Feeding Extra In The Cold?

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Does anyone on here feed more hard feed when it's really cold, as in snow on the ground cold? Or am I being pathetic.

I have a wimpy, average doer WB who is out at grass 24/7 whilst I wait for a stable to come up at current yard. He has grazing towards the bottom of the field but it's not great, and a huge hay box which fits about 1.5 slices of a big bale in it. I can't give him enough hay to be truly ad-lib as he just throws it around to dig to the bottom and then stands on it and won't eat it, but he is still having about 3 big slices per 24 hours.

I have been feeding him another 1/2 scoop of alfalfa pellets and another 1 cup of copra in addition to his normal feed twice a day to fill his belly and to keep his digestion firing to keep him warm, but then the reality side of my brain saying 'he's doing less work than normal, he doesn't need it'.

Am I being a bit soft?

 

[Sealine]

I didn't ride today and can't see me riding again until the weekend due to the weather so I've cut back on hard feed. When it's very cold I do increase overnight hay. I never turn out on a cold, frosty morning without feeding hay either as I was once told eating icy cold grass on an empty stomach was a colic risk but I'm not sure if there is any evidence to support that theory.

 

[Gloi]

I make sure they aren't ever without hay when it is this cold but otherwise things stay the same

 

[Frano]

Ad lib hay is most important. So annoying when they waste it.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

He has this filled with unfluffed out hay, but if I ram it full he then shoves most of it out while digging to the bottom and then stands on it and won’t eat it. That pile there is 4 days worth of what he refuses to eat. So it’s tricky. (He is on individual turnout temporarily until I can get a stable at the yard, otherwise I’d be haying the other 4 horses also when they get turned out at night).

I’m thinking of drilling a hole in the bottom and getting some way to keep the hay I put in it in a haynet to try and help the wastage.

 

[AmyMay]

I’d increase the hay before hard feed. I think you need to find a different way of feeding the hay, and you may find that several piles around the field may work better.

 

[onebigjump]

Can you use a large haynet and tie it into the box? That's what I do with mine. They are unshod though

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

I don’t see any issue with increasing bucket feed at certain times especially with a horse prone to losing weight. Some horses just don’t eat forage in enough quantities to keep weight on. My oldie loves his big bucket feed as he now eats forage too slowly to keep weight on.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I’d increase the hay before hard feed. I think you need to find a different way of feeding the hay, and you may find that several piles around the field may work better.

The problem with putting it on the floor is that he will eat some of the top and then won’t eat anything that remotely touches the ground, so I end up with probably half of it untouched.

I will crack on with trying to fashion a haynet solution for the box. He isn’t dropping weight or feeling cold, and is getting through a large rectangle bale every 2.5 weeks so I think he’s getting a good amount in that sense. Perhaps feeding him more bucket feed just makes me feel better more than anything.

 

[PapaverFollis]

My little old lady welsh A is getting extra senior chaff in her feed buckets at the moment. She's getting adlib hay overnight but I'm not sure how much she's actually getting down as she makes such a mess even with a haynet! She's not too thin but I don't want her to lose anymore. Plus I'm completely soft....

Even the fat bar stewards are getting extra hay for the next couple of nights!

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I've cut B Fuzzys small twice daily feed 2 days ago, its very much a token in a bucket now.
I have increased hay in daytime (only started day haying a week ago anyway).
She has ad lib at night, one loose section and 4 in a net. Leavings get recycled to little A or popped in hay bar for daytime use.

Always cut the feed for healthy working ones if not working, and up the hay in this weather. It's not going to be for that long

 

[Littlewills]

Mine got big buckets of sloppy soaked grass nuts today. They live out and normally have a small amount of hay every day, but with snow on the ground its been ad lib hay. The extra hay combined with limited drinking due to cold and no grass means I want to get feed and liquid into them. If they were poor doers like yours then Id have slightly upped the feed, but with something low starch and sugar, not mountains of mix.

 

[Lipglosspukka]

Snow on the ground I will give a shed load of hay.

I only increase hard feed when it's both cold and very wet. Just to make them smile.

 

[meleeka]

He has this filled with unfluffed out hay, but if I ram it full he then shoves most of it out while digging to the bottom and then stands on it and won’t eat it. That pile there is 4 days worth of what he refuses to eat. So it’s tricky. (He is on individual turnout temporarily until I can get a stable at the yard, otherwise I’d be haying the other 4 horses also when they get turned out at night).

I’m thinking of drilling a hole in the bottom and getting some way to keep the hay I put in it in a haynet to try and help the wastage.

View attachment 65372

I’ve screwed haynet rings in the bottom sides of mine it works a treat with the red/black shires nets.

I fed more hay today. I didn’t want them running out. Where they are good normally, they were grumpy this morning so I also put it in more places than normal so they could all keep out of each other’s way.

 

[sherry90]

I have given more hay this evening and he will have a full net first thing before he goes out tomorrow.

 

[Shysmum]

More hay, and I've just found amazing easy fill nets ?

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I’ve screwed haynet rings in the bottom sides of mine it works a treat with the red/black shires nets.

I fed more hay today. I didn’t want them running out. Where they are good normally, they were grumpy this morning so I also put it in more places than normal so they could all keep out of each other’s way.

Fab idea, that saves me drilling holes and all sorts in it. The black and red net is one of the ones I have. Thanks!

 

[P.forpony]

I don't increase hard feed as such but I do increase bucket fibre.
Ad lib hay and haylage as always but shes a picky beast so she's currently having an extra meal of pink mash and chaff which she ignores when I put it in, but obviously picks at through the night because its usually all gone in the am.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I feed more hay in the snowy weather but not hard feed.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

I'm another who gives more hay rather than hard feed....but then 4 of the 5 here are definitely good doers. !!! ???

 

[Winters100]

I'm not sure that it would ever get cold enough in the UK for me to want to increase hard food. Mine anyway have 24/7 hay, but even when it has been -20 I have not increased hard food, even for my poor-doer. If she started losing weight of course I would make adjustments. I suppose also depends on rugging - she is a bit older so is always wearing a slightly heavier rug than the others. Now is about -10 during the days at home (I am not with them at the moment ), and I have her in 300g with hood, others in 200g. I figure that as long as she is protected from the weather by a rug she does not need additional help. Main thing is (IMO) to keep close eye on condition, and to adjust feed / rugging accordingly.

 

[southerncomfort]

No. Mine stay on a low calorie balancer all year.

My 3 are natives and all good doers so I'm happy for them to lose a bit of weight over winter.

If their is snow on the ground they get extra hay in the feeder but that's it. None of them have ever needed extra feed.

 

[J&S]

In general stock does well in this sort of cold dry weather. Beware of feeding the extra hay ........ in years gone by we found when we took the rugs off after cold and snow we had real fatties! I am slightly going the other way and hoping I can get some weight off at this time rather than feeding up! I do however appreciate the difference between good doer ponies and your WB, OP.

 

[paddy555]

I don't increase hay or bucket feet. To me the most important thing is drinking. Mine each get 3 or 4 half buckets of warm slightly molassed water each day and they drink the whole lot.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Ours have their hay ration augmented by plain oat straw chaff, so rather than increasing bucket feed, which in their case is a handful of Agrobs haycobs, in bad weather, we increase either hay or chaff, as it's the process of digestion that helps the to keep warm.

 

[dorsetladette]

We feed ad lib hay in the form of a round bale in a hay feeder so truly ad lib. But I have increased the chaff in their hard feeds a little while the weather is really cold. We haven't had snow yet but if we do I will continue to give larger feeds. I have an 18 yr old cob (who winters like a thoroughbred) and a 9 month colt who is growing like a weed.

 

[planete]

In general stock does well in this sort of cold dry weather. Beware of feeding the extra hay ........ in years gone by we found when we took the rugs off after cold and snow we had real fatties! I am slightly going the other way and hoping I can get some weight off at this time rather than feeding up! I do however appreciate the difference between good doer ponies and your WB, OP.

This is my first Winter with a heavy cob. I normally weigh his hay ration but he has had ad lib hay over the last few days. I am probably going to look at a whale by the end of the week. I have to learn to be less soft but he really did look hungry!

 

[Elno]

Hard feed doesn't generate heat as forage does in the horse's hind gut. So for colder conditions it's logical to feed more forage so the horse can keep warm, and not hard feed. In our stable we feed maybe 2-4 kgs more when it's really (we're talking - 20 degrees celcius) cold. The best is of course if they can be fed truly ad lib.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Hard feed doesn't generate heat as forage does in the horse's hind gut. So for colder conditions it's logical to feed more forage so the horse can keep warm, and not hard feed. In our stable we feed maybe 2-4 kgs more when it's really (we're talking - 20 degrees celcius) cold. The best is of course if they can be fed truly ad lib.

Interesting, I didn't know that it doesn't generate heat digesting in the same way as forage does!
I genuinely couldn't have given him any more hay then I was as he just pulls it all out of the box to dig to the bottom, tramples it into the ground and won't touch it. He was already getting plenty really so I'm happy in that respect.

 

[Elno]

Interesting, I didn't know that it doesn't generate heat digesting in the same way as forage does!
I genuinely couldn't have given him any more hay then I was as he just pulls it all out of the box to dig to the bottom, tramples it into the ground and won't touch it. He was already getting plenty really so I'm happy in that respect.

Tried putting it up in a net, like a slow feeding variaty? ? Usually they trample it down less then.

Yes since forage is digested in the hind gut with the aid of bacteria which generates heat as a by product while digesting the fibre, it's better to feed forage and not hard feed to keep a horse warm.