What max % of grass pellets in diet?

[PurBee]

Hi all,

i’ve found a good quality source of grass pellets i can get delivered to me. I know horses must have long stem fibre forage sources, which mine get 100% at the moment. What percentage of grass pellets can be given as part of their fibre daily intake? Mine dont have teeth issues or anything health related. Its just i can get a tonne of fibre, thats clean, organic, grass based, and consistent quality, and introduces more grass species into their diet than the longstem fibre theyre currently on.

I’m thinking 20% of their forage intake with pellets. I’d add water to puff them and avoid bowel issues. obviously id start small introducing them.

Im asking because ive read conflicting info Regarding pellets and long stem forage being essential. Yet when i consider there are horses on 24/7/365 grazing of grass as their main source of forage....and mine are on 80% grass during grazing months...why would it then be considered ‘bad’ to feed just grass pellets as their forage intake when not out grazing grass?

 

[ycbm]

I was happy to have my TB on 4kg grass pellets and 8-10 kg forage last winter. My spotty is just moving to 3kg pellets and 8-10 kg forage. In both cases the forage was ad lib, that's just how much they took. I feed the pellets mixed half soaked half not, using the soaked as a sort of chaff to slow down the eating of the whole ones to prevent choke.

I agree with you on the comparison with grazing, I don't see the issue with replacing any amount of forage with grass pellets except the speed it will be gone from a boredom point of view.

 

[PurBee]

Thanks ycbm - good to know 20-30% works well.
yes the pellets would be chomped down much quicker than stem based hay - the only reason i would hesitate to use 100% pellets....yet in theory the 100% pellets should not cause gut distress from lack of fibre.

It would have to be a miniscule-holed net to slow down pellet speed chomping!