# Best low calorie chaff



## HashRouge (25 February 2017)

What are your recommendations? I'm currently trying to weigh up the pros and cons of Hi Fi Lite and Hi Fi Molasses Free!


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## Tapir (25 February 2017)

Hi fi molasses free has much less sugar than hi fi light.  I think it's 2.5% rather than 7%. I swapped when the molasses free version came out.


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## s4sugar (25 February 2017)

Plain oat straw. 
Honeychop is one but there are others.


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## Jnhuk (25 February 2017)

HOneychop oat straw or topspec topchop zero


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## Micky (25 February 2017)

Another vote for hi if molasses free, my cobx good doer/cushings horse has been on it for nearly 5 years now, with a good balancer, speedibeet in winter, linseed and salt..


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## Supertrooper (25 February 2017)

Top Chop Zero


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## booandellie (25 February 2017)

Jnhuk said:



			HOneychop oat straw or topspec topchop zero
		
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i swapped to topspec topchop zero from graze on just grass. Suspected my mare might turn her nose up at it but she eats every last morsel. it has virtually no energy in it so it's a great filler and fibre provider for waist line watchers!


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## doodle (25 February 2017)

Robin has hifi molasses free. He used to like it but now turning his nose up at it. He is getting his teeth done on Tuesday in case that is the issue but if not wondering what to try him on.


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## Pilatesclare (25 February 2017)

Top chop zero or molasses free hi fi but top chop zero for super low calories.


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## Hepsibah (25 February 2017)

I tried Top Chop Zero but my mare got furious with it and chucked it around her stable instead of eating it.


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## Pilatesclare (25 February 2017)

Hepsibah said:



			I tried Top Chop Zero but my mare got furious with it and chucked it around her stable instead of eating it.
		
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At first I mixed in some alfa with it and gradually phased the alfa out.


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## Remi'sMum (25 February 2017)

Just been reading a post on Facebook about sugars in chaff written by Andrew Mellon Vets Ltd (no idea who they are, it popped up on my news feed)

Copied below.

Have you ever looked at the sugars in your horses chaff? 

Here is a list of the percentage sugar content of the most commonly fed chaffs. High sugars have an increased risk of laminitis, obesity, tooth decay as well as poor behaviour and excitability.  

% of sugars in common chaff feeds low to high - 

2% Spillers Happy hoof molasses free
2.25% Baileys Light chaff
2.5% Dengie Hifi Molasses free
2.5% Dengie Healthy hooves molasses free
2.5% Baileys Alfalfa plus oil
4.5% Dengie Alfa Oil
4.5% Dengie Alfa Molasses free
4.5% Dengie Healthy tummy
4.5% Spillers Alfalfa pro
4.6% Mollichaff Alfa oil
<5% Simple Systems Lucie Stalks
5% Dengie Healthy hooves
5% Spillers happy hoof
5% Spillers Daily fibre
5% Spillers Conditioning fibre
5% Dodson and Horrell Safe and Sound
5.5% Honeychop lite and healthy
5.5% Honeychop Alfa
6 - 8% Mollichaff hoof kind
6.3 - 7.2% Mollichaff Donkey
< 7% Simple Systems Greengold
7% Dengie Hifi Lite
7 - 8% Mollichaff Calmer
7.5% Baileys Alfalfa blend
8% Dengie Alfa Lite
8% Honeychop Senior
8.5 - 9.5% Mollichaff Condition
9% Dengie Hifi original 
9% Dengie Hifi Good doer
9% Honeychop Calm and shine
< 10% Simple Systems Timothy Chop
10% Dengie Alfa Original
10% Dengie Hifi Original with apple
10% Dengie Senior
10.5 - 15% Mollichaff Veteran
11% Baileys Ultragrass
11.5% Honeychop original and plus
12% Dengie Meadow grass
12% Dengie Grass pellets
12% Northern Chop Graze on
12 - 15% Mollichaff Show shine
15 - 19% Mollichaff Herbal
16 - 21% Mollichaff Original
16 - 21% Mollichaff Extra
17.5% Baileys Golden chaff
17 - 22% Mollichaff Applechaff

What do you feed? Would you change it for a low sugar content?

(remember all feed changes should be made gradually)


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## HashRouge (25 February 2017)

I'm interested that Happy Hoof have a molasses free option - I might try that or Hi Fi Molasses Free. I worry that the Top Spec one won't be palatable enough as one of mine is very fussy, though it sounds ideal for what I'm looking for.


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## Jnhuk (25 February 2017)

HashRouge said:



			I'm interested that Happy Hoof have a molasses free option - I might try that or Hi Fi Molasses Free. I worry that the Top Spec one won't be palatable enough as one of mine is very fussy, though it sounds ideal for what I'm looking for.
		
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contact your topspec rep for a sample to see if fussy eater will touch it. TBH it not an issue with mine


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## KittenInTheTree (25 February 2017)

I use Agrobs Aspero.


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## Notimetoride (25 February 2017)

Another vote for Topchop Zero.  Tho my horse also wouldn't eat it initially as its quite bland so had to mix in a bit of alfalfa with it initially, and slowly phased it out.  Even now I have to feed her 'tactically'. I.e before she get her haynet, or else she may not eat it.   However it is super low cal and I'm happy with it.


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## Goldenstar (25 February 2017)

I use either a plain dried grass chop or plain chopped oat straw you need to phase in straw .
They don't love it but it does show how much they eat because they like too Fatty only eats straw if he is properly hungry in oppposed to likeing to eat which is Fatties problem .


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## HashRouge (25 February 2017)

I went for Hi Fi Molasses Free as my local feed store didn't have the Top Chop Zero, but I will try to source it in future as I think it is ideal for what I need.


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## Kezzabell2 (25 February 2017)

I use top chop zero and Sam seem to like it better if I damp it down with hot water!


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## ester (25 February 2017)

another agrobs fan, worth every penny to me, it depends a little why you are feeding it/what you want it to do. It seems a bit of a shame to me that in collating that list the didn't include the DE of each one too 

it certainly can't be taken alone either as I would feed several below happy hoof in the list because I wouldn't touch anything with moglo as an ingredient.


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## poiuytrewq (25 February 2017)

I really like Countrywides own natural chaff. It's molasses free and contains added mint which makes it more appealing! My horses turn their noses up at most plain chaff. 
Cheap aswell


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## Pearlsasinger (25 February 2017)

ester said:



			another agrobs fan, worth every penny to me, it depends a little why you are feeding it/what you want it to do. It seems a bit of a shame to me that in collating that list the didn't include the DE of each one too 

it certainly can't be taken alone either as I would feed several below happy hoof in the list because I wouldn't touch anything with moglo as an ingredient.
		
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And it doesn't list Honeychop plain oat straw chaff, which is not the same as original or lite and healthy.,


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## ester (25 February 2017)

quite, it would be at the top as well


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## Nari (25 February 2017)

My welsh cob is doing well on Honeychop Lite & Healthy. It's very useful for me as he goes footy on alfalfa, which rules out most loss sugar chops, & doesn't eat plain straw chops.


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## Sparemare (25 February 2017)

Hi fi molasses free here.  The ponies love it.


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## Peregrine Falcon (26 February 2017)

All our ponies have Happy Hoof Molasses free.  No-one ever refused to eat it! (but then again the majority are dustbins on legs).  My mare gets soaked grass nuts and linseed with hers.


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## Rosie'smum (26 February 2017)

I use honey chop just oat straw. Mine loves it.


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## Mystified (23 February 2018)

Hi, I have two EMS ponies so feeding lo-sugar / lo-starch is a huge factor for my two.   I feed Dengie Healthy Hooves Molasses Free as their main feed as it has all the vitamins & Minerals and also they have Hi-Fi Molasses Free as a top up to their soaked hay in a bucket both products have combined sugar (2.5%) & starch (1.5%) of 4% and both DE 8.5mj

Tried Spillers Happy Hoof Molasses Free they wouldn't touch it.

Have used Top Spec Zero but needs to be mixed with something as not so keen on it on its own.  But good to pad out Healthy Hooves or Hi-Fi to make it last longer.


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## ozpoz (23 February 2018)

What is Moglo Ester? And what feeds is it in?

I like aspero but it doesn't suit my current horse, which is on Honeychop Alpha.


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## WandaMare (23 February 2018)

I feed Dengie HiFi Molasses free, one of my mares wouldn't touch the Topchop zero and she usually eats anything. She has prascend and some supplements in her feed so I need to feed her something she likes, otherwise it ends up tipped up all over the floor.


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## peaceandquiet1 (23 February 2018)

All mine on Happy hoof Molasses free. They all love it. I refused a bag of free Top Chop Zero as none would touch it. I like Thunderbrooks Chaff too.


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## emfen1305 (23 February 2018)

ozpoz said:



			What is Moglo Ester? And what feeds is it in?

I like aspero but it doesn't suit my current horse, which is on Honeychop Alpha.
		
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I read an article ages ago but can't find it now! I think it is like a fake molasses, like moglo to molasses is like sweetener to sugar but don't quote me on that, I just know to avoid it, you'd be surprised where it crops up!


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## ester (23 February 2018)

I wouldn't feed healthy hooves because of the garlic in it

moglo is a molasses/oil derivative (I think a molasses/soya oil mix iirc, but it seems to be a trade secret  )


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## peanut (23 February 2018)

I always feed Dengie Hi-Fri molasses-free.  

It is higher in fibre and lower in starch/sugar than Happy Hoof molasses-free.


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## SatansLittleHelper (23 February 2018)

Another vote for the Top Spec TopChop Zero...it's great stuff


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## Hepsibah (23 February 2018)

The thing about topchop zero is that they don't like it. That is sort of the point. I feed my dieting mare 1.5% of her bodyweight in hay plus dampened topchop zero in one of those overdoor buckets.  She doesn't touch it until she's really hungry then it serves to put something in her tummy rather than standing empty but no added energy since it only has 4mj DE per kg. If it were tastier, she'd gobble it up right away and spend longer with nothing to eat.


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## ester (23 February 2018)

Yes it depends what you want it to do really, I need something that is tasty enough to put supplements in and ensure they are eaten so the straw route doesn't work for us.

TBH though if wanted to feed topspec zero as forage, I'd just buy in straw


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## LaurenBay (23 February 2018)

Supertrooper said:



			Top Chop Zero
		
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this


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## LaurenBay (23 February 2018)

Hepsibah said:



			The thing about topchop zero is that they don't like it. That is sort of the point. I feed my dieting mare 1.5% of her bodyweight in hay plus dampened topchop zero in one of those overdoor buckets.  She doesn't touch it until she's really hungry then it serves to put something in her tummy rather than standing empty but no added energy since it only has 4mj DE per kg. If it were tastier, she'd gobble it up right away and spend longer with nothing to eat.
		
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Depends on the Horse. Mine loves it.


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## Rosie'smum (7 January 2021)

I tried top chop zero and mine loved it too much. As I leave a big bucket of straw chaff in her stable to have something if she runs out of hay that's not any calories I wanted something that I knew that she would only eat if she was desperately hungry and the honey chop oat straw does that. Although I do use it in her normal feeds too.

**Just realised this was an old post!**


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## Shysmum (7 January 2021)

Pepsi,31, is on Happy Hooves, simply because it's the only brand I can get in France. Hes doing really well on it.


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