Feeding oats.....

[L&M]

I am musing over feed for next winter.....

I find the current feed market increasingly complicated (and expensive!) and would like to return to a more simple way of feeding. Therefore I have been doing some research into oats and am tempted to try them as the main feed. I have 2 horses who will be hunting weekly and working hard, so think they would be ideal.

I am aware of the calcium issue so plan to feed them with un-mollassed sugar beet and a vit/min supplement.

Is it best to feed whole oats or crushed/rolled?

Also do whole oats need soaking, and if so how long for?

Does anyone else feed a similar diet?

Thanks.

 

[lucemoose]

I feed oats, Alfa, mag, yeast and salt as well as occasional copra. I do however feed a base mix too

 

[lucemoose]

In the past I soaked oats over night and fed with Alfa and nuts and had a fabulous pony !

 

[L&M]

Thanks!

Were these whole oats?

Also what quantity of oats to water for soaking?

 

[Perissa]

When I feed oats I feed whole oats soaked overnight with the sugar beet.

 

[Polos Mum]

I was recommended oats by someone on here having tried and failed to put weight on skinny pony with linseed, then barley rings - it worked really well, I used rolled oats so they were digested more quickly. Unsoaked but with lots of sloppy sugarbeet.

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

I hunt mine now on Alpha A Molasses free, Purabeet, rolled oats, micronised linseed and a good glug of vegetable oil. Works a treat.

 

[maccachic]

My used to be hard to keep TB thrives on whole oats. Tried everything - high calorie for him and Oats were almost magic.

He hunts on them they don't heat him up.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I am musing over feed for next winter.....

I find the current feed market increasingly complicated (and expensive!) and would like to return to a more simple way of feeding. Therefore I have been doing some research into oats and am tempted to try them as the main feed. I have 2 horses who will be hunting weekly and working hard, so think they would be ideal.

I am aware of the calcium issue so plan to feed them with un-mollassed sugar beet and a vit/min supplement.

Is it best to feed whole oats or crushed/rolled?

Also do whole oats need soaking, and if so how long for?

Does anyone else feed a similar diet?

Thanks.

When I fed oats I was recommended Tiger oats nicer oats better for them low starch (30%), high oil, high fibre, 14MJ/kg energy


http://gwfnutrition.com/prod_equine_tigeroats/




.

 

[TwoStroke]

I use crushed oats, but the starch in oats is highly digestible in the small intestine (so relatively small amounts will get into the hind gut) when whole, compared to other cereals, so processing isn't strictly necessary as it is with barely or maize, for example.

Ensure that you feed no more than 1g of starch per 1kg of bodyweight in each meal. Oats contain around 40% starch.