Youngster Help

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Kub

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I have a gorgeous 2 year old cob and wanted some advice as to feeding him over the winter as he'll be in at night. I'm currently thinking cubes, cool mix and some sugar beat, not too much of anything as he's not working but he is still growing so what would be good amounts?

Also, he in an absolutely hairy beast and is constantly malting. Could any suggest a particular good brush to groom him with as I can do it for ages and there's still more to come off him lol!

Thanks
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I wouldn't be feeding my 2yr old cob anything like that!
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The only thing you'll do is make him fat and fizzy!

My 2yr old cob will be living out 24/7, unrugged, but will be getting nothing but adlib haylage and Balieys Low Cal Balancer with a little chaff. IF he starts to drop weigth (highly unlikely!) he'll get a speedibeet and Alfa-Oil.

I'd have your youngster on nothing but adlib hay/haylage and a balancer/supplement. I'd be suprised if he needs anything else. That will provide all the vits and minerals he needs for growing without him getting fat.

As for malting, he'll be finished fairly soon, and it's only his summer coat coming out. Just a plastic curry comb or a shedding blade does the trick. Just wait till the spring when his 6" winter coat is coming out! :0
 
if he's not going to be rugged through the winter, i'd just groom him with a dandy brush or plastic curry comb for now, this will get his moulting coat out.
i second Kallibear's suggestion of feed, i wouldn't have him on nuts or mix, just decent forage and a good balancer.
 
I've just received some feed advice for my 2 year old cob from D&H and they have advised to feed Ultimate Balancer with a handful of Alfalfa Chaff and if she drops weight over winter to feed Mare & Youngstock Mix and always offer adlib hay. They advised not to feed Suregrow to native/cobs as it is formulated for Thoroughbred youngsters.
 
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The D&H stud balancer is formulated for tb's, are you sure it was the suregrow that they said not for natives and not the stud balancer??
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Suregrow quotes: 'The high specification formulation means that it can be fed in low quantities to avoid the risk of your youngster becoming overweight'
http://www.dodsonandhorrell.com/products/horse-ranges/breeding/suregrow.html

Stud balancer quotes: 'A versatile balancer that can be fed to breeding thoroughbred mares, stallions and youngstock including weanlings and yearlings'
http://www.dodsonandhorrell.com/products/horse-ranges/breeding/stud-balancer.html

I only ask as it was recommended for my warmblood x foal and welsh foal!
 
Thanks peeps. I would like to keep him turned out 24/7 as he doesn't need to be in but due to grazing etc. I will probably have to bring him in a bit if the weather turns nasty again this year. He will be rugged if it's particularly wet or windy, but that'll be it.

I'm currently giving him a handful of nuts in the evening to improve catching him, using it to get his attention and head collar on then giving it to him. Is this a bad idea?

Is there any particular chaff I should be using? I've got plenty of this years' hay for him.

Also, I put a new bed down for him this evening as he will be in on Friday night due to worming (bedding is shavings). First thing he did was start eating it! He did it for a little while and then stopped, but is this normal? Don't want him eating it all on Friday night, it can't be good for him...

There's a picture of him here: http://www.retrojunkies.co.uk/kub/harrya.jpg (tried adding these to my sig but the website is messing up so will try again tomorrow)

Thanks
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Aww, he's cute. Not as cute as mine obviously, but not bad
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The shavings eating should stop once he's found it's not edible. Mine like to do things like that. If not, try spraying it with a little dilute Jeys fluid so it smells and tastes horrible.

I feed Dengie Good-Doer chaff as it's not smothered in molasses, it's flavoured with mint, it's low calorie and it's fairly cheap ( a #12 bag (pound sign not working!) lasts a couple of months at a handful a day). It can be used as a complete feed but them you have to feed a huge amount to make up the vits and minerals. Dengie hifi lite is similar but not mint flavoured.

And a handful of grass/fibre/pony nuts won't do him any harm at all.
 
I wouldnt be feeding him anything except a good supplement and a cup full of balancer.

Give ad lib hay/haylage.

You dont want your youngster overweight at all and looking at him, as you say, there isnt any danger of him wasting away!.

V cute.
 
Yeah, I think the shavings thing will wear off, he didn't eat half as much last night lol.

What sort of thing should I feed him to give the vitamins and minerals then? Would chaff supply this or a lick or something? (Sorry, pretty new to all this lol)

He's definitely a well built boy, just want to make sure he's getting what he needs to grow to his full potential without making him fat
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