Trying to simplify/reduce costs of my feed room...

[BarneyTheChestnutOne]

Hi All, with my 3 horses coming in at night now from last weekend, I went to the local feed shop to stock up on my usual array of feeds and was shocked at the price increases! This combined with having an extra mouth to feed this winter I am looking at whether there is a better way I can feed my 3.
All 3 are worked 5 days a week for an hour a day. New horse worked harder than others as she competes 2/3 times a month.
Currently feed:
Horse 1 (can drop weight in winter ): 1 scoop HiFi Molasses Free, 1 Scoop TopSpec Cool Condition Cubes, 1 mug Micronised Linseed, Progressive Earth Pro Hoof and salt. Split into 2 feeds a day. Ad lib haylage overnight.
Horse 2 (New horse): 1/2 scoop HiFi Molasses Free, 1/2 Scoop TopSpec Cool Condition Cubes, 1/4 mug Micronised Linseed and salt. Split into 2 feeds a day. Ad lib haylage overnight.
Horse 3 (ISH, very good doer): ¾ Scoop HiFi Molasses Free, ¼ mug Micronised Linseed and salt. Split into 2 feeds a day. 6kg double netted haylage overnight.

So after all that, what does everyone else feed their horses and why? I am feeding pro hoof to the one who definitely needs some form of balancer/supplement, but it is too expensive to feed 3 on it so is there an alternative that won’t break the bank?

 

[3OldPonies]

I think I would be looking at whether the micronized linseed is needed - after you all are feeding a conditioning cube, also whether there is a local hay supplier that could provide good quality hay at less than the price of the haylage.

 

[MissMistletoe]

We use round bales of meadow hay which work out oodles cheaper than small and are delivered for free from chap 3 miles away.

Shop around if you can! Eg. I use Pegasus nuts which were £7.40 from my local shop, but then after a bit of research found them at £5.65 at another shop!

Drop the linseed maybe? Yes I will get shot down for this, but ML is a bit over rated sometimes and the best way to put weight on IMO is to increase the hay/haylage.

 

[tabithakat64]

I would drop the conditioning cubes personally and see if they actually need them

 

[be positive]

I stopped feeding hifi in any form a few years ago, mine get pretty much adlib haylage so I couldn't see any reason to be feeding an expensive form of chopped forage just to make the bowl appear more full, they are happy with less quantity, if I need to add extra I use soaked grass nuts, fast fibre or speedibeet for added fibre, the only benefit I feel they may be missing is extended chewing time but they spend all night eating haylage so I cannot see much difference.
I think for horse 1 if he drops weight you would be better off giving something like alfalfa molasses free which has more calories or upping the linseed or cubes.
One of my liveries is on a conditioning cube and he has put on the weight he had dropped it is a less well known and considerably cheaper version, Hilight, may be worth trying for a while.

 

[Archangel]

I am a bit of a Thunderbrook convert so feel free to ignore my ramblings!

Ideally I would replace the MF with an unbranded hay/straw chop (my feed store makes their own and it is brill) and feed Thunderbrook base mix at maintenance level for horse 3 and varying levels to horse 1 & 2 and that is it.

If that is too much of a leap in the dark then I would still go with the unbranded hay/straw chop and use unbranded cubes and keep on with the linseed (I am a huge fan of linseed).

 

[Laura-Maybe-IV]

Hi, I had the same dilemma last year I had 4! Needless to say I've down sized to two.. Anyway my gang were, two shetlands, a TB that was hard to keep weight on and my 16.0hh Irish Sport horse who can drop weight.
I found the best option was to keep it as simple and as cheap as possible not always easy with 4..
Shetlands used to get Mollichaff Hoof Kind and Allen and page fast fibre
The TB and ISH used to get - Mollichaff Alfalfa and Allen and page calm and condition.

Now I have a two year old cob and still have the ISH. This winter the cob is on Mollichaff hoof kind and allen and page fast fibre, and the ISH is on the same. But if he drops weight I can up him to calm and condition.
Both have lovely shiny coats and good strong hooves they are fed at the recommended amount of the feeds so no need to add supplements, I've found this is the most cost effective way of feeding my gang without breaking the bank, I use around 1 1/2 bags a month of fast fibre and 2 bags of Mollichaff, they also get plenty of hay. The hard regime costs me around £30 a month.

Of course each horse is an individual and should be treated as such and what works for one might not work for another but this is what I find works best for my two.

 

[BarneyTheChestnutOne]

Thanks for everyones replies so far I am stabled at a livery yard which makes their own big bale hay and haylage and we just weigh our nets each day. We are not allowed to buy off the farm unless on vets advice. For the 2 on ad lib I always make sure they have some left in the morning, and for the restricted one I double net to last her longer, though she is on straw so does have a nibble on that if haylage is gone.
I think changing the cubes may be something to look at reducing these or changing to either a cheaper version, or some people at the yard feed oats instead?
I definately like the improvement I have seen feeding the linseed so don't want to drop this ideally. I could up this and reduce cubes?
I will have a look at the feed shop next time and see if they have an unbranded hay chop to swap too.
I couldn't get fussy horse to eat fast fibre/speedibeet or alfa a chaffs. He has had calm and condition before though, although had to feet quite a lot to maintain weight I did like the shine his coat got :/ Is the thunderbrooks a balancer type feed?

Thanks again everyone

 

[honetpot]

The feed companies are so good at making us think we need extras. When shopping round a few years a go, I was using Baileys for young stock I found out the feed balancer fed at reduced rates was OK for adult horses, so then I shopped for a new balancer and saved loads of money. This summer I had two old ponies I was bulking up and I just fed grass nuts and linseed and they did really well on it. I think linseed is amazing value as it has a very high DE and only one of mine will not eat it. I am a feed tart and although I do buy the odd bag of chaff, remember its mainly just chopped straw, I buy the cheapest per kg I can find.

 

[MrsNorris]

Replace the expensive chaff with unmollassed sugar beet, NOT kwik or speedibeet though, as its ridiculously expensive, try trident equibeet, I can get it locally for £5.50 for 20kg, horse loves it and its quite high in calories (about 12 MjDE/kg i think?) so good for weight maintenance. I feed it with a few oats and linseed, its very economical....

 

[WelshD]

I'm with be positive on the chaff, I've recently stopped using it for one of mine, I feel guilty handing over a wet sloppy cold feed but he doesn't seem at all bothered!


Take a closer look at the conditioning cubes, we sell feed where I work and the local mill's conditioning cubes are very good, they are cheap but purely because there is no one else involved in production and distribution so overheads are vastly reduced. The cubes are made and bagged at the mill then come straight from the mill to our shop. the price is similar to cheap cubes but the spec is much better and I tried Top Spec and Baileys before using these. What I am trying to say is that not all cheaper feeds are equal!

Also consider sugar beet, I used the mollassed stuff which is half the cost and rinse it thoroughly to get rid of some of the sugar

 

[wench]

If your not out competing, I'd recommend just using something cheap and cheerful like Pegasus nuts.

Few years ago I had a very thin horse with suspected digestive problems. She did just as well on the pegasus nuts as conditioning nuts.

 

[Archangel]

Is the thunderbrooks a balancer type feed?

Here is some info http://www.shop.thunderbrook.co.uk/base-mix---10kg-199-p.asp

It is expensive but you feed such a small amount.

 

[BarneyTheChestnutOne]

Thanks everyone I will have a bit of a shop around at the cubes and see what my local store stocks... I did see the hilight conditioning cubes last time I went so will look at the spec on those and for unbranded chop for now and see how I get on with this. As for balancer, I would like to feed them all a balancer but as the pro hoof is so expensive is there any others that people recommend? I am hoping that by feeding a balancer/vit=min supplement and upping the linseed that less cubes/chop would be needed in theory? I will have a look this evening at the thunderbrook, thanks RebelRebel.
As I cant get horse 1 to eat a beet type feed I am trying to steer clear of those for now

 

[Maesfen]

Personally, I'd drop any form of chaff and substitute it with grass nuts soaked; I prefer the Graze On ones as they are just grass, I don't like the Dengie alfalfa ones at all (neither do the horses, lol!) You can soak them to a sloppy mess (great if they have no teeth) but mine like them either just crumbly if I soak them alone or a bit sloppier if I soak them in with the sugar beet. Normal sugar beet is a lot cheaper so if yours can't tolerate molasses, then double rinse it before you feed.
I'd also keep the ML it can be a very underrated feed and you can also increase it if you need extra condition; I'd add oats if they can tolerate them, £8 for 25 kg rolled here so also cheap and cheerful. Countrywide do a value nut and a mix, both made by Spillers which won't break the bank either. If you want a reasonably priced balancer, then D & H Suregrow, while aimed at youngstock can be used for older horses too, it's about £15 for 20 kgs.

Mine (all youngsters so not in work) get the Countrywide mix or nuts, Suregrow, SB with micro linseed and brewers yeast (which is the base for Pink Powder without the price tag!) plus ad lib hay and look pretty decent on it, covered but not fat (last thing you want with youngsters)

 

[BarneyTheChestnutOne]

Personally, I'd drop any form of chaff and substitute it with grass nuts soaked; I prefer the Graze On ones as they are just grass, I don't like the Dengie alfalfa ones at all (neither do the horses, lol!) You can soak them to a sloppy mess (great if they have no teeth) but mine like them either just crumbly if I soak them alone or a bit sloppier if I soak them in with the sugar beet. Normal sugar beet is a lot cheaper so if yours can't tolerate molasses, then double rinse it before you feed.
I'd also keep the ML it can be a very underrated feed and you can also increase it if you need extra condition; I'd add oats if they can tolerate them, £8 for 25 kg rolled here so also cheap and cheerful. Countrywide do a value nut and a mix, both made by Spillers which won't break the bank either. If you want a reasonably priced balancer, then D & H Suregrow, while aimed at youngstock can be used for older horses too, it's about £15 for 20 kgs.

Mine (all youngsters so not in work) get the Countrywide mix or nuts, Suregrow, SB with micro linseed and brewers yeast (which is the base for Pink Powder without the price tag!) plus ad lib hay and look pretty decent on it, covered but not fat (last thing you want with youngsters)

Thank you - How much suregrow do you feed as looking at the recomendation its quite a lot for a balancer? Also, I have just compared different conditioning cubes online and some starch levels are at 20%! This is quite a lot isn't it? I am now thinking maybe I should swap these for either ERS pellets and/or grass nuts or high fibre nuggets (horse 1 liked these when fed a few years ago) ? x

 

[BeingKate]

Mine are all on Winergy Equilibrium which is an all-in-one feed. One is on High Energy, 3 are on Low Energy and foaly is on Growth so between 5 there are only 3 types of feed. Big man has a joint supplement but that's the only additive used.

 

[MissMistletoe]

Also to add, my ageing pony gained more weight from Pegasus nuts than from Dodson's Build up cubes!

I think it was the higher fibre content that won it and much much lower starch, so better for the gut and less fizz!

Just be careful with the protein content of grass nuts if you chose that route, some are 14-18% protein which may be too high for the older horse to deal with.

 

[BarneyTheChestnutOne]

Mine are all on Winergy Equilibrium which is an all-in-one feed. One is on High Energy, 3 are on Low Energy and foaly is on Growth so between 5 there are only 3 types of feed. Big man has a joint supplement but that's the only additive used.

Just did the diet calculator on their website and I would need to feed 3kg a day each @ approx £3 a day each which works out @ £90 a month at recommended rates, so works out quite expensive

 

[BeingKate]

Just did the diet calculator on their website and I would need to feed 3kg a day each @ approx £3 a day each which works out @ £90 a month at recommended rates, so works out quite expensive

I don't feed the full ration and they look fab 17hh on the High has prob about 2kg, little widget and big TB have half a scoop, look amaaazing, recommended rations are very high and if I fed at those rates I would be bankrupt! Hope that helps

 

[BarneyTheChestnutOne]

Also to add, my ageing pony gained more weight from Pegasus nuts than from Dodson's Build up cubes!

I think it was the higher fibre content that won it and much much lower starch, so better for the gut and less fizz!

Just be careful with the protein content of grass nuts if you chose that route, some are 14-18% protein which may be too high for the older horse to deal with.

Thanks - Mine are 6, 9 and 11 years old. The 11 year old is in the most work and the 9 year old needs something to help maintain his weight. I am going to have a good look at ers pellets, grass nuts and high fibre nuts and try these I think as I am worried about the starch content of the condition cubes (I will check the sack I have at the yard for my current cubes starch content).
6 year old only needs a token feed really for when others are fed. I might just put a vit/mineral lick in her stable alongside her salt lick so she will just need a token handful of what the other 2 are getting.

 

[Auslander]

Mine have Veteran Vitality in the spring/summer/autumn, and I shift them onto copra as the weather starts to get horrible. They don't have any chaff/chop, as they are eating grass/hay/haylage the whole time, just a scoop of slop with supplements if required.

 

[windand rain]

I am on a pension so no extra money so mine have soaked grass nuts "emerald feed" ones at 7.50 a bag a small handful of cheap alfalfa chaff, a small cup of ML and a broad spectrum vitamin mineral supplement. Only things added to that are salt at 25p a kilo and brewers yeast at 7.50 a kilo but I only use a very small amount of that a it doesn't take much to work I sometimes add a bit of well washed sugar beet in winter. This is the feed in a bucket they live out 24/7 are goodish doers but I do let them lose weight over winter and don't feed much hay they get about a section of small bale each per day when the field is bare of any grass or the baby starts wandering out her field. costs me about 30 per month for 4 ponies

 

[Magicmillbrook]

I did this a couple opf years ago and have saved a fortune. I have 4 with very different needs and all are fed on the following in different ratios. Unmollasssed sugarbeet (even kwic and speedi are economical). Grass nuts, feed shops own brand. Homemade chaff 50/50 hay & straw (£35 chaff cutter from farm auction). I then feed 365 feed balancer. Works out very cheap as you only feed a tiny amount. If someone looks like they are dropping weight I up the hay and grass nut. All are in superb health. Here is the feed balancer link http://www.equineanswers.co.uk/prodpage.asp?ProdID=1&gclid=CKWXy_y70sECFQMIwwod3WIAFA

I try to steer away from cubes etc.

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

Heheh so many answers! I am a feed merchant so hear all day long people's opinions on what to feed, regarding balances, Spiller lite bal 20kg is a good price at the moment, well under £20. Equi libra is well regarded and I think about £26. I'd cut out the chaff too, and try a cheaper brand of cube or mix, we supply Heygates trad mix at £6.55 and their horse and pony nuts at £5.95, their conditioning cubes are about £9.00.

 

[BarneyTheChestnutOne]

Thanks everyone you have all given me a lot of food for thought. As of tonight i have cut down the cubes and upped the linseed instead whilst i decide what i am going to do. At the moment i want to decide on a balancer so will look into all suggestions on that. Then i will look into either an unbranded chop or try to introduce a beet again, and keep the linseed/salt. Ers pellets seem to be a potential conditioning cubes replacement for the 2 that need a bit extra? But when I go to the feed shop I will have a shop around for good value fibre cubes that are less starchy x

 

[wench]

Hi fibre nuts are useless for a horse that needs calories, as they don't have many in them.

Another possibility is pure feeds? They do different types and works out quite economical to feed, iirc my 500kg tb had 2kg a day.

 

[BarneyTheChestnutOne]

Hi fibre nuts are useless for a horse that needs calories, as they don't have many in them.

Another possibility is pure feeds? They do different types and works out quite economical to feed, iirc my 500kg tb had 2kg a day.

I will have a look at this and give them a call tomorrow. Thanks x

 

[AdorableAlice]

If you want top, Equi Jewel goes a long way. Not cheap to buy but very little is needed.

I struggle to keep things simple, a 21 year old 17.2 cushings horse, a yearling, 3 yr old ID x, 3 yr old Shire, etc. All with differing needs.

The cushing horse has thrived on Veteran Vitality, pro hoof and adlib good quality hay. I am not a fan of slop but this stuff really has delivered for my lad.

ML, is a permanent feature in my feed room, as is grass nuts. I like the skin ML puts on them. Countrywide or own brand nuts, speedibeet and ad lib haylage keep the 3 year olds happy. Suregrow for the yearling.

With the fantastic weather and grass growth I haven't fed anything apart from the old boy yet.

 

[Arzada]

I would like to feed them all a balancer but as the pro hoof is so expensive is there any others that people recommend? (

Pro Balance, also from Pro Earth, is cheaper than Pro Hoof