# Feeding Barley



## bj666 (21 December 2008)

Just recently got a horse in poor condition . He's picking up nicely now but with the grass getting less and less I'd like to feed some Barley to help get some more weight on him over the next couple of months until the grass picks up . But its ages (20years ) since I last included Barley in a feed and cannot remember quantities , etc . Do you need to do anything to it ? Its micronised flaked barley , I know you cook linseed but I have a thought in the back of my head about cooking Barley as well ??? . I know its high in protein so it may fizz him up and I'm going to add it small quanties at a time but its this cooking thing I'm not sure about . I know being micronised it takes the toxins out so we shouldnt get any lumps or bumps , filled legs etc but any thoughts ?


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## TGM (21 December 2008)

Micronised barley is heat treated to make the starch more digestible - so no need to boil it.  You only need to boil barley if it is the non-micronised type (because the boiling has a similar effect to the micronisation on the starch).

It can be a very useful cost-effective feed for poor doers, but some horses don't tolerate it very well and either come out in lumps and bumps, or fizz up on it, so you are right to introduce it gradually.   I prefer to feed it mixed with alfafa and/or beet, because both these feedstuffs help to balance the deficiencies in grain feeds and provide fibre too.

Of course, if you have a horse in poor condition, then the most important thing is to ensure they have ad lib hay, before you start increasing the hard feed, but I'm sure you are doing that anyway!


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## eoe (21 December 2008)

You need whole Barley and a jam preserve pan.  Put 1 scoop of barley in and fill half up with water and bring to boil and simmer barley should soak up water, when it has soaked up water add a little more until the barley has swelled like sugar beet.  These are approximate quantities as i have not done boiled barley for a number of years, also used to ad a small handful of linseed as well.  

Boiled Barley does not normally heat up but can as well as other problems so be careful.

Would not feed Barley Rings as every horses I know that has been fed these has fizzed up.


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## Spyda (22 December 2008)

Micronized barley does not require cooking and is far more convenient than soaking and boiling whole barley (unless of course you want to feed a nice warm barley mash on a daily basis!)  I used to feed crushed barley when I was younger. This was not cooked, but the process simply served to split open the barley cereal and make it more digestible. It was cheaper than micronized barley, but once the barley has been crushed it starts to loose nutrional value so should be used fairly quickly after crushing (like oats). I used to feed 3 or 4 lbs per day to each horse back then, mixed with other straights, sugar beet and a good all round multivit &amp; mineral supplement.

Have you considered the Barley Rings though?  These are made from cooked barley and linseed and are superb for putting on condition. And horses seem to love them.  If horses seem to hot up on them then it's probably because they are starting to feel well in themselves rather than the barley rings themselves.  I own TB's and WB's and none of mine act any stupider (than usual) on these during winter!  

They can be fed dry mixed into the rest of the feed, or fed with warm water to make a warm mashier feed.  I know Dodson and Horrell make one D&amp;H Barley Rings  Burgess used to make them but I haven't seen them around for ages. Don't know if they still do or not.

Here's a link to another post about feeding barley:  Feeding barley


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