Healthiest nicest chaff?

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Christmas Crumpet

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As above - looking for a nice healthy herbal chaff to add a tiny bit of bulk to food (only fed speedibeet and supplements/salt). Horse is currently on Top Chop Zero but I'd rather feed something a bit less processed. Any thoughts? He is sensitive to certain foods so it can't be high in sugar/starch.
 
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supsup

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I'd also mention Dengies meadow grass chaff, Simple Systems grass chaff, and Halley's grass chaffs. If you're only going to feed a handful, and mix it with other feeds, I wouldn't worry too much about the natural sugar/starch levels in the grass chaffs (though none are going to be as low as the TopChop zero), but you may end up on the lower side if you go for meadow or timothy grass varieties vs. rye grass.
I currently feed the Dengie chaff, simply because it's easily available at my local merchant and competitively priced. Which one is going to be "nicest" is probably going to be down to your horse's taste buds, and you won't know until you've done a taste trial.
 
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Merlod

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Thunderbrooks is nice chaff, very palatable. I also really like honeychop lite & healthy - I have 3 natives, one ems and one itchy so it has been hard finding safe chaff, free from alfalfa, garlic and molasses, gm ingredients and crappy byproducts whilst being palatable enough but those two both tick the box!
 
Landcruiser

Landcruiser

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Another vote for honeychop lite and healthy - it's very simple ingredients and has bits and pieces like dry marigold in it. They also do a plain oat straw chaff which is similar to the top chop stuff but I think less processed.
 
Nasicus

Nasicus

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Landcruiser said:
Another vote for honeychop lite and healthy - it's very simple ingredients and has bits and pieces like dry marigold in it. They also do a plain oat straw chaff which is similar to the top chop stuff but I think less processed.
Click to expand...

Yet another vote for both of these. The youngster is on the Plain Oat Straw, and the middle aged one is on Lite and Healthy, both with a small handful of Fast Fibre mixed in to bind the supplements.
 
ester

ester

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agrobs (I used the aspero or there is a lighter version or the museli) or thunderbrooks if you can't get the former. I don't like the attitude of TB so have stuck with agrobs even though we order it.

I did consider the new dengie one but the DE/sugar content is too high for us even if fed in small amounts.
 
ester

ester

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Me neither and don't plan too as I can't morally give them business. I hope you get on with it though :) I don't think it is a bad product. :)
 
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Griffin

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Mine loves Thunderbrooks (she loves anything Thunderbrooks, which is a shame). I will say that although it is not cheap, it seems to be very compressed and lasts far longer than a bag of Alfa-A.
 
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MrsMurs

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Honeychop lite and healthy has.my.vote too at the mo, alfalfa, soya, molasses free and low sugar/ starch. My horse loves it.
 
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southerncomfort

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Can I ask how course the Lite & Healthy is?

I'm looking to change from Dengie Hi Fi Senior as I think my mare is reacting to the alfalfa in it but she is dentally challenged and can't cope with anything that'll take a lot of chewing!
 
ester

ester

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SC Frank is dentally challenged and much improved since using soaked hay cobs, I use the agrobs ones as I figured he'd definitely eat them but there are other options about similar :)
 
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chaps89

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If the straw is processed as above would there likely to be anything about it on the feed bag or manufacturers site?
I had too much time on my hands and about a month ago compiled a list of the slim/healthy chaff options available and compared ingredients, DE, protein, sugar and starch options. It's on a spreadsheet so not sure it would copy well onto here but don't mind emailing it to anyone who might want to see those things for different feeds all in one place.
 
ester

ester

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I don't think so/I think it is a fairly general thing for straw used in chaffs. I don't think I consider it much of an issue but some do, and some retailers use it as a selling point for their grass chaffs.
 
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