Grass Nuts??

[harleydales]

Has anyone/does anyone use them? Someone mentioned them to me and I have used them in the past as something in a bucket to catch ponies with, but not asa feed. The lady I was talking to said they are a good feed but wasn't sure about them replacng for example pasture mix.

My lot have a pretty easy winter, and I wondered if old Jenny and Mr Mule and possibly Apollo would thrive on them? They are cheaper than compound feeds.

Anyone any advise?
Thanks

[nars]

I have used the Simple System grass nuts. Not sure if they are the ones you mean, Jane. If it is the same feed, then they can replace hard feed.

[greydales]

I use Spillers Hi-fibre cubes, not sure if these are classed as grass nuts? I stopped giving mine mix a long time ago it does depend on your horse's type though.

[lancslass]

same here gill, i use the spillers hi fi nuts for dave...don't give him any mix, because even the non heat mix makes him explode!! LOL

i have fed the grass nuts jane and if you can get them to eat them i found them very good....not sure re: mix/ grass nuts.

my lot are on very good haylage so are on minimum hard feed, which im trying to keep fibre based.

[harveydales]

I had all mine on Spillers High Fibre nuts until recently. They did very well on them but ate them so fast that I've put Harvey and Quest back onto Dengie Hi Fi and old Winnie onto Allen and Page Calm and Condition.

[greydales]

I mix mine with Happy Hoof and a bit of Readigrass, but to be honest I feed them so rarely it doesn't make much difference, it's just a token feed when they are in or have been worked. All mine do too well on just grass and really don't need anything extra!

I've kept all extra feed fibre based for a long time.

[harveydales]

Me too, Gill. I've been feeding fibre only (other than Winnie's Calm and Condition pellets) for at least the last 15 years but I can still remember the days when feeding straights was the norm - all those bins of rolled oats, flaked maize, rolled barley, bran..............

[DalesLady]

we fed grass nuts insted of any mix over last winter to our ridden girls and they did really well on them - still loads of energy and glowing healthwise

we try to feed as near natural as we can to what they would forage for themselves when they come in for winter

[harleydales]

Thanks for the replies! I think hi-fi cubes have other stuff in apart from grass - these things I have been told about are purely grass - about 16% protein.

That was what I thought - keep it natural. They don't have a lot of feed over the winter as they're not doing much, but Apollo and Jenny need something extra as they lose condition.

Harley had about 2lb mix last winter, with fibergy and a little sugar beet,and vit/min supplement. Apollo was on about 3 lb and Jenny was about 2lb (old lady!).
What sort of level should I feed the grass nuts?

[harveydales]

Yes, I think High Fibe Cubes contain other sorts of fibre including cerial husks/straw etc. I daren't feed my lot true grass nuts, far too nutricious for them!

[merlinalison]

Merlin has grass nuts in the winter or when he's on box rest because he can't have hay or haylage. I like to give him a choice of fibres so if he's on box rest he gets Well soaked fibre pencils and carrot for breakfast, well soaked grassnuts mixed with hifi lite mid morning; safe and sound at lunch time and hifi lite/grassnuts again at teatime and then hifilite overnight. THey do really swell though so I don't like feeding them dry.

[harleydales]

I got a reply from Northern Crop Driers who said I could put all the horses on them at various rates - Jenny only up to 0.5kg, Apollo up to 2kg and Harley around 1kg. They suggested soaking them for Jenny especially, but I'll do it for them all.
I've got a source at £6.50 for 25kgs so am going to give it a go.
So far I'm not feeding at all which is great!