My daily feed budget for winter

[Miss L Toe]

Trying to buy best value minerals is a bit of a minefield, barefoot pony is 15.00 and in light work, but I like to feed from now to Christmas and then start slimming him for spring.
The micronised linseed cost per day........................ 17p
Fast Fibre and non molassed s beet ...................... is 25p
Chaff is ...............................................................10p
Oats ................................................................... 10p
Mins and vits ........................................................ 35p
Total ................................................................... 97p

I know he is not getting max minerals and vitamins, but he is on rough grazing every day, and always looks pretty good.
It is a bit frightening, as I have tried to keep quality up but keep on a tight budget. Could easily have paid £1.50 per day for a similar diet.
Just keep reminding myself that I have saved £500 a year on farrier fees!
I just paid £11.8- for 20Kgs of bruised oats, that is about £590 per tonne, farmers will be getting paid £200 or less!

 

[horsesatemymoney]

that's pretty similar to what I was thinking of using. But maybe adding like a daily vits and mineral supplement, was considering a balancer but think that this would do the same job? It's so confusing too much choice! and if it's only for 2/3 months that you're feeding, it's not too bad

 

[Miss L Toe]

that's pretty similar to what I was thinking of using. But maybe adding like a daily vits and mineral supplement, was considering a balancer but think that this would do the same job? It's so confusing too much choice! and if it's only for 2/3 months that you're feeding, it's not too bad

Oh no he will get feed all winter, but just a bit less if "FAT"
I like him to have a proper feed of chaff and mash at night, as this will help with digestion, anything to prevent a vet callout! He gets a smaller feed in morning to keep him warm when out.

 

[horsesatemymoney]

Sorry just saw vits supplement ....how micronised linseed do you feed? What is the reason for oats (I like straights but always have an image if oats being equine red bull probably wrongly !)

 

[Miss L Toe]

He will get 100gms ie two coffee cups of micronised linseed meal [energy, joints, skin, hooves], the barefoot diet is hi fibre with oil for energy.
The oats are a new idea, he can't take barley, but I need something to give him a bit of variety, he would not get much, oats are proper horse feed, unlike barley rings and wheatfeed thats is found in pony nuts. He gets no molasses either as I need to control his temperament, also sugars are bad for feet, he is barefoot.
I could feed balancer, but I like him to have a proper bowl of food on a cold night, and the ingredients in a balancer take things out of my control.
It is just a wee pick of oats to get him to come to the gate or to make his feed more exciting, though the Dengie chaff non molassed is very tasty. I like to use a variety of fibre sources, as this is his main source of warmth and body building [otherwise known as topline these days]
The minerals contain magnesium as this is indicated for anxiety and also for barefoot horses.

 

[touchstone]

Looking at that I think you're probably doubling up unnecessarily tbh; I'd drop the oats, unless in hard work they aren't really necesary and you could feed fast fibre without adding sugar beet/chaff as it is basically chaff and beet with added vits and mins, or just feed chaff and beet or chaff and ff if you want to increase bulk. Even feeding hay/haylage and just chaff is providing a variety of fibre.

 

[Queenbee]

Trying to buy best value minerals is a bit of a minefield, barefoot pony is 15.00 and in light work, but I like to feed from now to Christmas and then start slimming him for spring.
The micronised linseed cost per day........................ 17p
Fast Fibre and non molassed s beet ...................... is 25p
Chaff is ...............................................................10p
Oats ................................................................... 10p
Mins and vits ........................................................ 35p
Total ................................................................... 97p

I know he is not getting max minerals and vitamins, but he is on rough grazing every day, and always looks pretty good.
It is a bit frightening, as I have tried to keep quality up but keep on a tight budget. Could easily have paid £1.50 per day for a similar diet.
Just keep reminding myself that I have saved £500 a year on farrier fees!
I just paid £11.8- for 20Kgs of bruised oats, that is about £590 per tonne, farmers will be getting paid £200 or less!

Just out of interest, how much fast fibre do you feed daily and what is the price without s beet?

 

[Miss L Toe]

I don't increase the amount of FF if adding s b pulp, I reduce the FF, so that he gets the same total weight, and they cost the same [sb is a bit less but is lower in minerals], its just a variety of fibrous sources, the Chaff is only a handful, it is very tasty, has oat straw and herbs, oats are only used to bring him in from the field or to pump him up if doing a bit more work. He only gets a small amount, 20kg bag should last 120days unless he starts getting more work.
Per feed is less than a pet scoop when dry, FF+Sb, I think a 20kg bag would last 40 days, that is 500gms per day [two feeds per day in winter]