Can Horses Eat Barley Straw?

A recent study investigating feeding barley straw to horses together with hay to those who were overweight, found the group on the straw/hay diet had a significantly greater weight loss compared to feeding hay alone.

Is barley safe for horses?

Barley is a palatable, nutritious and good cereal grain for horses. It is a traditional cereal for a horse’s diet. Barley should not be fed whole, but can be fed cracked, rolled, cut, steam flaked, boiled or micronised.

What happens if horses eat straw?

Lignin fiber is completely non-digestible in the digestive system of horses. If horses eat a large volume of straw, this lignin fiber accumulates in the digestive system and it can plug (impact) the digestive system. This results in severe colic and even death if not properly treated.

Is oat straw OK for horses?

You can feed oat hay, but feed it to mature horses and make sure nitrate levels are at acceptable levels. Oat hay is not a commonly fed hay but can be an effective hay for older horses. The oat hay needs to be harvested in the soft dough stage when the leaves and stems are still green.

Can wheat straw be fed to horses?

Results of this experiment indicate wheat straw and ammoniated wheat straw are acceptable to horses at a level of 50% of a forage diet. There was an advantage of ammoniated wheat straw compared to untreated wheat straw in the digestibility of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber in this study.

Is wheat or barley straw better for horses?

Wheat straw is the most common type used. It makes a warm, comfortable bed that is easy to handle as well as allowing free drainage. Wheat straw is usually readily available although it does tend to be the dustiest straw. Barley straw is often the least expensive but is not always the most suitable for horses.

What happens if a horse eats too much barley?

It very well may be a critical and time sensitive, life-threatening emergency. Possible consequences of this grain overload are diarrhea, colic, colitis, endotoxemia, metabolic acidosis and laminitis (founder).

What is the best straw to feed horses?

Oaten
What type of straw is best for horse feed? Oaten or barley straw is generally softer (less indigestible fibre) than wheaten straw and is therefore more commonly used for feed. If you have a feed analysis performed, look for an NDF of less than 65.

What straw is safe for horses?

What type of straw is best? Oat straw is the majority of the straw we use at Dengie, but in times of shortage we supplement with wheat straw to ensure we can maintain supply. The recent study by Jansson et al (2021) used 50% wheat straw to replace haylage with no ill effects and other studies have used barley straw.

How much straw can a horse safely eat?

Feed barley or oat straw, ideally not sprayed with chemicals and of good hygienic quality. Feed no more than 50% of the total forage amount as straw. NB Pat Harris suggests feeding no more than 25% of the total forage amount as straw.

What hay should horses not eat?

Types of Hay for Horses—What to Avoid

• Perennial ryegrass and rye.
• Dallisgrass.
• Argentine bahiagrass.
• Johnsongrass, Sorghum grasses/Sudangrass.
• Switchgrass, which causes photosensitivity, peeling skin, mouth ulcers and liver disease.
• Foxtail Millet (aka German Millet) and Meadow foxtail.

Is straw or hay better for horses?

Because it may provide a significant level of calories while presenting a hazard for choke or impaction, straw isn’t a great forage choice for most horses. It’s probably safer to find and feed a low-carbohydrate hay, soaking it before feeding to remove some water-soluble carbohydrates.

Are shavings or straw better for horses?

Absorbency- Shavings are much more absorbent than straw. Depending on your stable base, and how often your horse urinates, you should take into consideration how absorbant you need your bedding. It is important to maintain a straw bed free from manure, as ammonia can greatly affect the horse’s lungs.

Can a horse with laminitis eat straw?

Feeding good quality oat or barley straw as part of a horse’s forage consumption is also an option as it’s low in calories yet high in fibre. “For an overweight pony in light work, ideally we want to source low water soluble carbohydrate hay, or use soaked hay to reduce sugars, and limit access to fresh grazing.

What is the best way to feed hay to horses?

If the ground is grassy and relatively dry, consider feeding hay on the ground to mimic the way a horse naturally grazes. However, if your soil is sandy or gravelly, elevate hay off the ground when feeding via a hay net or manger, as horses can ingest sand or gravel which can lead to impaction colic.

Why is barley straw used in ponds?

Barley straw is used for the prevention of algae growth. When barley straw begins to decompose, it releases chemicals into the water that stunt the growth of algae, if used correctly.

What is the most digestible hay for horses?

Timothy hay is a popular choice because of its easy digestibility and may be more suitable for certain life stages. However, alfalfa hay has a higher calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, which makes it unsuitable for younger horses. Timothy hay has a balanced calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.

What is the cheapest bedding for horses?

Straw is one of the cheapest options available to use as horse bedding, however it does come with some drawbacks: Mould can form if it is harvested or stored improperly. Ingestion can cause impaction problems.

What is the best bedding for a horse stable?

Types of horse bedding

• Straw.
• Chopped straw.
• Wood shavings.
• Wood pellets.
• Hemp/flax.
• Rubber matting.
• Paper/cardboard.

Can barley cause colic in horses?

Straight grains, like corn, barley, sweet feed or oats, can contribute to the onset of colic in horses. Bagged feeds, which have higher-fiber ingredients, are processed so they are gentler on equine digestive tracts.

What are the disadvantages of barley?

It might cause gas, bloating, or feelings of fullness in some people. This usually lessens with continued use. Barley can also cause an allergic reaction in some people.