# opinions on mollichaff feed



## Tim's Girl (27 May 2011)

hi, I'm after peoples opinions on the mollichaff range as i may change my boys feed to it. he is currently fed dengie alfa a and vit and mins supplement. the mollichaff seems to be alot cheaper but is it worth it? thanks


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## 9tails (27 May 2011)

As a chaff?  It smells good but it's quite sticky so I imagine there's plenty of molasses in there.  It's not a complete feed though so you'd ideally need to continue with the supplement.


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## soulfull (28 May 2011)

My lad won't eat alfa a it is too rough,  he loves the mollichop.  as 9 tails said the standard one is quite sticky so must have molasses in it.  I feed the lite  and my lad loves it.

I also feed a vit supplement


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## Erin (28 May 2011)

full of sugar. I wouldn't feed it.


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## RolyPolyPony (28 May 2011)

Erin said:



			full of sugar. I wouldn't feed it.
		
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Echo this.


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## much-jittering (28 May 2011)

It is mollassed, says it all over the bag  However they also do a non molassed version called 'Hoofkind'. We use it at work to fulfill our chaff needs, and even our lammi ponies cope fine with the Hoofkind version due the lack of sugar. Not sure how that works out costwise in comparison though.


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## AngieandBen (28 May 2011)

The High Fibre Alfalfa and the Alfalfa Oil has less sugar than the Hoofkind which is still 6%, don't forget although they seem cheaper, most of the bags aren't as big as the Dengie ones, ie Hoofkind is only 12.5kg.


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## Tim's Girl (28 May 2011)

thanks for your help guys. yeah have  noticed that with the mollichaff bags. i know the veteran is either 12.5 or 15kg and the calmer is 15kg as it is what my friend feeds.

can anyone recommend a cheaper alternative to the alfa a? i'm going to try him on the mollichaff and see what happens. if he looses weight then back on the alfa a although the last bag of it i got it seemed to be very dry and dusty


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## mudmonkey17 (28 May 2011)

My horse was fed on it at last yard where feed was included. Didnt know he had been changed onto this from alfa a. He changed into a different horse, lost condition, grumpy, loose droppings and really sensitive skin. Have since moved yards and feed topspec chaff lite and he is his old self again and looks fab.
Think mollichaff is sull of sugar?


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## Hels_Bells (28 May 2011)

i give my 34yo veteran mollichaff herbal as part of his hay replacement diet and he loves it! But he isn't ridden anymore so doesn't seem to fizz up etc and his feet are great but he's a bit of a toughie so might not affect him like others!


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## Daisychain (28 May 2011)

I really wouldnt bother with mollichaff at all, it is chopped up straw covered in mollases, zero nutrients and very expensive.

If you want more bulk just feed sugar beet shreds soaked, just buy the ordinary ones you certainly dont need to soak for 24hrs, easily ready in half an hour.


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## andraste (28 May 2011)

I feel the need to stick up for Mollichaff here.  They do a range of feeds, not just one.  Some are mollassed, others aren't.  They stocked unmollassed feeds long before Dengie offered one as well.  I give my boy on one of the unmollassed feeds and he does great on it.  They do a very detailed feed analysis of their whole range on their website so you can have a look and decide if it's for you.


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## AngieandBen (29 May 2011)

Daisychain said:



			I really wouldnt bother with mollichaff at all, it is chopped up straw covered in mollases, zero nutrients and very expensive.

If you want more bulk just feed sugar beet shreds soaked, just buy the ordinary ones you certainly dont need to soak for 24hrs, easily ready in half an hour.
		
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Isn't sugar beet just that? sugar?!! molasses, sugar, glucose its all the same! as andraste says not all of them are coated in a lot of sugar ie the High Fibre and the Alfalfa Oil.


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## TGM (29 May 2011)

AngieandBen said:



			Isn't sugar beet just that? sugar?!!
		
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Not necessarily, no!  What we feed to horses is the by-product of sugar production, so that means the manufacturers remove as much sugar from the beet as possible, leaving a low sugar fibre which is what is fed to our horses.  However, some types of beet then have extra molasses added before it is marketed as a horse feed, whilst others don't.  Molassed beet usually has about 20% sugar whilst unmolassed beet only has 5%.


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## Firewell (29 May 2011)

I'm feeding mine the mollichaff showshine, it's got less molasses than the original as it has soya oil coating as well

It's fine, horse loves it am there's no difference whatsoever in his temperament. It comes in smaller bags than the Dengie range.

The calmer has less molasses in it then Dengie Alfa a by the way.

I'm not bothered by molassed chaff tbh. People go so crazy about molasses but at the end of the day there is less sugar in my bag of mollichaff then there is in the grass. 

Ive never noticed any behaviour changes ever by swapping and trying different charts apart from when I used tons of Alfa A oil!

My horses usually go fruit loop when feeding too high energy feeds.

The only thing if you use mollichaff is that it won't have Alfa in it or not as much Alfa as pure Alfa a and Alfa is very high in protein.


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## happy_talk (29 May 2011)

why do you want to change? is it just for cost?  Haven't done the sums but I would guess £ for energy is much better with alfa than mollichaff. if horse has too much energy, reduce the amount you feed.

also second adding sugarbeet as a cheap feed for bulk/energy/condition.


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## Puzzles (29 May 2011)

Mollichaff is very high in sugar compared to Dengie feeds and many other chaff-based feeds so I personally avoid it like the plague...


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## Amaranta (29 May 2011)

soulfull said:



			My lad won't eat alfa a it is too rough,  he loves the mollichop.  as 9 tails said the standard one is quite sticky so must have molasses in it.  I feed the lite  and my lad loves it.

I also feed a vit supplement
		
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, 

I feed Mollichop Lite too, my vet recommended it for a laminitic -  if you feed the recommended dosage you don't need a supplement as it has all the vits etc in it, my girl also loves it


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## SpottedCat (29 May 2011)

As usual there is a lot of confusion on this thread! 

Mollichaff and Mollichop are two completely different brands, with completely different ranges. Mollichops, in general (and I am generalising), are much more heavily mollassed, whereas many of the mollichaff feeds are completely unmollassed or have very little in the way of mollases. 

Probably why an internet forum shouldn't be your first port of call for feeding advice!


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## minniemouse (29 May 2011)

SpottedCat said:



			As usual there is a lot of confusion on this thread! 

Mollichaff and Mollichop are two completely different brands, with completely different ranges. Mollichops, in general (and I am generalising), are much more heavily mollassed, whereas many of the mollichaff feeds are completely unmollassed or have very little in the way of mollases. 

Probably why an internet forum shouldn't be your first port of call for feeding advice! 

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I second this! i think a lot of people get mixed up with the mollichaff and mollichop brands as there names are so similar! i got a detailed analysis of the mollichaff range off the website and it is informative and tells you the percentages, it is a good range and i personally prefer it to dengie as my horse loved the showshine and calmer and he cant have alfa a based chaffs!


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## AndySpooner (30 May 2011)

Basically, anything with molasses added to it, avoid like the plague.


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## appylass (30 May 2011)

Another one sticking up for Mollichaff, 'some' of their feeds are molassed but not all. I use Mollichaff High Fibre Alfalfa, it is molasses free and great value (even though a smaller bag). I don't feed molasses to my lad as it doesn't suit him. Have a read on their website, it's very informative.


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## AngieandBen (30 May 2011)

SpottedCat said:



			As usual there is a lot of confusion on this thread! 

Mollichaff and Mollichop are two completely different brands, with completely different ranges. Mollichops, in general (and I am generalising), are much more heavily mollassed, whereas many of the mollichaff feeds are completely unmollassed or have very little in the way of mollases. 

Probably why an internet forum shouldn't be your first port of call for feeding advice! 

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Thought I'd put this up so everyone can make up their own mind!!  Gives you all the different chaffs they do and the sugar content; As you see the Apple one has a lot of sugar!

http://www.friendshipestates.co.uk/mollichaff/mollichaff-showshine/detailed-product-flyer.html


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## monkeybum13 (30 May 2011)

andraste said:



			I feel the need to stick up for Mollichaff here.  They do a range of feeds, not just one.  Some are mollassed, others aren't.  They stocked unmollassed feeds long before Dengie offered one as well.  I give my boy on one of the unmollassed feeds and he does great on it.  They do a very detailed feed analysis of their whole range on their website so you can have a look and decide if it's for you.
		
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Yes, mollichaff do a good range.

I currently feed mollichaff herbal and am very happy with it.


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## NOISYGIRL (31 May 2011)

Amaranta said:



			, 

I feed Mollichop Lite too, my vet recommended it for a laminitic -  if you feed the recommended dosage you don't need a supplement as it has all the vits etc in it, my girl also loves it 

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I would hope vets would recommend feeds that the Laminitis Clinic endorse, maybe they know the content to be the same as recommended and give this as a cheaper alternative, I don't know.  

Dodsen and Horrel used to do an Alfalfa feed, not sure if they still do or how much in comparison it would be though.

I have noticed differences in quality in Dengie Alfa-A-Lite though and will be keeping an eye on it and contacting them if it continues.

I've never been a lover of the sticky mollichop/chaffs that are out there, my horse can't eat them now anyway, but he has had the herby one over the years and liked it probably because of all the mollasses !


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## AndySpooner (31 May 2011)

What is low sugar molasses?

What is a unique low sugar coating?


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## Firewell (31 May 2011)

When I was a little girl we used to feed liquid molasses mixed into the feed as our PBA was quite fussy and ate his food up better.
We didn't know any better then and the horses were totally fine. They didn't die, go bonkers or get diseases. We did not feed molasses to the ponies as they didn't get feed but my mums showjumper and eventer had them.
While I wouldn't feed liquid molasses now I do not think it did any harm. We used to feed them oats, maize and boiled barley as well.
Both horses lives into their twenties. The only time we had a food related problem was when I took the then 20yr old showjumper to college and I piled him full of alfalfa and build up mix while he was living in 24/7 and he tied up for the first time.
I don't think there is anything wrong with a double handful of mollassed chaff unless you have a laminitic pony or cob. A small amount of molasses is not the devil. Horses get more energy from a bucket of grass then they would a bucket of mollichaff.


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## AndySpooner (31 May 2011)

firewell said:



			When I was a little girl we used to feed liquid molasses mixed into the feed as our PBA was quite fussy and ate his food up better.
We didn't know any better then and the horses were totally fine. They didn't die, go bonkers or get diseases. We did not feed molasses to the ponies as they didn't get feed but my mums showjumper and eventer had them.
While I wouldn't feed liquid molasses now I do not think it did any harm. We used to feed them oats, maize and boiled barley as well.
Both horses lives into their twenties. The only time we had a food related problem was when I took the then 20yr old showjumper to college and I piled him full of alfalfa and build up mix while he was living in 24/7 and he tied up for the first time.
I don't think there is anything wrong with a double handful of mollassed chaff unless you have a laminitic pony or cob. A small amount of molasses is not the devil. Horses get more energy from a bucket of grass then they would a bucket of mollichaff.
		
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I agree with a lot of what you say here, you hit the nail on the head when you say that they ate their food up better. Molasses have traditionally been used to make feed more palatable to the horse. 30 or 40 yrs ago, horses were fed more straights and the feed value of most feeds was a lot less than it is now. In addition horses are now insulated in very sofisticated rugs so they are not using the energy to keep warm, but that energy has to go somewhere. They certainly don't get the 'work' they used to do.

Most horses really don't need 90% of what people are encouraged to feed, now that time has moved on and we know so much more why do we need to feed heavily molassed ( unpalatable) feeds. The sugar levels in the feeds published here look like laminitis in a bag to me, I used to feed molasses, but, not any more. Why feed something they don't need that we know can be harmful? It doesn't make sense to me.


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## Tim's Girl (1 June 2011)

NOISYGIRL said:



			I would hope vets would recommend feeds that the Laminitis Clinic endorse, maybe they know the content to be the same as recommended and give this as a cheaper alternative, I don't know.  

Dodsen and Horrel used to do an Alfalfa feed, not sure if they still do or how much in comparison it would be though.

I have noticed differences in quality in Dengie Alfa-A-Lite though and will be keeping an eye on it and contacting them if it continues.

I've never been a lover of the sticky mollichop/chaffs that are out there, my horse can't eat them now anyway, but he has had the herby one over the years and liked it probably because of all the mollasses !
		
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its the change in the quality of the alfa-a that makes me want to change. ive noticed over the last couple of feeds that he isnt eating all his feed like he used to. he's not a fussy animal and eats what he's given.


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## zandp (1 June 2011)

One horse went totally loony on it and the older normally calm, laid back horse got really spooky.  Took them off it very quickly and won't touch the stuff now.


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## Tim's Girl (1 June 2011)

oh dear. i've decided to try it and see what happens. will keep and close eye on him. i'm quite lucky cos even though he is a tb he is very laid back so any behavioural change will show pretty quick. also gonna keep a check on his weight. was underweight when i got him and have maintained a nice size with him now. unfortunatley it is a cost thing. would love to keep him on it but once add in balancer and the cost of the alfa a and calm and condition my feed bill is more than my mates and she feeds 2!


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## brown tack (1 June 2011)

I've never seen any ill effects from any of the range, I've had 8 on it in the past and most of my happy hack friends feed it to. 

I find my friends that are out competing and doing more tend to fed more "up Market" (if that's the right way to put it) types of chaff like d&h, top spec chaff etc

I did however change to safe and sound over the winter as it was all my fussy tb would eat. 

I would use the mollichaff range again thou


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## Amaranta (2 June 2011)

NOISYGIRL said:



			I would hope vets would recommend feeds that the Laminitis Clinic endorse, maybe they know the content to be the same as recommended and give this as a cheaper alternative, I don't know.  

Dodsen and Horrel used to do an Alfalfa feed, not sure if they still do or how much in comparison it would be though.

I have noticed differences in quality in Dengie Alfa-A-Lite though and will be keeping an eye on it and contacting them if it continues.

I've never been a lover of the sticky mollichop/chaffs that are out there, my horse can't eat them now anyway, but he has had the herby one over the years and liked it probably because of all the mollasses !
		
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Actually the Laminitis Clinic's endorsement means diddly squat to me, companies pay around £10k for the endorsement and all it means is that the product will do no harm to a laminitic and people assume  a product bearing the mark will prevent laminitis - it won't.  A superb laminitic feed is TopSpec Antilam, please note it does not bear the Laminitis Trusts mark.

I am not a lover of heavily mollassed chaffs either and would agree that Mollichop is indeed mollassed, however, their Lite and Bloom chaff based feeds are not mollassed and are very low in sugar, both contain a vit/min supplement, the Lite also has added Biotin and Magnesium, whilst the bloom has added soya oil.  As vets are not nutritionists I checked them out before blindly feeding either of them.


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## Firewell (2 June 2011)

Well my horse can be quite reactive to feeds and I haven't noticed a difference between feeding him HIFI or the mollichaff showshine. I like it because it has the added oil that's why I use it.
I think you would have to feed buckets of it to notice a difference, even hay is 9/10% sugar. 
I agree not to feed something unhealthy if you don't have too but sugar is something that naturally occurs in a horses diet anyway. True I wouldn't touch any sugar products for a horse prone to laminitis but TB's aren't, they have different metabolisms to ponies and I'm not going to loose any sleep by the fact my horse has 12% sugar in his double handful of chaff. He's lovely, calm and rideable and looks a picture so that's all I care about.
We've always had blood horses and they have been fine on a bit of molichaff plus their normal feeds but they get worked 6 days out of 7 and don't get pandered too so maybe that's why.
I just think all the feed companies are jumping on the band wagon of releasing non molassed chaffs ect and charging a fortune for them. Everything in moderation at the end of the day .


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## 9tails (2 June 2011)

Daisychain said:



			I really wouldnt bother with mollichaff at all, it is chopped up straw covered in mollases, zero nutrients and very expensive.

If you want more bulk just feed sugar beet shreds soaked, just buy the ordinary ones you certainly dont need to soak for 24hrs, easily ready in half an hour.
		
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Having seen a horse choke on speedibeet that wasn't soaked for the recommended 15 minutes, I really can't agree that normal beet that is recommended to be soaked for 24 hours would be fit to feed in half an hour.  That's asking for trouble.


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## Tim's Girl (2 June 2011)

how horrible. i always soak my speedibeat for abit longer than the bag says. gave up on using sugabeet as had to remember to soak it 24hrs before and not always helpful when it started freezing during the winter.


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## Loika (4 June 2011)

I feed Applechaff which is supposed to contain apple but the must be very small and is very lightly molassed (light gold colour) as my girl is allergic to the heavy molasses on supermollichop, don't know why!  Great as a chaff and not expensive either.


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## Spyda (4 June 2011)

Did try mine on Mollichaff, the Original and Apple versions but both were rejected. Only eaten under duress. Mollichaff Vetran was a BIG hit, though. Odd?!!! 

That said, I don't really like the stuff and had only tried it to tempt fussy feeders (didn't work): Generally, it seems too sticky and sweet (although that didn't seem to impress my fussy wot nots). 

Personally, I prefer to feed Hi-Fi, Spiller's Happy Hoof or GrazeOn/Readigrass.


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