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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 304
Location: Up and over to the right | This is not the optimal situation but it's the only one that let's me keep my horse so I'm hoping for some opinions.
Long story short everytime I bring my horse to school (college) he loses 100-150# by spring. I absolutely know that it's because the hay fed is not near quality or quantity of that in which is fed at my home barn. As soon as he comes home he gains it back just fine. The BO will not feed more hay (8mce fought it) but that is the only problem that I have run into (facilities and other care are great).
My question is, to keep the weight on would I be better off having them feed a hay pellet every day split up with his grain rations (1/2 lb 14% pellet) or should I just add a bucket of chopped hay (5 days/week) when I am there. Too many grabby hands and people "forgetting" about the chopped hay if I had them feed. Is it safe to feed chopped hay like that? I'd rather feed chopped but if that could cause a colic situation then I'd rather do pellets I guess. Thoughts, opinions, other options? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 304
Location: Up and over to the right | Bump anyone? |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 554
 
| I like adding pellets. I have never fed chopped hay. I feed hay and pellets. When I want to add weight pellets are good with grain. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 304
Location: Up and over to the right | Night bump |
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Location: Oregon | I like pellets personally but soak them first so they don't choke |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 507
Location: Lost in the corn of Iowa. | I feed the pellets. I don't usually get the greatest hay in nutrition value. Usually water way grass hay. So it's primarily a filler only and my horses loose weight. So I feed the equivalent weight of a flake of alfalfa hay. Have been doing this since last year. It works out to be cheaper than paying the price for alfalfa hay in my area and keeps a good all over condition to them. You can either wet them down or not, it's personal choice. |
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  Friendly horse swapper
Posts: 4122
Location: Buffalo, TX | I've tried both to keep weight on an older horse....the best thing I have found is called Chaffhaye (pasture in a bag)...you can Google it for their website...I love this stuff so much better than pellets, much less chance of colic... |
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| Cindy Hamilton - 2014-07-28 1:43 PM
I've tried both to keep weight on an older horse....the best thing I have found is called Chaffhaye (pasture in a bag)...you can Google it for their website...I love this stuff so much better than pellets, much less chance of colic...
I'm really wanting to try Chaffhaye. How much did you end up feeding a day? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 507
Location: Lost in the corn of Iowa. | I have always been interested in the chaffhaye too. I wonder what the cost per bag is compared to a traditional bale or even pellets are. Hmmmm.. |
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| Girls_Gotta_Jet - 2014-07-28 2:18 PM
I have always been interested in the chaffhaye too. I wonder what the cost per bag is compared to a traditional bale or even pellets are. Hmmmm..
I'm waiting on a call back from a coop 3 counties over on a price quote. I plan to mix with half a normal hay ration to hopefully extend the chaffhaye and only use 2 lbs a day instead of the recommended 4 lbs so that it will at least last me awhile. Well I mean I'm hoping LOL |
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | When you say chopped hay are you meaning cubes? |
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Friendly horse swapper
Posts: 4122
Location: Buffalo, TX | It looks like chopped up hay with a molasses feel to it...I was feeding a 35 yr. old mare and she was having trouble eating, so I never had a set amount...I would follow the recommendations on the bag...I got it at S&S feed in Shawnee and paid $12.25 a bag, but it says to feed a 1000 horse 15 lbs. a day, so it'll cost around $125 a month to feed it, not too bad for the quality. |
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