Mix or Nuts?

[Redsox]

What are the benefits of feeding mixes against nuts? or nuts against mixes?

Thanks

 

[MillionDollar]

Most nuts and mixes are the same (eg. Pasture nuts or mix are the same), it's just that mixes look nicer and are more expensive. Another money making scheme from feed companies.

 

[DiablosGold]

I've always thought nuts are better as they contain less random junk!

Also they tend to be a little cheaper (less attractive to humans) and you can feed them in a snack ball.

Just my opinion though.

 

[kombikids]

nuts are less heating

 

[scotsmare]

It's a marketing ploy!! They contain the same things but mixes are 'prettier' and more appealing to us humans.....

 

[kombikids]

i thought nuts were less heating due to the way they are cooked
???

 

[scotsmare]

Nope, if you look at a bag of pony nuts and horse and pony mix (take spillers as an example) the list of ingredients is virtually identical - it has to be - because they are claiming that both do the same job.

 

[MizElz]

Well I feed both....

 

[kombikids]

blimey thats what spillers told me anyway. there you go learn somethign new everyday!

 

[scotsmare]

Sometimes its a horse preference too - I have a mare who will sporadically go off eating nuts (for no apparent reason! - we go through so much feed it's literally still warm from the feed mill!) and then has to have mix for a while. Crazy

but probably why the feed shop loves me......

 

[Frances28]

Mixes contain a higher percentage of starch than nuts and therefore MAY send your horse fizzy so it is wise to use a non-heating mix if you decide to go with that. Mixes are more appealing to the pallet and you need allot less amount than nuts. I think its all about trial and error.

I have a TB mare who was a nut-bag! She was being fed High fibre nuts and sugar beet. Someone recommended taking her off the current diet and switching to a non-heating mix. I was reluctant due to the starch content sending her even more doolally - but - she since she has been on the mix she has changed completely. Very calm, more respectful and generally a more pleasant horse.

Bailey's No.17 if you're interested.

 

[scotsmare]

I use Baileys 17 on the mare I was talking about when generally they get Baileys 4, never noticed a change in her behaviour though!

 

[Frances28]

TBH it was the sugar beet that wasn't doing her any good. I took my friend's advice and whacked her on the no.17 - saves all that messing about with soaking etc. Nuts just look a bit dull all on their own!

Being a TB she has a bit of trouble keeping her weight on and the no.17 has helped her tremendously. Her topline is looking great and she's holding her own.

 

[scotsmare]

It's a great feed for what it does, try speedibeet if you need sugar beet as theres no molasses. Would agree that nuts look dull on their own but that was my comment earlier about it being a people pleaser!

 

[RachelB]

There tends to be slightly more energy in the mix version of a feed than the nuts (go on Spillers' or Baileys' websites and have a peek) but other than that... mixes are more attractive to the owner! Some horses don't like one or the other though, I knew a horse who wouldn't eat any chaff apart from Spillers Happy Hoof so she had that with her Bailey's No 17 mix, but she'd snuffle out all the nuts from the HH and leave them! My horse thinks that's damned fussy, she'd eat anything (edible or not)

 

[MerryMaker]

[ QUOTE ]
Most nuts and mixes are the same (eg. Pasture nuts or mix are the same), it's just that mixes look nicer and are more expensive. Another money making scheme from feed companies.

[/ QUOTE ]


Generally, nuts are much lower in starch cereals and sugar making them less heating. This isn't always the case, but if you have a fizzy horse it is always best to check with the feed company before feeding a mix to a fizzy horse, and you would certainly NEVER feed a mix or a cereal based nut to a laminitic.

 

[Amys_Babies]

I feed buddy both, but it is the dodson and horrel build up mix he has with pony nuts and alfa-a.

 

[MagicMelon]

When I worked in a feed shop, all the feed bods (D&H, Spillers etc.) basically said there is no difference whatsoever between the quality of them (ie. no sweepings off the floor go into cubes!!) but they purely make mixes for the owners who think it looks tastier. Mixes are more expensive because of it.

I feed conditioning cubes to one of mine and a mix to another, however the mix I get only comes in that form so I have no choice!

 

[spitchwick]

I never feed nuts due to the fact that one of my mares nearly choked to death on one, and if it hadn't been for the fact that my vet was on the premises she probably would have done, so for practical reasons, nuts go nowhere near my ponies .

 

[conniegirl]

i feed nuts to 3 of my ponies and a mix to one of them.
the one that gets a mix, gets the allen and page cereal and sugar intollerance meal because he is allergic to cereals it is the only feed with ne cereals in it so it has to be a mix.