feed for a shetland yearling

[Magicmadge]

I have today aquired a very small shetland colt. I've never had such a tiny one before so would apreciate some advice re feed. He is 9 months old, on the slim side, poo very dry. Tried him with a handful of chaff, beet and youngstock mix but he wasn't bothered and the chickens ate most of it. Not sure if he's had hard feed before! He has some nice hay and i mixed that with a bit of good haylage for the night. Any suggestions?

 

[CBFan]

just hay. he doesn't need anything else and he WILL put weight on on it.

If you want to get him used to eating from a bucket (in case of meds needed etc) just put a handfull of chaff or nuts in there. if you want to make sure he's getting vits amd mins, give him access to a block to lick.

 

[Kallibear]

FEED??!! For a shetland? They don't need fed!

Ditto the good hay. Make sure he's wormed and teeth are ok (many shetlands have teeth problems due to their small jaw) and just good hay. In 6months time you'll be tearing your hair out trying to keep him slim........

 

[Puzzles]

Considering his breed and lack of appetite for hard feed, I would say that it's likely he's getting most of what he needs from forage alone. Provided that you give him good quality hay and grass, all you need to add is a stud balancer such as Blue Chip Original or Dodson and Horrell Suregrow, as forage alone will be deficient in essential nutrients that are essential for sufficient growth and development. Be careful to keep an eye on his weight and make sure that he maintains a healthy size.