Horses

Quality

Horses are grazers and in their natural state would spend a large portion of their day feeding on a small-and-frequent basis. The horse’s digestive system reflects this natural behavior and is designed to acquire the majority of its nutritional needs from forage. This is why high-quality forage is the foundation of the equine diet. But as a horse owner, you may find it challenging to find clean, good-quality forage on a consistent basis that is so important to your horse’s diet. Chaffhaye is a superior alternative to baled hays and processed feed that allows you to take care of your horse the way nature intended.

Chaffhaye is crafted from premium-quality alfalfa.  While still fresh, the forage is chopped, lightly misted with molasses, and compressed into an airtight bag to lock in freshness. A fermentation initiates in the bag, transforming the alfalfa into a ‘super soluble’ forage. This “predigestion” process closely mimics the digestive activity in the hindgut of a healthy horse. In the bag, yeast, enzymes and other beneficial microorganisms unlock viable nutrition from the plant fiber and convert its nutrition into a form that is usable and more readily absorbable by your horse. The result is greater assimilation of energy, vitamins, and essential nutrients. Free of dust and mold, Chaffhaye alleviates the most common digestive and respiratory ailments that often plague horses.

Chaffhaye is a safe choice for feeding high-quality forage on a consistent basis, as well as providing live “beneficial” microorganisms that establish and maintain a healthy microbial balance in your horse. When used as a 100% hay replacement, your horse will demonstrate a marked improvement in digestion, immunity and well-being.

Minimally processed, Chaffhaye is the closest product to natural pasture you can feed your horses. Hence, it is called premium “Pasture-in-a-Bag.”

View FAQs about Chaffhaye for Horses

I wanted to share my experience with your wonderful product, Chaffhaye, and why I free feed it. We started feeding it to our horses a couple of years ago and have been very pleased with it, but about six months ago I started to free feed my horses Chaffhaye.

My main horse, Vegas, is a cribber. Some thoughts I agree with are: cribbing could be from ulcers, the horse is burping when he cribs, and of course the horse cribs as an emotional symptom. I believe Vegas fits into all these categories, and I also believe a horse is healthiest mentally and physically when they are able to eat in small amounts 24 hrs a day.

At our boarding stable we feed three times a day. My horses also graze on what’s available during the day, but I still wanted more, so I experimented with the Chaffhaye as free feed. I put a large container in Vegas’ stall with a whole bag of Chaffhaye, and another one out in her pasture with ½ of a bag of Chaffhaye. I monitored her intake and she wasn’t eating much more than when I fed her in the recommended servings; plus she was eating it over a period of time. I started feeding all my horses this way. My horses are thriving, and as for Vegas she has never looked better – she has filled out in all the right places and doesn’t crib incessantly in her stall anymore.

We are all familiar with the chaos at feeding time; well another HUGE benefit is all of my horses are calm when it’s feeding time, unlike our boarder’s horses whose owners choose not to free feed any type of feed."

Mike and Cindy Giannini
Savvy Stables

View more Testimonials about Chaffhaye for: Equine, Special Needs Horses

Benefits

  • Top Quality – Chaffhaye is premium alfalfa harvested at optimal plant maturity to maximize nutrients. Chaffhaye is a supreme source of fiber, protein, and nutrients for horses. Nutritionally, 1 bag of Chaffhaye is equal to 1.5 bales of good-quality hay.
  • Superior Digestibility – Chaffhaye is a natural source of yeast, beneficial enzymes and live microorganisms that support healthy digestion and absorption of nutrients. Chaffhaye helps establish healthy microflora in the gut of weaning animals and reduces digestive ailments, including colic and impaction. Being easily masticated and digested, Chaffhaye is the perfect solution for senior horses.
  • Versatile – Chaffhaye Alfalfa is easily mixed with other forages and or pelleted feeds, allowing you to craft a custom ration of desired nutrition for your animal.
  • Dust Free – Chaffhaye retains natural plant moisture and is 100% dust free. This makes it ideal for horses with coughing and respiratory ailments.
  • Superior Palatability – Soft and leafy like pasture, Chaffhaye provides a pleasant aroma and is coarsely chopped to release enzymes and maintain good gut motility. A kiss of molasses ensures that every last bit is licked clean.
  • Easy Storage – Double compressed, Chaffhaye occupies 1/3 the space of baled hay. Weatherproof packaging allows storage outdoors with no loss of nutrition.
  • Easy Transport – Sturdy 50-pound bags are convenient for travel and feed out.
  • Less Waste – Horses normally eat 100% of Chaffhaye, including stem matter. This means less waste and cleaner stalls. Because of the higher nutrient absorption of Chaffhaye, horses generate up to 50% less manure, reducing fly populations and barnyard cleanup.
  • Cost Effective – Chaffhaye is much more nutritious than hay, so the amount of supplements and hard feeds can be greatly reduced. Other considerations are lower feeding and storage losses. A long shelf life with no loss of nutritional value means no wasted feed.
  • Certified Weed Seed FreeChaffhaye is ideal for habitats where foreign seeds are controlled or prohibited by law.
  • Blister Beetle Free – Chaffhaye is safe for horses.

Nutrition

Guaranteed Nutrition

Chaffhaye is tested by independent laboratories to verify nutritional forage quality. Guaranteed.



Nutritional Analysis (As Fed) Chaffhaye Alfalfa
Crude Protein 9%
Crude Fat 1.80%
Crude Fiber 11%
Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN) 29.30%
Relative Feed Value (RFV) 140+
Calcium (Ca) 0.70%
Phosphorus (P) 0.10%
Copper (Cu), ppm 3.6 ppm
Zinc, ppm 8.1 ppm
Natural Plant Juices 55%

 

Fermentation of forage, whether it is done in the bag like Chaffhaye or in the hind quarter of a horse, is accomplished by beneficial bacteria. These beneficial bacteria use sugars and starches as a food source to build their bodies. The bodies of these beneficial bacteria are made primarily of a high quality amino acid. The problem with the horse’s digestive system is that these high quality proteins can only be absorbed in the stomach and foregut. So in the case of baled hay or pellets, the fermentation occurs in the hindgut and any amino acids produced by the beneficial bacteria are not absorbed and go out as manure. In the case of Chaffhaye, the fermentation occurs in the bag. When the horse eats Chafhaye, a portion of the sugars and starches have been transformed to amino acids. These amino acids are available to be absorbed in the stomach and foregut. So your horse gets a forage that is low in sugars and starches and high in digestible amino acids.

"Pre-Digestion" Means More Absorption

How a horse utilizes their feed is just as important as what is in that feed. This is termed the horses “biological response” to feeds. Studies have shown that hay preserved in the same manner as Chaffhaye is significantly more digestible. Digestibility has been shown in increase as follows:

  • Digestibility of Dry Matter:  57%
  • Digestibility of Crude Protein:  144%
  • Digestibility of Fiber:  46%

Feeding your horse is expensive enough. Why pay for nutrition that is going to end up on the ground as manure?

Feeding

Feeding Instructions

Chaffhaye is a 100% hay replacement

Weight of Horse (lbs) 400 800 1000 1500 2000
Daily Chaffhaye Amount (lbs) 6.0 12.0 15.0 22.5 30.0

Recommended Daily Feeding- 1.5 lbs of Chaffhaye per 100 weight of Horse.

Chaffhaye is designed to meet the forage portion of your horse’s diet. Depending on such factors as age, breed, workload, available pasture, and whether you are feeding solely Chaffhaye Alfalfa or Chaffhaye along with other forages and grains, an energy and/or vitamin and mineral supplement may be needed. Consult a Chaffhaye representative or your equine nutritionist for further information.

After observing your horse for a period of time on Chaffhaye, you may want to increase or decrease by up to 10% to obtain the desired overall body condition and appearance.

Feed changes should be made gradually over a period of 7 to 14 days. Changes in the rate of feeding should not exceed 2 pounds per day.