06 Nov Feeding Chaff v. Lupin Fibre Cubes – which fibre supplement?
Did you know that you can use Lupin Fibre Cubes to replace the chaff in your horse's feed?
When it comes to feeding, fibre is king! While pasture and quality hay should make up the largest portion of your horse’s diet, including a fibre supplement in their daily feeds can have many health benefits. But which fibre should you include? The fibre supplement should be high quality and suited to the individual horse and pony.
Chaff has been a go-to fibre inclusion for many horse owners, adding taste and substance to hard feeds. But not all chaff types are made equal, their quality can fluctuate, and you have to feed large volumes.
Did you know that Lupin Fibre Cubes are a great substitute for chaff in your horse or pony’s diet, boosting their super-fibre intake and gut health?
Here are a few reasons why:
Safer than cereal:
Cereal chaffs like oaten or wheaten, even though they don’t include the grain, are high in starches and sugars (high NSC). Most oaten chaffs can be over 30% NSC. While this is ok for horses needing the energy for performance, this is not ideal for those needing a low NSC diet, cool energy sources or that are prone to ulcers. Lupin Fibre Cubes are low starch and sugar (NSC 5.3%) so safe for laminitis, metabolic conditions and ulcers.
Lower Calories than Lucerne:
Lupin Fibre Cubes are lower in calories than Lucerne Chaff. Lucerne Chaff can also be higher in NSC than Lupin Fibre Cubes, and the NSC can fluctuate depending on the lucerne growing conditions at various times of the year.
Lower in Protein than Lucerne:
While quality proteins are essential for health, function and performance, feeding over 160% of the daily protein requirements mean the horse needs to excrete the excess in a process called deamination. This generates a lot of excess heat and can increase the horses water requirements, which is not ideal for performance horses or those in hot conditions.
Lower volume than chaff when dry:
Chaff has a low weight and density, so feeding large volumes doesn’t translate to overall feed weight. Lupin Fibre Cubes come as dry cubes, which when soaked increase in volume greatly. So you need to feed smaller volumes, meaning a single bag goes a long way.
400g of Lupin Fibre Cubes (dry) v. 400g of Lucerne Chaff
400g of Lupin Fibre Cubes after soaking v. 400g of Lucerne Chaff. The volume when soaked increases dramatically.
More cost-effective than Lucerne Chaff:
You need to feed less Lupin Fibre Cubes than Lucerne Chaff to get the same weight of the product. And with Lupin Fibre Cubes costing less than most Lucerne Chaffs, with consistent quality, they are a more cost-effective fibre source.
Lupin Fibre Cubes are actually higher in fibre:
They are higher in fibre than most chaffs, and rich in natural pectins which have a prebiotic action in the gut. The high fibre content helps to slow feed down through the digestive system, optimising absorption, and hind gut fermentation.
Ideal for poor dentition:
Some horses and ponies with poor dentition, especially seniors who have gaps in their teeth need to avoid chaff, as it can get jammed in these gaps. Lupin Fibre Cubes are a great alternative, they soak into a palatable mash.
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