31/03/2026
A great little article detailing why chaff isn’t necessary and doesn’t actually put on weight as most people believe! If anything, it takes up more room in the gut that could be used for fibre rich feed to help with weight gain!
https://www.facebook.com/share/176NkwJZ4T/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Chaff has long been a standard ingredient in Australian horse feeds, but it is much less common in other parts of the world.
Why we went the way of chaff and the rest of the world didn't, I'm not sure, but I do know that unfortunately on this one we didn't get it right!
Chaff is simply short chopped hay, so while yes, it does provide the same nutrients and fibre content of that hay, it does not provide the same chewing or physical buffering benefits that long stemmed hay does.
Chewing produces saliva, which helps buffer gastric acid, and irregularly chewed up hay that's all stuck together with saliva (lovely!) makes a better "raft" in the stomach to suppress acid splash during exercise. Hay is a clear winner for both of these reasons.
There is also some research that suggests that some chaff can actually be so sharp it injures the stomach lining.
Hay is generally cheaper per kilo, and IMO less laborious to feed out - one biscuit of hay will weigh around 2kg, which is equivalent to about 6-7 scoops of chaff.
Now, I do use a very small amount of chaff myself (as do most of my clients) as I need something to mix supplements with, but that's all it is - a mixer. It can also be useful to help increase forage intake in horses that are starting to have problems chewing due to dental problems - but once the teeth are really gone, even chaff will become problematic.