Chaff Argh

joellie

joellie

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2011
3,191
3,164
113
N.Ireland
I can't get the chaff I usually buy for my good doer and not so good doer with cushings, the machine has broke down and the can't mix it:rolleyes: I saw a bag of Dengie Meadow grass with herbs, no added sugar and thought "ooh sounds good" doesnt give much nutrient analysis on the bag but sounded all very good. Bought it ,brought it home and looked it up on Dengies site to check the sugar and starch etc..
They have stated on their website It is not suitable for overweight or laminitic prone horses or ponies!!! and when i looked at the nutrition analysis it has 12% sugar 10 protein etc. I didn't open it and will bring it back tomorrow but I don't know what to use now as I have in the past used hifi mollases free or hifi lite until the wee one started to refuse to eat it. The chaff I have been buying is the only one he seems to like and hasn't went off... I also don't like changing feed when it seems to be working so well:(...sorry just a bit of a rant...frustrated:mad:
 
I've just ordered in honeychop lite and healthy, it sounds good and I'm hoping my two will eat it, its only 5.5% sugar but has nice aromatic herbs in so I'm hopeful that will make up for it :)
Mine do get dried grass (redigrass or similar) on occasion, I just try to keep it as a treat or use just a sprinkling to top dress things they don't like.
 
I was going to recommend Honeychop Lite & Healthy too, I've been feeding it for a while & it seems to be going down well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey
@joellie I looked at the meadow grass then saw the sugar and starch content! Char is on Hi fi Lite but literally just a small handful as I think it does have some Alfa a in. @MrC Charlie loved the healthy tummy but after 2 weeks he turned into a spooky idiot! After looking into it a lot of people had experienced the same, it has the same levels of protein as a medium competition mix and some horses can't tolerate the alfra a pellets. I can't feed Charlie anything even speedi beat makes him daft, luckily he holds his weight well and definitely doesn't need anymore energy.
 
I need a decent protein level and extra vit E for Kia to help his muscle and top line. He's a fussy bugger so anything he eats and keeps eating must be tasty lol
 
Thanks everyone for the replies. The Honeychop sounded ideal but i did a bit of research and nobody stocks it in Northern Ireland and I don't want to start ordering it online and pay for postage etc plus with a feed I prefer to be able to get it locally. I have went for the Dengie healthy hooves...my options were very limited. I hope they like it and do ok. They are both barefoot and Marleys feet are great now, really strong so I would hate to undo all the good work..

Healthy Hooves nutrition analysis vs my old chaff

Typical analysis ‘as fed’

Digestible Energy 8.5MJ/kg
Protein 9%
Oil 2.5%
Ash (mineral) 9.5
Fibre 27%
Copper 12mg/kg
Selenium 0.25mg/kg
Zinc 64mg/kg
Biotin 6mg/kg
Sugar 5%
Starch 1.5%

Mollichaff I would ususally feed the hoofkind but if they ran out i would sometimes use the donkey as its quite similar. I am hoping to go back to it once it becomes available again.
@Jessey you are usually very good with nutrient analysis etc does anything stand out to you about this chaff?

analysis.jpg
 
Last edited:
@Lissie yes, Hi Fi Lite does have alfalfa in it, a lot of low sugar chaffs do. It was why I was so pleased to find the Lite & Healthy, it doesn't & that's very useful when Little Un doesn't tolerate it.
 
Nothing screaming from those, being what they are they are more a filler than a nutritional part of the diet, as is with most low cal chaff.

The only thing I could mention is I personally try to avoid any iron in feeds as most pasture is already high in iron and that can block the uptake of zinc and copper and in turn mess with feet and skin, but 100 mg/kg in the hoofkind isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things :)

My supplier doesn't stock the Lite & Healthy either, they are fab though and when I messaged them yesterday they said they would order it in for me :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: joellie
Thanks, I don't think mine would order it in for me. That's good though that nothing jumps out as being too bad. The big one only gets a handful of fast fibre soaked with a handful of the chaff twice a day, he really only gets it as wee man needs the two feeds a day in the winter months and it makes Marley think he is getting something. He also gets flax oil and a good supplement added into the 2nd feed along with his noni juice. The supplement is a German one that @Cortrasna mentioned on here a while back. The wee one gets 3 handfuls of fast fibre and 3 of chaff along with all the other bits. Its all a juggling act:rolleyes:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey
carthorse said:
@Lissie yes, Hi Fi Lite does have alfalfa in it, a lot of low sugar chaffs do. It was why I was so pleased to find the Lite & Healthy, it doesn't & that's very useful when Little Un doesn't tolerate it.
Click to expand...

Thought it did, thanks will look at the Lite & Healthy when I've gone through this bag, he gets hardly anything so will probably take a while though!
 
Well I could kick myself..:mad: Poor rummy has sore feet, I thought he was a bit footy the last few days but this morning he definitely was sore and I could feel heat in his feet. I put him out anyway as usual and he was a lot better at walking in the wet. cold field.
I went to get feed at the beginning of the week and they didn't have his usual or the Dengie Healthy hooves I had got as a replacement to his usual, but they had Dengie Hi fi mollasses free so I got two bags of that and started to feed that this week so it most definitely does not agree with him, the unopened bag got brought back to the suppliers this morning who thank goodness had his usual molichaff hoofkind feed ready. So he will be going straight back on it and hopefully his wee feet will settle down again. I am a great believer in if it aint broke don't fix it but when they ran out of his usual feed I was at a loss...if it happens again I will just give him the fast fibre with his supplements in until they just get his usual feed in again...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey
Damn, doesn't the hifi have some alfa in it? That can make some footy, I think thats why I switched off that last year, I have the memory of a gold fish this week o_O
 
Yes @Jessey it is alfalfa I should have known better that's why I could kick myself. He was doing so well for so long on the other chaff. He is very foot sore going over the short stretch of stones to the field. They are not as hot as they were, but still some heat in them. :(
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey
Alfalfa really doesn't suit some, and it's so common in feeds that you do have to read labels very carefully - from experience don't trust the shop staff, check for yourself. I expect it's already been said, but be aware that lucerne is another name for alfalfa.
 
  • Like
Reactions: joellie
I have a horse that is seriously insulin resistant but does not have Cushings. He has foundered. He is also a horse that not only can't have alfalfa, flax also gives him warm hooves.

Reaction to flax is not common but I do know one other lady on these forums whose IR horse can't have flax.

Just something to keep in the back of your mind.

Even mild founder can be painful and cause rotation of the coffin bones.

I have invested in ice hoof boots. However, bags of frozen peas work.

Duct tape them on the souls of both front hooves for 15-20 minutes, twice daily, While the horse is busy eating it's feedpan stuff, is the best time.

You may have to call the vet, you're feeling heat so the laminitis process has already had a head start. FWIW my horse passed the vet's hoof tester test with flying colors a week before he foundered big time.

Good luck:)
 
  • Like
Reactions: joellie
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back