I think because they are made out of the linseed that's left after they extract the oil. Sadly for me, the linseed set my guy off temperamentally, but for horses that can take linseed they seem a very cheap complete feed if you can get them.
.

 

[[153312]]

I'm with you there!

I don't think this is necessarily right for your horse, ID, but in case others are interested, there a brand of cheap nuts called Harlequin made by Lea Oakes (quality manufacturer) that put a ton of weight on my slim Standiex, I think because they are made out of the linseed that's left after they extract the oil. Sadly for me, the linseed set my guy off temperamentally, but for horses that can take linseed they seem a very cheap complete feed if you can get them.
.

Do you have a link please, they sound like an option for getting linseed down the old Shetland ?

 

[scats]

I recently switched to a lesser known fibre cube for simply chucking a cupful in their treat balls overnight. Only a few pound saved, but seemed daft to pay extra when I’m simply looking for something to amuse them, rather than for any nutritional benefit.

 

[SEL]

I recently switched to a lesser known fibre cube for simply chucking a cupful in their treat balls overnight. Only a few pound saved, but seemed daft to pay extra when I’m simply looking for something to amuse them, rather than for any nutritional benefit.

I use pony nuts from the local feed place. The pony on pen rest seems to lose most of the nuts from her treat ball to the pheasants so I'm not paying £££ to feed them!!!

 

[Squeak]

Out of interest, those who are feeding grass or alfalfa nuts are you soaking them?

At the moment I’m soaking them and half a dried scoop of nuts soaked makes three decent sized feeds. I tried upping it but he wasn’t finishing his feeds so I have no idea how I’d manage a scoop per feed.

 

[ycbm]

Out of interest, those who are feeding grass or alfalfa nuts are you soaking them?

At the moment I’m soaking them and half a dried scoop of nuts soaked makes three decent sized feeds. I tried upping it but he wasn’t finishing his feeds so I have no idea how I’d manage a scoop per feed.

I made a huge mistake the other week and didn't soak the Dengie grass nuts I put in Joe's bucket. I'm quite glad I wasn't there to see it, but when I went back out later he had clearly choked and there was slime quite literally all over his stable. The poor boy must have been in a lot of distress. Now, I soak half a kilo very wet, and then mix another kilo into the sloppy stuff immediately before feeding, and that's working well (ETA this is Ludo's feed, not Joe's).

 

[AdorableAlice]

Out of interest, those who are feeding grass or alfalfa nuts are you soaking them?

At the moment I’m soaking them and half a dried scoop of nuts soaked makes three decent sized feeds. I tried upping it but he wasn’t finishing his feeds so I have no idea how I’d manage a scoop per feed.

I soak one stubbs scoop of grass nuts in a large water bucket, it makes a thick gloop. That bucket of gloop will feed a 17h HW and 15.2 small hunter, 2 feeds a day for 2 days. I add half a cup of linseed once a day and a handful of reddi grass to it and opti gain balancer. They both look superb, neither are exactly busy though.

I would never feed grass nuts dry in a bucket given what they expand to when soaked.

 

[paddy555]

there is a note on the Dengie site to soak the grass pellets.
I always soak all nuts (any make, any description) because of the risk of choke.

 

[ycbm]

there is a note on the Dengie site to soak the grass pellets.
I always soak all nuts (any make, any description) because of the risk of choke.

I knew, I'm ashamed of myself. I just thought he'd be OK with the small amount he had that night. I got it so wrong ?

 

[AdorableAlice]

I knew, I'm ashamed of myself. I just thought he'd be OK with the small amount he had that night. I got it so wrong ?

If he hadn't scoffed them too quickly he probably would have been ok. Some horses are their own worst enemy when it comes to food. Ted the Twit gets very excited when the feed round starts, yet eats very slowly and calmly, always the last to finish despite having the least in his bucket. I had a Welsh D that would open his jaws like a basking whale and scoop the lot up in one go and swallow, not chewing or breathing. He choked for fun and I had to adapt his way of feeding drastically, which was a pain as he was a poor doing hunter and needed plenty of grub.

 

[paddy555]

I knew, I'm ashamed of myself. I just thought he'd be OK with the small amount he had that night. I got it so wrong ?

not in any way getting at you. just put it was advised by Dengie just in case anyone was wondering if there were guidelines. I know how terrifying it is to see a horse choking. Glad he got away with it.

 

[spotty_pony]

I haven’t considered it yet. Having gone from feeding three last year to just the one this year I have already drastically reduced my feed bill. I like to feed the best feed I can afford anyway and in the winter I find that Dengie Alfa-beet is a great feed which works out quite well economically as it seems to really go a long way - I’ve used just two bags all winter and haven’t even finished my second bag and have stopped feeding it now with the spring grass coming through!

 

[ycbm]

not in any way getting at you. just put it was advised by Dengie just in case anyone was wondering if there were guidelines. I know how terrifying it is to see a horse choking. Glad he got away with it.

It's OK Paddy, I didn't think you were, I was confessing my guilt. I can't believe I knew and thought it would be OK. I was so ashamed of myself when I saw the result. If it has been red not green you would have thought the stable was the scene of a violent murder ?
.

 

[Zuzan]

I made a huge mistake the other week and didn't soak the Dengie grass nuts I put in Joe's bucket. I'm quite glad I wasn't there to see it, but when I went back out later he had clearly choked and there was slime quite literally all over his stable. The poor boy must have been in a lot of distress. Now, I soak half a kilo very wet, and then mix another kilo into the sloppy stuff immediately before feeding, and that's working well (ETA this is Ludo's feed, not Joe's).

Yes always soak .. though I only soak minimally .. so they breakdown into a damp powder .. then add water at feed time.. just less easy to spill etc .. also for emergencies I pulverize alfa nuts into a powder using a blemder .. this makes them "instant" so really handy if you are in a rush or making up feeds in advance etc. I keep a couple of portions pulverized nuts with the nuts themselves.

 

[Squeak]

I made a huge mistake the other week and didn't soak the Dengie grass nuts I put in Joe's bucket. I'm quite glad I wasn't there to see it, but when I went back out later he had clearly choked and there was slime quite literally all over his stable. The poor boy must have been in a lot of distress. Now, I soak half a kilo very wet, and then mix another kilo into the sloppy stuff immediately before feeding, and that's working well.

Ah thank you, I wondered if that would work so I’ll give it a go. Glad Joe is ok. How scary.

Thanks all others for confirming you do still soak too, I was worried I was missing a trick as it's very hard trying to get enough of them in to him.

 

[TGM]

Out of interest, those who are feeding grass or alfalfa nuts are you soaking them?

At the moment I’m soaking them and half a dried scoop of nuts soaked makes three decent sized feeds. I tried upping it but he wasn’t finishing his feeds so I have no idea how I’d manage a scoop per feed.

I feed alfalfa pellets and don't soak them but I do mix them with soaked beet, so by the time I've made up all the feeds, added supplements and carrots and given them all a stir the pellets have started to soften/crumble.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Out of interest, those who are feeding grass or alfalfa nuts are you soaking them?

At the moment I’m soaking them and half a dried scoop of nuts soaked makes three decent sized feeds. I tried upping it but he wasn’t finishing his feeds so I have no idea how I’d manage a scoop per feed.

I would chuck them in the water with the copra, as that needed 2 minutes to fluff up in water. They wouldn't be soaked for any length of time but they would start to go crumbly and be wet

 

[I'm Dun]

Im probably going to put mine back on grass nuts and I always soak them. Takes a good 10mins for the emerald green to fluff up a bit. In winter I soak them overnight, summer I do it before I ride and do jobs so they get a fair bit of soaking time. I have done 10mins when I've been in a rush though.