Farmer Just Delivered Barley Straw....AHHH!!!

[JHC]

So I've just been told after delivering the straw that is barley...

I've just swapped from shavings as now it's getting colder I like to give the horses a huge straw bed to nestle down into...

Anyway, I've only used wheat straw in the past, and now reading some info on barley straw online I'm a little worried.

Shall I spray with jeyes or not worry? All horses (apart from the mini who'll stay on shavings) are poor doers so eating a little won't be the end of the world but I don't wanting them eating all of it!

 

[Clodagh]

Mine are on barley straw, I much prefer it to wheat. They nibble a bit but very little.

 

[flitz02]

I love barley straw & yes they may eat it but never had any prob's & you can actually feed it anyway so cant see the problem & it makes a lovely fluffy bed.Ohh how i love a straw bed when it's cold so more inviting that shavings.x

 

[PolarSkye]

Worry not, barley straw's lurvely . . . but then I love a good, deep, fluffy straw bed and it's much warmer and more inviting than shavings.

P

 

[onemoretime]

I have used barley straw for years and never had a problem.

 

[JHC]

Thankyou!!! I nearly had a breakdown earlier when I started reading that you shouldn't use it as bedding, colic, allergies etc.

I'm so relieved now... Shall be making a lovely big bed for them all tomorrow

 

[Mrs_Wishkabibble]

My TB mare ended up with impacted colic and a trip to Horspital after chomping on this

Think it does depends on the horse.

Have heard that spraying with Jeyes fluid does deter them though.

 

[noodle_]

^^

i changed my pony from straw to shavings as she was munching most of it during the night..........scary really


i much prefer straw as its warmer but i wouldnt take the risk

 

[Archangel]

I love barley straw, it is softer and makes a lovely bed. I find horses eat barley and wheat straw in equal measure.

 

[Donnie Darco]

I feed barley straw!!! :-o

 

[Sparkles]

Only ever had problems with wheat straw, never oat or barley.

 

[JHC]

I'll keep an eye on them to make sure they're not eating much.

It's lovely looking straw, a lot brighter than wheat straw that I've had before and a longer/softer as well.

 

[Cortez]

I feed barley straw!!! :-o

So do I!

 

[PolarSkye]

My TB mare ended up with impacted colic and a trip to Horspital after chomping on this

Think it does depends on the horse.

Have heard that spraying with Jeyes fluid does deter them though.

Mine picks at his straw bed and has never suffered from impaction colic . . . (touches wood frantically . . . really don't need any further horsepital trips), think it does depend on the horse and how much they actually eat, etc.

P

 

[RunToEarth]

We only use barley straw on everything, never had a problem, dont even bother to bale wheat straw, I would think with this harvest it will be difficult to get hold of anyway. Barley straw is a lot nicer to bed down on, and we have fed it with hay to certain horses for years with no damage.

 

[Orangehorse]

Mix up the new straw with some old, give it a good stiring up so the horse is not tempted to eat (too) much. As with any feed, gradual introduction is the key. If they haven't had it before the last thing you want is for her to tuck in and eat the whole bale. That leads to trouble.

When they are used to it, having a nibble on nice clean straw is fine.

 

[mjcssjw2]

I am another that feeds it!!

 

[honetpot]

I would love to feed barley staw if I could get hold of it. Mine get though a heston of straw every 2 weeks plus hay in the winter. Most nice expensively bagged chaff and fibre feed is mainly straw or straw made in to pellets.

 

[Dry Rot]

Mix up the new straw with some old, give it a good stiring up so the horse is not tempted to eat (too) much. As with any feed, gradual introduction is the key. If they haven't had it before the last thing you want is for her to tuck in and eat the whole bale. That leads to trouble.

When they are used to it, having a nibble on nice clean straw is fine.

This.

I also feed barley straw but to natives. But at the start, I make sure they have a belly full of hay and then introduce both so they have a choice, then gradually withdraw the hay.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

We feed barley straw to one of ours and chop it up into chaff for another who has been known to have colic. IME horses eat some of whichever straw you bed them on but rarely get colic from doing so, if they have plenty of hay/lage to eat. If yours are poor doers, I expect you give them ad-lib forage, so I doubt that they will eat too much of it.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I have also fed barley straw soaked with hay never had a problem and much prefer it for bedding over wheat.

 

[Wagtail]

My mare eats any straw. I feed it to her as well. She will eat wheat straw just as much as any other. She will even eat straw pellets, so she is the only horse on the yard that has to stay on wood pellets. My advice would be to change the bedding over slowly. Just put a tiny bit in to start with. (around a quarter of a hay net amount).If your horse eats it, then keep just a small amount for the first week and then gradually change over the bedding. I think problems arise if they suddenly gorge after not being accostomed to it.

 

[tallyho!]

I feed barley straw!!! :-o

So do I. The things people scoff at

 

[debsg]

Mine are eating wheat straw to top up their forage. They have hay as well, of course. All three started having straw in October, when the continuous rain turned the grass to mud, and had it daily since then. The straw is good quality, from a local farmer.
Have had no problems. My horses live out 24/7, all are good doers and are thriving on this diet.

 

[hihosilver]

I prefer barley straw...so do the horses!!!!

 

[stencilface]

Just be glad its not oat straw, my piggy horse went dolally on that

 

[tallyho!]

Oat straw... That is like gold dust and very very palatable and fattening. Usually gets saved for beef stores and jersey cows in winter. I couldn't give it to mine as it is, even though hard to believe, more calorific than just meadow hay. It has more sugar in it too!!

Depends on where you get it from but it's good for poor doers.

 

[attheponies]

Mix up the new straw with some old, give it a good stiring up so the horse is not tempted to eat (too) much. As with any feed, gradual introduction is the key. If they haven't had it before the last thing you want is for her to tuck in and eat the whole bale. That leads to trouble.

When they are used to it, having a nibble on nice clean straw is fine.

Mixing in the old straw is good advice, mine are at livery on an arable farm so we use whatever straw is going and have not had any problems.

 

[debsg]

My friend's horses turned their noses up at oat straw! They all eat wheat though.