With horses needing at least 70% of their feed in the form of roughage (hay, pasture or chaff), we thought we’d put together a guide to help you navigate the different chaffs on the market.
Chaff is popularly used because it’s easier for horses of all ages to digest than hay and because you can easily mix a variety of concentrates or supplements in with it.
Of course if you’re making changes to your horse’s diet the key is to make such changes gradually so that the microbial population in the horse’s intestine can adjust to changes in food sources and types of fibre.
Chaff for horses who need protein and energy but reduced sugar
Lucerne chaff
Lucerne chaff provides very high levels of protein as well as calcium and other vitamins and minerals. It also provides digestible energy (but low sugar) as well as fibre. Lucerne chaff is also popularly fed to sheep due to its combination of protein, energy and fibre.
Teff chaff
Teff chaff (from Teff grass hay) is a moderate protein and lower sugar energy option that is more palatable then the Rhodes chaff mentioned below.
Chaff for horses who need a very low sugar diet plus protein
Rhodes chaff (from Rhodes grass hay)
Rhodes chaff is higher in protein than oaten and wheaten chaffs and is a good low sugar energy source.
Western Hay’s Green Mix
Green Mix chaff is a mix of 50% Rhodes chaff and 50% Lucerne chaff, providing higher protein levels and low sugar energy at the same time.
Chaff for working or exercising horses
Oat & Lucerne Shandy Chaffs
Oat and lucerne shandy chaffs like Western Australian made Western Hay’s Shandy chaff are good for working horses who need both protein and energy. As an example, the Western Hay product is a 70% oat chaff, 30% lucerne chaff combination, with the oat component providing high fibre and sugars for energy and palatability. The lucerne component of the chaff provides very high levels of protein as well as calcium, other vitamins and minerals, and digestible energy.
APF Elite Chaff
This is a specialised fortified chaff for horses with high work or exercise demands made by the Western Australian business Australian Premium Feeds (APF).
The product offers an alternative t
o other shandy chaffs, with an oat chaff base and the protein component provided by vegetable protein meal. Elite chaff also contains calcified red seaweed which supplies a highly digestible source of calcium and magnesium and which helps to prevent acidosis problems in horses and ponies on a high intake of hard feed. This product is useful for horses with ulcer and colic problems, contains probiotics to ensure healthy levels of gut flora, and is Annual Ryegrass Toxicity (ARGT) negative.
We also stock a range of small square hay bales (including lucerne, teff and wheaten hay) at our Moora store, as well as a huge range of horse pellets and cubes for horses of all ages and stages, including a number of low sugar high fibre options. Call in and see us anytime, or give us a call on 1300 327 626.
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