Hi-calorie, hi-fibre feeding on a Small Budget! How?????

J

JenWizard

Member
Joined
31 July 2012
Messages
21
Visit site
Currently feeding Alfa A and Calm and Condition to my boy, and he's doing ok, but I would like him to carry more weight

But I wish I could cut down on the cost of feed - and my feed merchant says its going to get worse!

Any ideas on good budget feeding????
 
Feed Alfa beet and micronised linseed, cheaper than commercial mixes and will put weight on. You can also add grass pellets or energy levels to increase too if necessary :) feed with seaweed or a broad spectrum bit and min supplement and you'll cover all bases :)
 
A combination of Alfa, grass nuts, sugarbeet and soya oil and linseed should work out quite cheap alongside good quality haylage should work out quite cheap.
My friend fed 18 horses and ponies on varying combinations of the feed above for £60 a week last winter.
 
Almost anything is better than calm and condition - both in terms of putting condition on the horse, and for your wallet.
 
tabithakat64 said:
A combination of Alfa, grass nuts, sugarbeet and soya oil and linseed should work out quite cheap alongside good quality haylage should work out quite cheap.
Click to expand...

I agree with alfa, sugarbeet and linseed - that's what mine have.

Also, keep an eye out for damaged bags in your local feed store, I went in to buy some Alfa at the weekend and they dropped the bag from the top racks, which split open at both ends, so I got it at 75% discount - i.e. £3!
 
amymay said:
Almost anything is better than calm and condition - both in terms of putting condition on the horse, and for your wallet.
Click to expand...

I use calm and condition on my youngster and she looks fab - just interested to know why you said the above in case there is something i dont know :)
 
Because apart from giving them a glossy coat, I've never seen it effective on putting weight on anything. And for the money, it would be nice to see some results.
 
its probably a bit of trial and error as all horses are different, yes its quite expensive but its been the best thing so far ive tried - im limited as my mare cant have anything with alfalfa in it as she comes up in hives :(
 
Escada2004 said:
Showjumpingfilly i also give her mollichaff calmer, Naf omega oil and superflex :)
Click to expand...

Does she not react to the alfalfa in the mollichaff?

I only ask as i've got my nutty 6 yo on alfa a oil and she's gone quite spooky. I'm not sure if it is the alfalfa but have seen others say it can cause strange behaviour so was going to stick it out for a bit and then maybe try the mollichaff, but was a bit worried as it still contains alfalfa.
 
Sugar Beet
Micronized Linseed
D&H Alfalfa (perhaps use Readigrass instead if alfalfa is a problem?)
TBH most 'cheap brand' pony nuts are quite high fibre and nutritionally balanced and often only around £6 for a 20KG bag. Or you could use grass nuts (simple systems or other makes)

I absolutely love feeding sugar beet (I use unmollassed speedi beet) and I find horses do better on it and find it more palatable than Calm & Condition.

I put sugar beet with oats for the non-ex-racehorse and with a conditioning cube for the poor-doer and they both munch it up and seem to do fairly well on it compared with other 'conditioning/soaked' feeds.
 
showjumpingfilly said:
Does she not react to the alfalfa in the mollichaff?

I only ask as i've got my nutty 6 yo on alfa a oil and she's gone quite spooky. I'm not sure if it is the alfalfa but have seen others say it can cause strange behaviour so was going to stick it out for a bit and then maybe try the mollichaff, but was a bit worried as it still contains alfalfa.
Click to expand...

There isnt any alfalfa in the mollichaf calmer :) most of the others have it in but not that one - i made the mistake one day of getting the mollichaff hoofkind as they didnt have calmer, thought it would be basically the same, up come the hives and she was itchy, checked the bag and it had alfalfa in it! So back to the calmer :) ive always fed alfalfa as i like it as a feed but ive also heard it can affect some horses making them a little odd! Give the calmer a go, i have to watch what i feed her also as she is rather sharp :)
 
Escada2004 said:
There isnt any alfalfa in the mollichaf calmer :) most of the others have it in but not that one - i made the mistake one day of getting the mollichaff hoofkind as they didnt have calmer, thought it would be basically the same, up come the hives and she was itchy, checked the bag and it had alfalfa in it! So back to the calmer :) ive always fed alfalfa as i like it as a feed but ive also heard it can affect some horses making them a little odd! Give the calmer a go, i have to watch what i feed her also as she is rather sharp :)
Click to expand...


just had another look on the website and realized the bit i was reading that said alfalfa was just the standard bit, not calmer specific! :o thanks:)
 
I have had my 12 horses on calm condition, fast fibre and other allen and page feeds (power performance for the eventers) now for 18 months. They have lacked energy, dull coats and basically looked rough. I've had the rep out twice who I have to say was lovely and really tried to help. I didn't realise it was the feed at fault as I was spending £250 a month on food and I have gone through blood testing and allsorts thinking I must have a virus on the yard as to why they have all been so quiet. The last straw was a 3 day dressage comp and by day 3 my tb didn't have enough energy left to put one foot in front of the other!
I changed their feed 2 weeks ago to barley rings, alfa alfa and sugar beet and omg, my eventers have returned, their condition has improved, coats are really starting to shine and the lazy tb was rather keen yesterday when out for a canter, I won't be going back to a&p feeds :)
 
Thats intesterting aregona as my TB is the laziest boy in the world (although a bit of a nutjob at the same time) - I also have had him on C&C for about 3/4 months now and have noticed a difference in his weight - I was on alfa, barley rings and speedi-beet before this ... wonder if its time to go back now he's put that extra weight on and hope it stays on over winter as he is very sluggish?? x
 
This is my youngster who has been on C & C and mollichaff calmer for a year now - lots of energy, when we are away competing for 3-4 days she is just as lively and strong on the last day and i still struggle to hold her - seems to do the trick for her
picture.php
 
It is isnt is - plus i posted one that caught him at a good angle at the before shot (some were really ribby that arent on my fb) ha ... thats only from July - September difference too - may stick with whats working actually - I can deal with a lazy TB hahaha x
 
Last time my vet came he said to use bog standard veg oil from the supermarket shelf ... Ive used it (only a tiny drip at a time) on and off whenever I have some at the farm - this its wise to keep feeding him that and maybe give a little more? Whyats difference between feeding veg and omega oil?? xxx
 
Micronised linseed Charnwood Milling 20kg must be cheap! full of oil, linseed oil!
100-200gms in winter, ie one to two coffee cups. Must be better [less processed] and cheaper than oil in a bottle. Oil from s/market is usually rapeseed, others are more expensive. There is no "omega oil", just some are better than others in their omega content.
I feed a hi fibre low starch diet [ie no pony nuts], no molasses and only oats if cereals needed for extra ooomph, but building up fitness is the answer long term.
Not seaweed due to its high iron content, instead I am trying Pro balance this year. Usually Equimins but prices just keep going up, I also buy from Feedmark when a good offer is available.
Non molassed s/beet does have minerals, but probably not exactly what horse needs ie not balanced.
I am a barefooter, saves me £500 per year, costs me maybe £100 extra in supplements, though it is not a quick financial fix, and you may need to change your daily work routine. Or buy front boots.
Wood pellets on top of an eva mat, with shavings walls is the cheapest bed I can manage successfully. We don't have straw available.
 
Last edited:
Victoria25 said:
Last time my vet came he said to use bog standard veg oil from the supermarket shelf ... Ive used it (only a tiny drip at a time) on and off whenever I have some at the farm - this its wise to keep feeding him that and maybe give a little more? Whyats difference between feeding veg and omega oil?? xxx
Click to expand...

Yes Derek @ Leahurst said to me once with my old mare to give her good quality veg oil from the supermarket - i just buy the NAF one now as it has all the 3 different oils in linseed, soya and hemp - there are prob cheaper ways of doing it but trying to work it all out takes time which i dont have ;)
 
I've found with Calm & Condition if you've got a horse that is fairly easy to get weight on (even if they tend to also loose it also fairly easily) then it tends to work brilliantly.
It didn't work on my TB....but then my usual successful diet of alpha-A oil, unmollased sugarbeet, micronised linseed & balancer also isn't working at the moment. I'm now adding a scoop of soaked grass nuts a day (& banging my head against a wall)
 
Victoria25 said:
Hmm looking back on old photos may stick with C&C - before and after:

Before:
559140_10151938917895464_707485097_n.jpg


391706_10152132247230464_1264692969_n.jpg
Click to expand...

Really glad you put this on as many people have C&C doesn't work for theres but I use it for my 4yro tb as I'm going to stick with C&C alpha beet and hay and haylage also ad a bit of sunflower oil.

this is my boy looking skinny and then looking lovely on the same day! how does that work?!!
IMG_1892.jpg


IMG_1895.jpg
[/IMG]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top