Nuts and no chaff?

G

Gentle_Warrior

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 December 2006
Messages
2,529
Visit site
Or very little chaff? 2 horses in same field, boss is fed happy hoof, minion is on lo cal and hi fi lite. Need both feeds to be the same size so boss does not get minions feed after his own. Fed a good space apart.

Anyone feed just nuts with no chaff? Or very little chaff compared to nuts?

I have always in my years tried to ensure bulk of the feed is chaff. Boss changing routine is not an option as not mine and is only needing a token to be checked over. Can't always be separated to feed.

Ta
 
I don't use chaff. The horses are out 24/7. eating grass or ad lib hay, so they are always full of roughage. I don't see any point in spending money on adding chopped up hay to their diet. I give them a scoop of nuts each, dampened down if they're getting supplements but often just dry from the bag. Nothing has choked/died yet!
I would probably rethink if I had one that bolted its feed though
 
Ours get very little chaff in summer, 1/4 scopp nuts to handful of chaff or so, I adjust it for each horse so they all finish their breakfast at the same time, makes turning out easier.
 
Some horse bolt nuts and get choke if there is nothing like chaff (or bran/oats/beet pulp etc) with it. Not always but it is a risk, one of mine did it twice before I twigged the "helper" wasn't adding to the nuts.
 
You could also feed minion a chaff as well to bulk out his food? happy hoof is for good doers so if this is your concern with minion it wouldn't matter. or if its the expense you could always feed a cheaper lo cal chaff.

Chaff is really just a bulker unless your feeding it for the vits and mins like happy hoof or an oil based for condition. This winter I plan to feed my poor doer TB Dengie Alfalfa unmollass with baileys number 4 with added oil for condition and my good doer poney Dengie Happy Hoof with Alan and page fast fibre just because I cannot feed one without the other lol
 
Last edited:
Not feeding the minion for the sake of it. Balancer being fed as he is very lack lustre and lacking quality at the moment.

OK cool, he is a quick eater, although learned to be I think. Will lessen the chaff and see how he does. Don't want to cut put altogether as fear of bolting issues! !!!

Thanks guy's
 
Yes, I have fed nuts on their own. However, I always add water to all feed. Never feed anything dry. Horses can choke on chaff as much as they can anything else. The only case of choke I have had here was on very fine haylage.
 
MagicMelon said:
I don't feed chaff, I feed nuts on their own (although also add wet ReadyMash to two of them). I find chaff a bit pointless if they live out and get plenty of hay.
Click to expand...

Chaff is far from pointless - it encourages them to chew, and chewing generates saliva which is part of the digestion process. Forage does the same but not at the same time as they are eating a bucket feed.
 
Mine gets a balancer with no chaff. So sort of the same thing! He gets ad lib hay/grazing and as he doesn't scoff his feed too quickly I have no need for chaff!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top