limited feed...hay vrs compressed cut hay

[krissy3]

Hi,

I changed my topic, because I found a source for feed this morning, and I am happy with the product i found and the customer service

... but would still like to know how people feel about compressed chopped hay vrs normal hay you buy in the bale. They say its virtualy dust free, and a lot healthier. Anyone use this , and do you like it?

another question. I finally found a coffee grinder and can now grind my flax seed, how much do you give your horses ' I hear 2 tablespoons , and 1/4 cup... I guess thats not too much of a difference. Does everyone somewhat agree , a small scoop of flax?

 

[Shari]

I feed compressed hay by weight at first, then adjusted to each horse. For the plain flax seed, I like the results I see when I feed a 1/4 cup.

 

[muffntuf]

Wow you feed a 1/4 cup flax seed to miniatures? I am just feeding 1 TBL to my ponies. How did you come up with that, I am thinking I may readjust that.

 

[Sue_C.]

I feed my horses 1/8 cup of ground flax morning and night. As for the chopped hay, I have no experience with that. Try reserching it here on the forum, as I do recall there being a few posts/discussions about it.

 

[Mominis]

I feed chopped hay, 2 pounds of it, daily to Shake. In fact, I jus started a topic on the main forum as I am considering dropping his brome hay in favor of going all chops. The vet advised me to drop his hay back a bit and the brome is what I'd rather lose v the chops. He does well on the chops. His poo looks better with the chops, for one. Also, he doesn't bolt them like a feed, he grazes on them like a hay. I've had no problem whatsoever with them.

I started him on 1 pound of the chops (TNT chops..timothy/alfalfa is what I'm using) and upped it to two pounds in addition to his free choice brome when we started conditioning him.

For the flaxseed, start him low and work him up. Start with 1/2 TBSP and slowly raise it. Just google the benefits of ground flaxseed, I'm sure you will be sold on it like I am!

 

[krissy3]

Thanks all,

i finally found a grinder , Its difficult living in a forign country sometimes. I am going with this product I found, the raw protien is 7 to 8% per kilo, and the recomendation is 2 kilos per day with hay as a side dish. The only thing it doesnt have is silinium , and beet pulp. the silinuim i WILL GIVE SEPARATLY ..opps cap lock . and can add to this as I need it , like for fitness etc. I have been giving flax , but not ground, so I will start with a espresso spoon.

Thanks for the info.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Hi, Is compressed chopped hay "hay cubes" or something else. Just trying to get some education here. I know my feed store has some bagged stuff that they call "dengi" or something like that, but I do not feed it. Do you soak the hay cubes if you are talking about hay cubes? I am looking into alternatives for when fine grass hay is hard to find . thanks

 

[muffntuf]

I am not sure what they mean by chopped hay, where I live chopped hay is more a hay silage that has a molasses coating and it is bagged air tight. The other possible chopped hay product I know is the dry hay cubes. Compressed hay is supposed to be a very small bale tightly compressed, but weighs the same as a normal bale. More easily stored??

 

[Shari]

Yes, Compressed hay, is a bale of hay very tightly compressed, and made much smaller than a normal square bale of hay. You have to be careful opening them, because they are under pressure, they do tend to explode a bit.

 

[Mominis]

The chops that use are like alfalfa cubes, only they aren't compressed. They are loose. I worried about choke in giving alfalfa cubes or pellets and the chops are both timothy and alfalfa, so I don't feel like I'm O.D.ing on alfalfa, though he's getting it into his diet. It just looks like the "crumbs" that are left in the bottom of the hay feeder after a horse eats a flake of hay. They are 1" or so long pieces and they smell wonderful.

 

[krissy3]

we call them briquetts here, and they are the size of a large orange, the hay is chopped , vitamins added , and the horses have to rip it apart to eat it . This takes them longer to eat, and there is no dust, or risk of mold. The alfalfa cubes are about 1/8 of this product. I have also heard of horses choaking on cubes.