Youngster dropping weight - more haylage or cubes?

[GreyDot]

My soon to be 3 year old has started dropping weight. He is stabled at night (yard rules over winter) but out for at least 14 hours with other youngsters. Grazing is pretty poor due to limited grass growth, large field but never really grew over the summer when it was rested.
He has ad lib hay when he is in overnight, currently eating about 10kg of hay a night plus a feed of youngstock balancer, chaff and speedibeet for dinner and breakfast.

Am wanting to supplement with something - either to add youngstock mix/cubes or add haylage to his hay ration.

Any advice on what would help him out as he is a growing boy and we are only at the start of winter.

 

[ycbm]

If he is finishing his haylage then it's not ad lib. I wouldn't feed concentrates until he has haylage left uneaten, but that might mean haying the field. Can you do that?
.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Definitely unlimited forage and you can add in micronised linseed as well! Its great

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would up hay first give him enough so he has some left in the morning then I would also give hay in the morning before he goes out if grazing is poor, I'm thinking if your on a yard you can't hay in the fields as alot of yards don't allow it.

When my Arab was young he had hay in the field all through winter and add lib hay when he came in it was the only thing that kept weight on him.

 

[ihatework]

Worm, teeth and forage.
Try and stay away from stud cubes.
They do go light when they grow, it’s normal

 

[blitznbobs]

Forage all the way. I do feed a balancer to my youngstock (suregrow) but other than that as much hay / haylege as they can get doen their throat. I had the vet out for routine jabs and got her to look at one of my babies who i think is too thin and she said she was on the lean side but defo no hard food…

 

[GreyDot]

If he is finishing his haylage then it's not ad lib. I wouldn't feed concentrates until he has haylage left uneaten, but that might mean haying the field. Can you do that?
.

He always has some left in the morning, I put in about 12kg so I am just guessing that he eats 10kg.
Wormed in October and teeth have been checked.

@Pinkvboots - unfortunately no hay allowed in fields, but will offer new hay in the mornings to see if he takes it, but he is usually itching to get out and play.

Personally I want to stay away from adding hard feed, so it's good to read that forage is the way to go. He's definitely growing, just want to give him the best start while he develops and our winter field has never been so poor at this point of the year. Just never really grew while it was rested.

 

[ycbm]

You're between a rock and a hard place. If it's between keeping him in longer and feeding some bucket food I'd go for the bucket food, either minimal quantity of something high in oil or some cheap cubes maybe.

But I might get a vet's advice, it is normal for a 2½ year old to look ribby and is a lot better than them being fat at that age.
.

 

[hock]

My 2 year olds are wormed on round bales hay and are most definitely ribby but very fit and healthy (touchwood). They’re also unrugged through the last two winter (apart from learning to have a rug on) and are lightweight sports horse type. Every year they make me cringe a little inside but they’re sound and I am adamant they stay light as extra weight can be disastrous for their bones. They’re to produce but they’re treated as if they’re keepers so I’m not selling on a time bomb hopefully. They also go light and have a growth spurt and then fill out a bit more and repeat. The calories they must burn off in the paddocks they’re absolute idiots all day lol. If you can’t hay outside I’d be tempted to bring in earlier maybe. Mine have mineral licks but until the wet and cold/wind kicks properly in they’re just on as much hay as they can eat 24/7. I also have heavyweights so the contrast can be alarming. But I understand the stress of getting enough calories in but enough time out as well.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would add some linseed to his hard feeds it will help put some condition on him,I understand they don't want hay in the morning to desperate to get out, they do often look light anyway because they are growing.

 

[Hallo2012]

swapped my 4yo from hay to haylage and its definitely helped but it needs to be totally ad lib-he has 2 x big bale slices in a ton builders bag over night.