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Post by kirsten on Dec 20, 2012 15:11:06 GMT 1
Hi All!
Quick question - my old boy is on Fast Fibre as a hay replacer but finishes all the feed very quickly, despite us trying to feed regularly and giving the last bucket late at night, usually about midnight. I'm back at him at 6/7am to feed again as I am so worried about ulcers etc. Its killing me! I do give him huge amounts esp at night (the equivalent of 3 or 4 sections of hay a night) as he is a 16hh heavy cob. I've seen him polish this amount off in under 2 hours! Weight wise he looks perfect (not just my opinion)! He has a salt lick.
Is there any easier way? (We just do this when the gound is frozen, or else I might actually keel over)!
Thanks, Kirsten
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Post by jill on Dec 20, 2012 15:20:12 GMT 1
Can he not eat chop? Mix the chop with it well and he will pick out what he wants, it could take HOURS!!.
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Post by kirsten on Dec 20, 2012 15:27:16 GMT 1
Thanks but have tried chaff (is that what you mean?) and he has choked several times, even on soaked stuff for veterans
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Post by mandal on Dec 20, 2012 15:41:42 GMT 1
I can't help I'm afraid but am interested in replies for future reference. I take it he chokes on hay? What about wet/soaked hay?
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Post by donnalex on Dec 20, 2012 16:07:47 GMT 1
Soaked sugar beet? That is less long so hopefully he wont choke on it.
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Post by kirsten on Dec 20, 2012 16:39:41 GMT 1
Thanks for replies. He quids hay/soaked hay/haylage and now won't touch it. I have just started him on sugar beet (before he was on alfabeet) but he still scoffs!
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Post by clara81 on Dec 20, 2012 16:52:11 GMT 1
I have the same problem with my old lady, although she is only 11.2. I give her fast fibre, soaked grass nuts and sugar beet. The grass nuts seem to bulk it out a bit. She can't eat chaff but she just quids it, she doesn't choke thank god.
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Post by kirsten on Dec 20, 2012 18:38:40 GMT 1
Thanks - will look into grass nuts.
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Post by shan on Dec 20, 2012 22:26:32 GMT 1
Try putting a big pebble or two in his bucket so he has to eat round them  Could you put some in a treat ball? |
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Post by jen1 on Dec 20, 2012 23:45:02 GMT 1
we used to use a big rock to slow them down but i few huge rubber balls might be better ive had one break its tooth on a rock, i wonder if you were to get some small calf buckets and stuff it in i want to say quick dry, but thats not really what i mean, maybe when the fast fibre is thick, so the calf buckets should be no bigger than his muzzle so he has to lick it out , make it up with something heavy on top with the correct amount of water, i find with the recommended amount
that the FF goes mealy, so bucket, dry matter water quick mix something to compress it, like another bucket pressed down, so you kind of making your own blocks, let him has a bit loose for his tea, or what ever he has and hang the buckets up to mess about trying to get the compressed stuff out, Just ponder and a ramble but it might work,
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Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2012 12:03:54 GMT 1
How tasty is fast fibre? I wonder if soaked unmollassed sugarbeet would be less appealing and therefore he'd not be so inclinced to stuff it down. You could soak it in far more water than required and pour off the excess so it's even lower in sugar and give him loads of it.
IMO anything with even a tiny amount of mollasses in makes them much more inclined to eat quickly. If you go this way make sure you give him a balancer or similar in a separate feed so he's getting the protein and vits and mins he needs.
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Post by mandal on Dec 21, 2012 12:35:35 GMT 1
If she definitely doesn't choke on soaked hay I would leave her a small amount and she might chew on it if she feels hungry. Even saliva production and swallowing it is beneficial to ulcer prevention I believe.
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