What chaff do you feed?

[mushroom]

I picked up a price list from my local feed merchant at the weekend and was amazed to see so many cheaper brands than my usual Dengie.

What brand do you use?

 

[ThePony]

I use topspec topchop lite or badminton alfafa lite - I just buy whichever they have in. If they have both in then I just have the cheapest as they are just the same stuff! I feed them as they have no added sugar.

 

[mushroom]

Glosgirl, I'm looking for no added sugar as my horse gets fizzy on it so will look out for those two.

 

[TGM]

I picked up a price list from my local feed merchant at the weekend and was amazed to see so many cheaper brands than my usual Dengie.

What brand do you use?

Just remember when comparing prices to actually look at the bag weight - some chaffs are sold in 12.5kg bags which makes them sound very cheap compared to those sold in 20kg bags. They often look quite big in size because the chaff is loose in the bag, where some brands are densely packed.

 

[cindars]

Always use Hi-Fi Lite, perfect for dizzy blond arab mare.

 

[criso]

Also bear in mind that a straw chaff is going to be cheaper than the Alfalfa based chaff like the Dengie ones.
Topspec top chop lite works out more expensive than Hi fi lite but the top chop has the advantage of being sugar free which hi fi isn't.

 

[jack9]

feedstores own brand....


its £5 for a huggeg bag and so far its lasted 7 weeks and i still have half left...

its the horses sole feed and shes not a hardy type!

 

[thatsmygirl]

I use alfa a on the tbs and topspec chop lite on the ponies. Happy with both and wouldn't change to a cheap one

 

[celia]

Happy hoof. I've been using it for over 3 years now and wouldn't change - although TBH the reason I chose it initially was because it smells so good!

 

[ThoroughbredStar]

I use honey chop or mollichaff as usually the cheapest (buying two bags = 25kg and still under £10). Sugary and more fattening which i need on mine!

 

[Ali2]

I don't feed chaff cos of the mould inhibitors that are added to it. I feed alfa in pellet form - there's just alfa in it

 

[Perrie]

I was at my feedstore on Saturday asking for a bag of Dengie Alfa A Oil which is priced at £14.10 per bag, the assistant mentioned i should try Mollichaff extra as it's a lot cheaper & seems to do the same job but i would need to add Omega Oil.
Still thinking of whether to change or not.

XxX

 

[amandaco2]

i use equilibrium winergy so it has chaff in there already.

 

[celia]

I was at my feedstore on Saturday asking for a bag of Dengie Alfa A Oil which is priced at £14.10 per bag, the assistant mentioned i should try Mollichaff extra as it's a lot cheaper & seems to do the same job but i would need to add Omega Oil.
Still thinking of whether to change or not.

XxX

AFAIK, the Mollichaff is mainly chopped straw whereas the Alfa Oil is alfalfa - made from lucerne - and much higher in protein + energy. Depends what you want it for but if you're using it to provide energy or for weight gain I wouldn't think the mollichaff would do as well. If it's just to provide fibre and oil then it would probably be worth switching if you'd save money that way.

ETA: I'd shop around a bit as well - I pay about £12 for Alfa Oil, £14 sounds excessive!

 

[Laura1234]

I use Alf A Oil on my TB, would not change it. You should be able to get it cheaper the £14.00, shop around.

 

[posie_honey]

mollichop apple - full of suger but HRH likes it so who am i to argue

ETA - i really rate the dengie range buy my mare is alfalfa intollerant...

 

[TallyHo123]

I use alfa a, used to use alfa a oil but just the original works best for my gelding.

 

[criso]

I was at my feedstore on Saturday asking for a bag of Dengie Alfa A Oil which is priced at £14.10 per bag, the assistant mentioned i should try Mollichaff extra as it's a lot cheaper & seems to do the same job but i would need to add Omega Oil.
Still thinking of whether to change or not.

XxX

Completely different products as said.
Alfa A oil is alfalfa and oil
Mollichaff extra is chopped straw and mollasses
Mollichaff do an Alfalfa oil which would be the equivalent but I don't know if it's any cheaper than Alfa A Oil.

BTW I'm another than feeds the Dengie Alfalfa Pellets as they are the purest form.

 

[mcnaughty]

Actually don't feed any chaf or chop of any kind.

I called D & H for advice when my mare with foal starting to drop of drastically end July and was told to DOUBLE her intake of hard feed and to drop the chaf as she was already getting the forage from hay.

She was out 24/7 but there was absolutely NO grass in her field (well sort of brown dry, crispy stuf..) She was, however, getting a massive and I mean piled high wheelbarrow of hay twice a day.

It would be interesting to know if anybody else here does not feed and chaf at all???

Once the foal is weaned though and the mare comes back into work properly I will go back to the "normal" way of feeding...

 

[abbieandfiona]

I use dengie the bags have more in than the cheaper ones and i need less fat than whats in normal chaff for my girls!

 

[celia]

mcnaughty - I have always fed chaff of some kind with any hard feed and always will. I feel much happier knowing there is something there to encourage them to take their time and chew their feed properly - hopefully reducing any risk of choke or colic. I am a bit of a paranoid owner at times though!

 

[TGM]

It would be interesting to know if anybody else here does not feed and chaf at all???

I don't feed chaff to any of my horses at the moment. They are all on soaked feeds at present (Fast Fibre and Speedibeet), so don't have to worry about choking if they eat their feed too fast. And they have plenty of hay or haylage available, so I don't need to give them extra fibre.

Chaff does have it uses for individual horses, but I don't feel it is something that you have to feed to every horse.

 

[night_mare]

Dodson & Horrell Fibergy.

 

[criso]

They are all on soaked feeds at present (Fast Fibre and Speedibeet).

The main ingredients listed on fast fibre are Cereal Straw, Unmolassed Sugar Beet, Grass, Oat fibre, Linseed then minerals and vits so not that different to someone feeding a scoop of chaff and some sugar beet and adding some bits.

I feed Alfalfa pellets so not sure if people would count that under chaff, before that I was feeding Top Chop Alfa which alot would but the same basic ingredient.

 

[Ted's mum]

I use HIfi original with apple...

 

[spotty_pony]

Alfa A Oil and Mollichop Veteran.

 

[Maesfen]

I'm another that doesn't feed chaff as a rule but if I do, the only one I'll use now is Graze On. It's very clean, plain dried grass chop, smells lovely and the horses love it - when they get it! I detest Molliechop with a vengence, sticky horrid stuff and don't see much point to HiFi either although I'm sure both suit others very well, it's just me being faddy! I'll also use alfalfa pellets if they need them, prefer those to the chopped stuff which my horses don't tend to like.

 

[TGM]

The main ingredients listed on fast fibre are Cereal Straw, Unmolassed Sugar Beet, Grass, Oat fibre, Linseed then minerals and vits so not that different to someone feeding a scoop of chaff and some sugar beet and adding some bits.

I feed Alfalfa pellets so not sure if people would count that under chaff, before that I was feeding Top Chop Alfa which alot would but the same basic ingredient.

To me, a chaff is a short chop fibre feed, so I would not count Fast Fibre as a chaff! I have also fed other feeds soaked in the past without chaff, for example, Staypower Cubes. The point I was trying to make is that you don't necessarily have to feed a short chop fibre feed alongside whatever else you feed your horse.

PS: I know exactly what is in Fast Fibre, as I am the most avid reader of feed labels you can probably find (as most regular posters on here are probably aware)!

 

[criso]

PS: I know exactly what is in Fast Fibre, as I am the most avid reader of feed labels you can probably find (as most regular posters on here are probably aware)!

I know and the comment wasn't aimed at you but was meant as a general point and on a thread where the OP was advised in a feedshop that Alfa A oil and Mollichop Extra were interchangeable not everyone does read feed labels even if they are selling feed and advising customers, it seemed worth making the point that although you didn't feed a chaff as such, your feed includes some of the ingredients.

 

[criso]

If we don't count alfalfa pellets I don't feed a chaff.
I feed soaked alfalfa pellets and copra and linseed plus brewers yeast minerals/vits balanced to my forage.
Horse has adlib hay and haylage when he's not out eating grass.
I may add unmolassed sugarbeet over the winter depending on how he does.