Feeding and bedding babies on straw

Jenko109

Jenko109

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I know plenty of people feed straw to mature ponies.

But is it safe for weanlings to eat barley straw?

Likewise if a hay straw mix is put out for a mixed herd, are weanlings okay ?
 
I have never had a problem. They do get some hay but sometimes they would rather eat straw. It stops a lot of arguments over food, mine are in/out together because no one is never really hungry. Youngster is usually bottom of the pecking order so they get bullied a bit less.
 
I have, I got a round bale of straw and had to store it in the open fronted shed so put it in a round feed ring, they ate most of it (hay available alongside) and what fell on the floor they pee'd/slept on
 
tda said:
I have, I got a round bale of straw and had to store it in the open fronted shed so put it in a round feed ring, they ate most of it (hay available alongside) and what fell on the floor they pee'd/slept on
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I net mine as well because they burrow the middle an then and waste most of it.
 
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I did do this for a few months and it worked fine - then I put a nice big fluffy clean bed in one day (rather than just taking out the worst, topping up and mixing together) and the little twerp ate so much overnight he colicked. Older horse was fine, he does eat straw but he regulates himself. I was religious after that about making sure the bed was always a little bit dirty! That was barley straw and to be fair to him, it is lovely clean barley straw so I can see why he tucked in so enthusiastically.....but still, I won't be leaving them with a big clean straw bed after that.

This was a native with an enormous appetite.
 
Crackerz said:
I bed my natives on Barley straw and none of them eat it
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I've always bedded on straw and not had a problem. Some have nibbled at their beds. The boys eat the straw in the shelter when the weather is bad and they don't want to go across to the hay feeder and it's not caused an issue for them. I don't offer straw as food as a rule though
 
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