Natural Meadow Cobs are the next best thing to fresh grass! Comprising up to 60 species of grasses, wildflowers and herbs, harvested from Pre-Alpine meadows, in southern Germany, they are high in fibre, yet low in sugars and calories, as the plants have been left to mature before cutting. They are then coarsely chopped and high temperature dried, in a facility powered by renewable biomass-fuelled electricity, and pressed into chunky cobs – nothing added, nothing taken away.
Designed to be soaked before feeding, Natural Meadow Cobs sit comfortably alongside Baileys’ other Fibre Range products and can be fed as a total forage replacement for older equines, with poor dentition, who struggle to eat the longer fibres of hay or haylage. But they’re much more versatile than that! The soaking brings out the tempting flavours and aromas of fresh grass, making the cobs ideal for fussy eaters, both as an additional fibre source, alongside forage, and as a tasty base for their normal balancer, mix or cubes.
Indeed, they make a healthy addition to any balanced diet, particularly those with little or no access to grazing, through the winter months. Natural Meadow Cobs are molasses, alfalfa and grain-free and also suitable for adding variety to the calorie-controlled diet of the good-doer, being low in calories, starches and sugars and containing high levels of structural fibre which encourages chewing.
FEEDING RECOMMENDATIONS
Must be soaked before feeding
Add 2 parts water to 1 part Natural Meadow Cobs eg. 2 scoops of water to 1 scoop cobs. (More water can be added if you want to help rehydrate your horse)
Soak time: allow 30 minutes in warm water and 1 hour in cold water.
Ensure the cobs are fully softened before feeding. The aroma and texture of fresh grasses is brought out by soaking, which also helps improve the horse’s hydration levels.
Feed as part of a fully balanced diet. Natural Meadow Cobs contain no added vitamins and minerals so must be fed alongside the recommended amount of a mix, cube or balancer, to ensure a fully balanced diet.
When fed as a total forage replacement ie. when no other forage or grazing is given, feed at a rate of 1.5 – 2kg per 100kg of bodyweight (dry) per day.
When fed in addition to forage and/or hard feed, 0.5 – 1kg per 100kg bodyweight (dry) may be fed per day.
Divide total daily amount into as many smaller feeds, throughout the day, as possible.
A small number of Natural Meadow Cobs can be fed dry, if given as treat, by hand, for example, otherwise we strongly recommend they are soaked before feeding.