Feeding straw?

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Violett

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Hi, does anyone feed straw for a lower calorie / safer bulk food and if so what do they feed a special bought chop? i know straw can cause colic problems etc so that is why i am asking if anyone feeds it and if what, thanks
 
Straw can have higher levels of carbohydrate than hay, so if feeding to minimise weight gain then you should have it analysed.

Many chaffs contain chopped straw but long straw can cause colic by impacting in the gut, so a good supply of fresh water is important.

If you want a low calorie bulk food buy some late cut hay and soak it for a few hours before feeding (in plenty of water) to remove some of the carbohydrate.
 
oat straw is fine to feed ... I think the current veterinary thought is that if they are going to get an impaction colic they'll get it no matter what you feed them! If you are worried you can soak hay for 24hrs for pretty much the same calorific value.
 
Not so many years ago, straw was part of many horses and ponies staple diets with very few stories of impaction colic. However I hear so many stories of impaction colic being caused by horses eating too much straw now, that I would always go down the soaked hay route if I wanted to feed a lower cal roughage. Hay can also be cheaper than straw sometimes!
 
I think that some of the reputation for straw causing colic has come from greedy ponies eating the ENTIRE bed in one night when they are used to a small haynet more than from people feeding haynets with straw in them.
 
I have fed straw successfully to my mare on the vets recommendation. At our previous yard my mare kepts scouring and presenting with early signs of sand colic.
I was advised that all the time we where there then I had to feed 50:50 hay / straw in her manger and also give psyllium and it was to help the sand pass through her colon.

Im not there now and Im on clay at the new yard so dont have to do it anymore, which is great! Although Im sure I would never be able to use straw as a bedding material?!
 
Hi I feed oat straw to my Lusitanos who find the English Hay far too rich for them and really pile on the weight and stuff it far too fast - I have never had any problems with them eating it - They are bedding down on shavings and have oat straw in their nets three times a day to keep them picking rather than stuff all in one big evening net. I also use two nets - one inside the other to help slow them down. I get my oat straw in small bales from a local farmer - I will say it was not easy to find somebody that supplies oat straw, most had Barlet straw. Like anything try a little at a time and see how it works for you and your horses.
 
Oat straw is soft and more edible than other types of straw, but can be pretty high in calories.
 
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