Can I Just Feed My Horse Chaff?

Chaff or chopped straw is commonly fed to horses and ponies to bulk out their concentrate feed and to prevent them eating too quickly. Chaff is dried forage that has been cut into small pieces, in contrast to the long grass stems in hay and haylage.

How much chaff can you feed a horse?

For optimum digestive health horses must receive at least 1.5% of their body weight each day in roughage (grass, hay, chaff and other fibre sources) which would equal 7.5kg for a 500kg horse.

Do you add water to horse chaff?

Measures must be taken to avoid a horse bolting food; hard feed should include long fibre such as chaff to increase chewing time and the ration should be dampened down with water.

Can horses digest chaff?

Adding Everyday Molassed Chaff to your horse’s bucket feed will increase chew time and slow the rate of eating – eating chopped fibre takes 3 times as long as pellets or mixes. This helps your horse to digest and utilise their feed more efficiently and stops greedy horses from bolting their feed.

Can chaff cause colic in horses?

Another consideration is that chaff is mainly short fibre compared to the long fibre in hay and there is a higher risk of colic in horses fed all their fibre as short cut chaff.

Is hay better than chaff?

Hay provides increased chewing time when compared to chaff (cut hay). Under natural conditions, horses spend most of their time grazing, hence chewing, which is important for their dental health and stimulates saliva production, in turn buffering the gastric acid produced.

How long does chaff last once opened?

By opening the bag, the forage becomes exposed to oxygen and begins to lose its freshness. As a guide, Chaffhaye will remain fresh 7 to 14 days after opening, depending on weather conditions.

What are the benefits of chaff?

Chaffs are considered as a high fibre feed which is incredibly important for a horse’s digestive system and immune function. As horses are predominantly fibre digesters or hindgut fermenters, fibre is not just a ‘filler’, it is vital for their energy levels.

Can a horse have too much fibre?

In principle, a horse can never consume too much fibre. However, fibre absorption is more complicated than it may seem. Too much fibre from forage is not possible, but forage does not consist of fibre alone. It also supplies the horse with protein and energy.

What are the 10 rules of feeding horses?

Horse Feeding: The 10 Golden Rules

• Provide fresh clean water at all times.
• Always weigh feeds.
• Feed little and often.
• Use quality feeds.
• Feed according to bodyweight.
• Make changes gradually, including forage!
• Feed at the same time each day.
• Feed according to work done.

Is mixed chaff good for horses?

Some chaff is mixed with molasses or oils to aid palatability. It can also be added to grain rations to add bulk and increase chewing time to slow down horses that bolt their feed.

What are benefits of feeding chaff to horses?

The presence of a high fibre feed such as chaff in the stomach helps to neutralise stomach acid. Chaff will also encourage chewing, prolonging feeding time and the production of increased amounts of acid-buffering saliva.

How long can horses go without roughage?

If the horse has no access to roughage for longer than 4 hours, its feed will stay in its stomach too long, making the contents of the stomach too acidic.

Can you soak chaff?

Transforms into a mash – Traditional forms of chaff may provide a challenge for horses with dental issues. Extruded fibre cubes such as HYGAIN® FIBRESSENTIAL® can be soaked in water providing a high fibre mash for horses with poor dentition.

Is chaff good for horses with ulcers?

Horses at risk of gastric ulcers would benefit from the addition of lucerne forage (hay, chaff, or ensiled chaff) to their diet due to superior buffering capacity over grass forages. For those on a budget, plain lucerne chaff and hay are cheaper options than ensiled products.

Can a horse colic on too much feed?

Horse owners know to keep their animals and feed secure in order to prevent a loose horse from gorging on feed, as a sudden intake of a large quantity of feed can cause colic and laminitis.

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.

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 chaff is best for horses with ulcers?

alfalfa chaff
Any unmolassed chaff is suitable to be fed, however, an alfalfa chaff is often recommended for horses with EGUS. Alfalfa is naturally high in protein and calcium which is thought to help neutralise the stomach acid and thus lessen the risk of ulcers developing.

Can I feed chaff before riding?

Feeding a scoop of chaff 30 minutes before riding. This will help to soak up any excess stomach acid, reducing the risk of this splashing during exercise and causing ulcers.

How do you store chaff?

As a guide, Chaffhaye will remain fresh for 7 to 10 days, depending on weather conditions. For this reason, an opened bag should be stored in a cool, dry environment, and re-closed to prolong freshness.