Feed help please

C

Charlie007

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 October 2009
Messages
2,393
Location
South Lincs
Visit site
I have recently bought a 16.1 6 yo tb. Quite a bit of bone. He was previously fed on a mix and I have slowly changed his diet to fibre. He was having a small handful of high fibre nuts and Dengie chaff, think it's hi lite, the one with no added sugar. He doesn't seem to like the chaff so I'm giving him a few more nuts and have reduced the chaff and he seems to be eating better.

He is currently in very light work. Adlib grass( out 24/7) haynet in field also and ad lib hay if he comes in for any reason.

I'm looking for something fibre based, that won't hot him up and will help to maintain his condition. I was also hoping for something that doesn't contain alfalfa. The only chaff know have found alfalfa free is safe and sound.

Thanks in advance
 
He is getting plenty of fibre so I would not try and give him more until he requires it once the grass quality/ quantity goes unless you try something like speedibeet/ fast fibre which he may prefer to chaff, to add a little condition without heating give him some micronised linseed or oil each day which he is likely to take happily as it will not be too bulky.
I think plain chaff is boring for a horse that is getting good grass, many will turn their noses up at it if they are not hungry and I don't blame them really.
 
No I don't blame them either!! I just need to find something suitable before winter so I'm not struggling getting him to eat. How about safe and sound with a bit of added linseed?
 
You will probably find he will eat once the grass goes and it gets colder, I have a tb here that only wants the cubes now and leaves even a handful of chop but over the winter he wolfed it all down, the same with the hay if he comes in he picks at it if he has to, I really would not be that concerned as long as he looks well and doesn't drop off in the autumn.
Chaff has little in it anyway, if they get adlib hay then there is no real reason to bulk out the feed other than to slow down a greedy one or prevent choke but this can be done by soaking the cubes. I stopped feeding chaff some time ago, the tb is a livery so gets what his owner provides, I don't see the point as they get plenty of fibre and a soaked feed so the chaff will add very little to the diet.
 
Thanks be positive. I have always used chaff so I think it's just habit!! He also doesn't like his food damp or wet so I guess fast fiber and speedibeet could be out!! Could you recommend a cube or nugget that may be suitable, ie high fiber, won't make him fizzy but would add condition? I don't mind adding linseed if necessary
 
Why don't you just increase the amount of high fibre cubes when you finds he needs more food for condition? You say you started giving him a small handful, and then increased them a little bit, so obviously no where near the recommended daily amount, so must be scope to feed more when it becomes necessary. Obviously make sure he gets adlib hay/haylage in the winter when grass becomes sparse if you are concerned about him losing condition.
 
Thank you tgm. Not using chaff is completely alien to me. I have had horses 30 years and have always used it to bulk feeds out!! Not sure why giving him a scoop of nuts seems so strange!! LOL!! He doesn't seem to bolt his food so it's definitely an option!! Thanks ( think I'm slightly set in my ways!!)
 
If you do want to add a little chaff to his cubes, you could look at the grass chaffs (Graze On, Readigrass etc) if you want to avoid alfalfa.
 
Grass chaffs are brilliant... My boy loves them... Or you could just give him his fibre nuts and feed a fibre block, you can get a Timothy grass one... Nothing extra added :)
 
They don't feed chaff here in California, I found it strange at first but now it does seem rather pointless.
If your boy is looking good on grass and hay keep it like that. My TB is out 24/7 on good grass at the moment with a section of hay morning and night for extra fibre. He has a mineralised salt block also hanging in his field which he uses when he feels like it. He's a bit too fat at the moment!
When his work goes up or the nights get colder he gets a scoop of triple crown low starch pellets which are similar to ERS pellets in England or slow release energy cubes.
So if I was you I probably wouldn't bother with the hard feed for now and then if he starts to look thinner or has no energy you could add the high fibre nuts to 1-2 scoops per day or a slow release energy cube (I really liked the spillers one) plus ad lib hay and a mineral block :).
 
Thanks firewell. He is eating better now as getting is really settling in. He needs a supplement for his feet ( just ordered some equivita) so he does need a handful of something. I hope to keep him on the nuts with ad lib hay and grass and the equivita. Equivita also advise to add 100g of linseed in winter so hopefully that will probably do!! Glad you're boy is well, he always looks fantastic in your photos x
 
Charlie007 said:
Not sure why giving him a scoop of nuts seems so strange!! LOL!! He doesn't seem to bolt his food so it's definitely an option!! Thanks ( think I'm slightly set in my ways!!)
Click to expand...

Just a sprinkle of chop would be enough but I'm always wary of feeding cubes on their own. You say he doesn't bolt his food, I thought the same about one of mine but he choked twice in a few weeks and I found out a "helper" hadn't bothered to add anything to his cubes. How about Applechaff?
 
Thanks JillA, yes I do give him a sprinkle of chaff. Does apple chaff contain alfalfa and molasses? I'm trying to keep his diet as simple as possible.

Eta, he won't eat apples, only carrots!!
 
My TB is on grass chaff - Graze On from Northern Crop Driers but similar to Readigrass and a few others. And he has micronised linseed and balancer with that all year round.
Seems to suit him really well.
 
My horse won't eat any chop so I found it hard to get enough fibre into him.

He's on saracen releve and super fibre pencils he has his feeds soaked as he choked last year so always has to have his feeds mushy. He loves it. He's 36 can be fizzy so needed non heating feed and had lami few years back so is muzzled when turned out so I have to control his weight with diet
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top