Hay replacer

[Kirstd33]

So little coblet had his surgery on his annular ligaments last Wednesday which went well seemingly and after spending 5 nights at the vets he came home yesterday.He’s taken to box rest remarkably well and is so far a chilled out dude watching the world go by, however he’s not eating a huge amount of hay which is worrying me. I checked on him at 6 am this morning when I mucked him out and gave him his Bute in a small feed of soaked cubes and same again this evening at 6 as per instructions but he’s possibly only eating about 3kg since last night.
I’m going to get a small bale of haylage tomorrow to try to tempt him with or should I just give more bucket feeds of his soaked cubes regularly spread out through the day? I can leave some pre made with the YO?

I will be calling the vets in the morning to ask their advice also btw

I should add he has never been a huge hay fan as he lived out 24/7 and as a good doer only had a small net daily even over the coldest months.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would just up the soaked cubes or maybe get some grass nuts and mix it with his normal chaff.

 

[PurBee]

If he prefers grass and used to doing well on it, you could try emerald green grass-tastic grass replacer. While he’s on box rest it would be a nice treat, but would work out expensive to feed full time indefinitely!

Emerald Green Feeds Grass-tastic 12.5kg - Emerald Green Feeds

Highly nutritious, palatable chop made from the best quality fescue grass. Grass-tastic is an excellent feed for helping to build condition as well as helping toward maintaining a healthy gut, improved coat shine and general well-being. Grass-tastic contains no other ingredients, just 100% grass.

emeraldgreenfeeds.co.uk

 

[PurBee]

If he prefers grass and used to doing well on it, you could try emerald green grass-tastic grass replacer. While he’s on box rest it would be a nice treat, but would work out expensive to feed full time indefinitely!

Emerald Green Feeds Grass-tastic 12.5kg - Emerald Green Feeds

Highly nutritious, palatable chop made from the best quality fescue grass. Grass-tastic is an excellent feed for helping to build condition as well as helping toward maintaining a healthy gut, improved coat shine and general well-being. Grass-tastic contains no other ingredients, just 100% grass.

emeraldgreenfeeds.co.uk

Sorry, just seen thats out of stock - but they do grass pellets in stock

 

[Kirstd33]

If he prefers grass and used to doing well on it, you could try emerald green grass-tastic grass replacer. While he’s on box rest it would be a nice treat, but would work out expensive to feed full time indefinitely!

Emerald Green Feeds Grass-tastic 12.5kg - Emerald Green Feeds

Highly nutritious, palatable chop made from the best quality fescue grass. Grass-tastic is an excellent feed for helping to build condition as well as helping toward maintaining a healthy gut, improved coat shine and general well-being. Grass-tastic contains no other ingredients, just 100% grass.

emeraldgreenfeeds.co.uk

I was looking at these and wondering if they were any good as have no experience of them at all? We’re looking at 4 weeks of box rest then he can have small paddock turnout thankfully as he loves grass x

 

[94lunagem]

I have a little Sec A who lives in a bare paddock over summer and I feed hay, he occasionally gets bored and goes on what I call ‘hay strike’. When that happens I feed Allen & Page fast fibre instead for a few days. He always seems to find that quite tasty.

As another says above, it would be expensive as a long term hay replacer but manageable short term.

 

[SEL]

Simple systems hay cobs go down well with my lot.

I also found their blox were popular when the microcob was on box rest - sainfoin especially

 

[meleeka]

I was looking at these and wondering if they were any good as have no experience of them at all? We’re looking at 4 weeks of box rest then he can have small paddock turnout thankfully as he loves grass x

4 weeks is fab. Things have changed as I’m sure mine was a lot longer.

Fast Fibre would be my choice. He’s not burning calories so I wouldn’t want to add calories.

 

[PurBee]

I was looking at these and wondering if they were any good as have no experience of them at all? We’re looking at 4 weeks of box rest then he can have small paddock turnout thankfully as he loves grass x

I emailed them when they first got going online and asked about their land treatments and grasses, and was very satisfied with their process of producing their forage, all done themselves, from field to bag, they oversee the quality. Im in Ireland and if haulage would have been cheaper, i’d be using them.

 

[sportsmansB]

I had one who couldn't eat hay or haylage at all (choke) and she lived happily on a soaked mixture of fast fibre and grass nuts, regular throughout the day, with simple systems Lucie brix thrown in too
She lived out so it was to supplement in winter but it worked well (not cheap!)

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Baileys Meadow cobs are just grass which you soak which he might find tasty and will also keep him hydrated? Mine love it.