Hard feeding with no chaff?

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chole2020

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My boys are just going into there stables this weekend for winter of course having there normal hay, instead of just feeding them chaff, sugarbeet & mix i want to chaff out the chaff completely out or really cut it down as much as 2 handfuls there buckets are curently full with the above & want to change it, one is completely out of work as a youngstere but struggles with weight keeping on & the other 2 are in light work ie ridden once weekly lightly, any advice will be great thank you
 
I haven't fed chaff for years - mine always have grass or hay, so I see no need to add more chopped up hay to their rations. They are fed copra or veteran vitality, which they hoover down in about 5 minutes, then they go back to their forage.
 
They will have there hay daily but ive always fed chaff as part of there meal so ive not a clue what to feed them instead of the chaff what do people advise?
 
I made a big, fat fuss on a thread on here about horses not needing chaff if they were fed enough other long fibre alongside and as well as . . . and didn't buy any more chaff for Kali when he ran out . . . he stuck two fingers up and refused to eat, so I bought him some more . . . he is now scoffing his breakfast and dinner again.

Go figure.

P
 
Usually I have fed speedibeet and chaff in winter but he started to go off it last year so wanted to try something else. I am now feeding Fast Fibre with a scoop of brewers yeast, no chaff (he adores it!). After reading some posts on here I started to question why I was using chaff - I think I was just feeding it out of habit. He has ad lib forage so doesn't really need the chaff, and he doesn't seem to be missing it at all. Saves my pennies too!
 
RockinRudolph said:
Usually I have fed speedibeet and chaff in winter but he started to go off it last year so wanted to try something else. I am now feeding Fast Fibre with a scoop of brewers yeast, no chaff (he adores it!).!
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The two main ingredients of fast fibre are straw pellets and unmolassed sugarbeet so not that big a change.

I don't feed chaff, mine get Copra, Linseed, Bran and Oats depending on work and condition. They always have hay when they are in the stable.
 
chole2020 said:
They will have there hay daily but ive always fed chaff as part of there meal so ive not a clue what to feed them instead of the chaff what do people advise?
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You don't need to replace the chaff with anything as it has no real feed value. It's really just used to bulk out feeds for good doers who don't need much hard feed.
I would feed as much hay as they will eat (so they never run out) and something basic like high fibre cubes. If one of them needs a little something extra then try adding speedi beet. I would add a good vitamin and mineral supplement like TENS Daily balancer.
http://www.tensupplements.co.uk/daily-balancer
....and add some micronised linseed and salt.
 
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Interesting thread. Mine have fast fibre with their conditioning cubes and I've recently cut down on the hi-fi molasses free they were getting as they were getting picky and leaving it in the bucket. Now they only get a handful and seem quite happy. They get hay out in the field and are out 24/7 so I guess perhaps they were letting me know they didn't need the extra fibre from the chaff?

I think if I weren't feeding a soaked feed (the cubes get soaked with the fast fibre as they are oldies) then I would still feed chaff to stop them bolting the cubes.
 
3OldPonies said:
I think if I weren't feeding a soaked feed (the cubes get soaked with the fast fibre as they are oldies) then I would still feed chaff to stop them bolting the cubes.
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This is what I was taught, that chaff is to stop them bolting their cereal and possibly getting choke. Sugarbeet or bran were said to be suitable chaff substitutes, I find both to be more fattening than chaff. With modern feeds I expect anything soaked is fine as a chaff substitite. I did once have a friend who fed a scoop of mix with nothing else and her horse was fine but I see no need to take the risk. If I am too short of time to mix feeds I buy one of those feeds which is chaff and mix or cubes combined.
 
I feed alfa a orignial only because it makes the eat slower apparantly! Doesnt do him any harm what so ever :)

Edit - mine is fed calm and condition so its a sloppy mess - chaff makes him eat a lot slower then wolfing all down
 
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