Oats - sorry I know this has been done before...

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sonjafoers

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... but I can't find the answer when using Search without trawling through thousands of posts.

If I add oats to a forage based feed plus gp supplement will it unbalance the ration? I am only planning on adding small amounts for a bit of sparkle.

Also which type of oats are the best digested? I'm very confused about crushed/rolled/naked/whole :o

Thank you
 
it depends what else you feed, if you feed sugar beet / alflafa then no it won't unbalance.

If you are looking as a sole feed then the tiger oats come with a balancer.

I've not worked out if it is cheaper to get the oats independently and a balancer, as I feed with sugar beet and alfalfa nuts.

Whole oats, are with the husk intact, naked oats have the husk removed, crushed / rolled have the husk "broken" and can be more easily digestible.

My mare has poor teeth, so she gets the rolled oats soaked (she's 31) as a topper if she needs to put weight on.
 
Ah ok thank you guys.

I am looking at using Spillers Conditioning Fibre with the oats, I will also keep the Baileys Outshine and Equimins Advance Complete which they are already on.

One of mine won't eat sugarbeet or whole alfalfa products ( although she will eat the Spillers product which is an alfalfa & straw combination ) so it may be best for me to use Tiger Oats as they contain the balancer.

Phew, this isn't easy is it :rolleyes:
 
naked oats will be the best digested but go off the quickest.
I wouldn't use whole oats as the husk is intact (like AW said) - best to have them rolled or crushed.
 
Coss, that changes my Tiger Oats plan!

If I get rolled or crushed will they cause an imbalance based on the diet I'm planning?
 
You can buy an oat balancer but I cant remember which company makes it.

Oh and I swapped from tiger oats to crushed oats and havnt noticed a diffrence appart from the price :cool:
 
Would I need an oat balancer dafthoss if I'm only feeding small amounts - say half a stubbs scoop?

Do you think there isn't much difference digestion wise then as you are getting the same results from each product?

Oh, I thought this was going to be reasonably easy but I'm not so sure now!
 
oats are calcium deficient but if your soil is high in calcium or you feed anything else that is high in calcium then that will balance it out- if you're not adding very much then I shouldn't think there would be a big issue.
you say you're feeding something with alfalfa in - that is high in calcium so should balance the oats :)
 
What coss said it depends how much you are feeding. I feed about half a stubbs scoop and dont feed a balancer but I dont feed them long term he only has them when competing, if your worried though you could always add lime stone flower as thats cheap and full of calcium.

Nope only diffrence is tiger oats are twice the price :cool: have exactly the same effect so far if not better with the crushed oats.
 
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