Most economical forage replacer for skinny tb who isn't keen on hay or haylage

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Princess P

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Hello
My yard doesn't manage the grazing very well and all the paddocks are bare.

I have a skinny tb who could do with lots of dr green but we have no grass and he doesn't really like hay or haylage! I have tried several batches and had his teeth done properly under sedation but he just won't eat much. A couple of slices in the stable at night and won't touch it in the field.

What would be a good forage replacer to help him gain weight but not get hot?

He already has blue bag grass pellets and lucie pellets and Alfa a original as the basis for his 3x daily feeds but I'm wondering if there is anything else that doesn't cost the earth that I can feed him to make up for lack of grass?

Thanks in advance for any help
X
 
Yes, unmollassed beet pulp. High in fibre and with a sufficient level of protein, my veteran mare who can't swallow forage lives on it during the winter. Speedybeet or similar works for us, alternatively you can use the normal beet pulp and soak/rinse/soak to remove a lot of the sugars, but it is a bit of a faff!
 
Agree unmollassed sugar beet I use it all year round costs about £7 a bag and lasts ages for two horses just as a short feed, you could try some micronised linseed its about £18 for a large bag great for weight and condition, one of mine gets about 400gr a day for condition.
 
Thanks for replies so far, he already gets linseed, 3 mugs a day and oil and simple total eclipse added to his feed.

Just want something bulky to replace the grass that we don't have and the hay / haylage he doesn't like!

Am praying for a better year of hay making weather, don't think I can handle another winter like this! :-)
 
Fast fibre is good! Its cheap and I add linseed for extra protein. Non heating too and because it swells it goes a long way:)
 
Increase his hay ration at night to adlib. Grass is much tastier than hay generally. :D I'd also look at adding some gut support such as yea sac and reduce dietary sugars as much as possible. Excess sugars and starch can upset the hindgut so reducing nutrient absorption.
 
Dried grass? I've been using that for last year for poor doer,tiny appetite TB. I add some to his feed then also some in a seperate feed bucket. Also mine loves spillers conditioning chaff so I sometimes add that in to the dried grass as well. I read something that said horses like this like lots of different things to pick at & this seems to work with mine. Fenugreek can also really improve the appetite as well. I also use speedibeet in with feed s well.
 
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