Feed advice please (soaked oats)

[vicm2509]

Baron is now in for the night and on ok grass for about 8 hours during the day. He is 16.3 and middle weight and in light/moderate work (about 45min hard work each night and about 2-3 hours at weekends).

Until now he has been out 24/7 and has been doing well on the soaked oats diet (soaked oats and alfa oil with added biotin, garlic, carrots and apples). He is doing much better on this than any hard feed I have previously given him. And is holding his weight and toning up really well.

Now he is in I have added sugar beet to his feed, I soak one large round scoop and this lasts 2 days.

He has 1 1/2 round scoops of soaked oats and 1 scoop of alfa oil plus his sugar beet TWICE a day. He is also given as much hay as he can eat overnight (i put in 2 large haynets and there is always some left in the morning).

Previously he had 1 scoop soaked oats and 1 1/2 scoops alfa oil once a day.

Does this sound ok or is it too little/too much? Im not sure as o obviously there is no feeding guide on the oats or the sugar beet. I dont want him to get fat or to loose weight. He has been on the soaked oats for a few months now and held his weight really well. He does need his fibre though as otherwise he gets very very loose droppings.

 

[PapaFrita]

I think it sounds fine. Are you measuring the oats dry or already soaked? PF is exercised every day and has 3 scoops (dry weight) of oats a day plus alfalfa- no hay as it doesn't exist her. Course she's only a wee thing!!

 

[vicm2509]

He has 1 1/2 of those big round scoops of oats and thats dry. Should I maybe up it to 2 big scoops? Or wait and see how his weight is? He is getting a fair amount of sugar beet and alfa and the grazing he is on is fairly good at the moment.

 

[PapaFrita]

Honestly I think it's fine; I think you'll find (as I have!) that they get much more out of the soaked oats and need less of them than any other feed. He's also getting lots and lots of hay, which is great and is holding his weight well.