Teff grass is an increasingly popular option for owners of metabolic or IR horses. I discovered teff pellets through a barn friend whose horse had foundered. She used them as a simple and safe snack for her horse as teff is generally low in sugar and starch. When developing the Forage Porridges, I wanted to make sure I could include her horse in my holiday barn party gifts, so I turned to teff pellets as a base.
To my surprise, my horse Daisy ate them with much more enthusiasm than timothy pellets! As Daisy is a notoriously picky eater, I took this feedback straight from the horse’s mouth and incorporated teff pellets as an excellent forage base for our porridges. Picky-eater approved and low in sugars and starches, teff is an excellent base for our porridges.
But don’t just take my word for it. I always recommend owners research the ingredients in your horse’s diets so you can be as well-informed as possible. As an equine nutrition aficionado, I want science-based facts and believe our customers do too.
Our teff pellets are sourced from one of the most reliable forage providers in the USA- Standlee Premium Western Forage.
Standlee Teff Pellets
https://www.standleeforage.com/products/premium-teff-grass-pellets/
Guaranteed Analysis
|
Crude Protein |
Min 12% |
|
Crude Fat |
Min 1.5% |
|
Crude Fiber |
Max 27% |
|
Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) |
Max 36% |
|
Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) |
Max 56% |
|
Moisture |
Max 12% |
|
Ash |
Max 12% |
|
Starch |
Max 2% |
|
Ethanol soluble carb (ESC) |
Max 6% |
|
Fructan |
Max 3% |
I also recommend reviewing this scholarly article from MadBarn equine, a highly reputable Canadian equine nutrition company: https://madbarn.com/teff-hay-for-horses/
From their article:
“The digestible energy content of teff hay varies from high to low, depending on growing conditions and crop management strategies. Because teff does not store fructans, a form of non-structural carbohydrate (NSC), it typically contains less energy than cool-season grasses.” (Thomas, 2022).
Sources:
Premium teff grass pellets. Standlee Premium Products. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16, 2023, from https://www.standleeforage.com/products/premium-teff-grass-pellets/
Thomas, J. (2022, November 18). Teff Hay for horses: Nutrition Overview & Feeding Guide: Mad barn. Mad Barn USA | Mad Barn - Crazy Good Nutrition. Retrieved January 16, 2023, from https://madbarn.com/teff-hay-for-horses/#nutrition