sonjafoers
Well-Known Member
As a general guide what percentage of starch is a sensible amount in a hard feed? There is 10% in the Winergy Equilibrium I feed but the feed I am looking at changing to is 22% - would this be considered high?
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Starch Levels in hard feed
- Thread starter sonjafoers
- Start date
Nari
Well-Known Member
If you're dealing with a laminitic or horse that has problems with starch then 10% seems to be the cut off point. However 22% isn't unusually high, most mixes that include cereals will have similar starch levels. For example, taken from the Spillers site as they're helpful enough to give starch figures (I often have to phone & ask others)
- Cool mix 20%
- Meadow herb mix 26%
- Horse & Pony cubes 14%
- Competition mix 28%
- Cool mix 20%
- Meadow herb mix 26%
- Horse & Pony cubes 14%
- Competition mix 28%
sonjafoers
Well-Known Member
Yes it does seem hard to get the information regarding starch levels - I had to phone Baileys to get it. I don't have a problem with laminitis etc so maybe the 22% will be fine, it just sounds high compared to what I'm feeding now.
teddyt
Well-Known Member
Just typed a reply and it didnt post! Grrr!
I'll try again! I think that with any horse the starch in their diet should be kept to a minimum. Horses predisposed to laminitis, azoturia or digestive problems will show a problem with starch much quicker than a comparable 'heathy' horse but overall the least starch the better for any horse.
Personally i think although there are many feeds with higher starch than 22%, you can still feed a diet without that much starch. Unless the horse is working very hard (very few horses really do) or the horse has special needs, there is no need to feed a diet that high in starch. More problems are caused with horses because of starch than without it.
There isnt really an accurate answer to how much starch is too much though because the digestion and reaction to it is a very individual thing and will vary from horse to horse.
I'll try again! I think that with any horse the starch in their diet should be kept to a minimum. Horses predisposed to laminitis, azoturia or digestive problems will show a problem with starch much quicker than a comparable 'heathy' horse but overall the least starch the better for any horse.
Personally i think although there are many feeds with higher starch than 22%, you can still feed a diet without that much starch. Unless the horse is working very hard (very few horses really do) or the horse has special needs, there is no need to feed a diet that high in starch. More problems are caused with horses because of starch than without it.
There isnt really an accurate answer to how much starch is too much though because the digestion and reaction to it is a very individual thing and will vary from horse to horse.
sonjafoers
Well-Known Member
OK thank you teddyt, perhaps I will just stick with the feed I'm on because to be honest my gut reaction is that 22% starch is too high (even though I've no technical reason for thinking that!)
teddyt
Well-Known Member
If the current diet is working ok then i would stick with it
wizzlewoo
Well-Known Member
The main reason for feeding starch is for energy, as Teddy has said if you are not requiring more energy then there is no reason to increase the level of starch even though 22% is fairly average for most economy mixes. Oil is a much healthier form of energy but then i personally would not drop below 5% starch in any feed as starch does have its advantage in small doses and it is very very difficult to get a feed with no starch in it as all feed types have some level of starch in. Sorry most of this post is what others have already said.