Feeding - changing chaff

[LAM1407]

We are getting a new pony, exciting indeed! But she is on a chaff from the current owners local place and I cant seem to find any stockists near me.(other side of the country) I know to introduce mix/nuts etc slowly but can i do a quick change of chaff? Id just give a bit at first and build it up to normal quantity.
Also any recommendations for a good low cal one - don't want a tubby section a!

Get an unmollased chaff, I’d probably risk it being ok personally…

Hi fi molasses free. Good basic chaff

Dengie Ulser lite or Honeychop lite and healthy. I’ve often had to switch straight over when I’ve run out and the feed shop didn’t have what I wanted

It depends on how much they are being fed (eg a scoop v complete forage replacement) and what's in the chaff especially straw content as you need to introduce gradually if they aren't used to it.

Most brands have equivalent feeds so you can do a straight swap eg Dengie meadowlite/honey chop lite/mollichaff lite.

What's the specific brand they are used to? We can prob suggest an equivalent that's stocked near you

It's just a small scoop twice a day, currently on the pegasus chaff, nearest place I can find is about a 40 mile round trip, and don't fancy that each time I run out.

Pegasus is a pretty low quality chaff so I would be happy to swap that out for any molasses free chaff immediately

Pegasus looks like it's a simple molassed chaff so to be honest you will be better off changing it anyway. Low sugar/starch chaff is better for natives & better at preventing ulcers.

On a small amount you could change straight away but you might find they turn their nose up at it as they are used to the sugar content.

Any feed store will do a cheap molassed chaff so if they don't eat the new chaff you could try mixing with a molassed chaff at first then reducing it.

There's essentially 2 types of chaff - straightforward chaff eg mollichaff light, Dengie meadow light, honey chop lite & healthy, top chop lite etc which would all be suitable. Then there are complete feeds which have added vitamins, minerals etc examples are happy hoof molasses free, Dengie hi-fi etc.

If you are feeding a complete feed you need to feed the recommend quantity daily to get the right quantity of vitamins etc. if you only feed a scoop a day you need to add a balancer so it doesn't make sense buying the more expensive complete feed.

I think you are best feeding a low sugar/starch chaff & then a balancer on top.

I change mine between honey chop lite, Dengie meadow lite & mollichaff lite depending on what shop I use. Some ponies are fussier than others when it comes to 'light' feeds. The only one I found they wouldn't touch was Top chop zero.

Thank you so much for the info! I've not had a horse for over 10 years so my feed knowledge has faded away somewhat. Really appreciate the detailed reply.
I'll take a look at changing to a low sugar chaff and balancer.

This isn't a great feed. It's covered in sugary rubbish for a start. Thunderbrooks and Agrobs are both good feeds but look for no added sugars/syrups/molasses and no garlic

Ask the sellers to give you some of the old feed for the changeover.

Our pi y won'test honey chop light and healthy so now has thunderbrooks healthy herbal and she appears to love it.

Can you ask the seller to give you a small amount of everything she is fed, so you can mix it in gradually ( /wean off the sugar!) with a different one? Lots of good suggestions for lo-cal/unmollassed chaff. If a good do-er I'd avoid any grains tbh and maybe switch to an unmollassed beet pulp, balancer and pop on a gut balancer for the first couple of weeks.