Straight Feed: Grain, Seeds and Protein Feed for Your Own Mix

Straight Feed: Feeding to Your Own Plan

A straight feed is a single feed material such as oats, barley or linseed, rather than a ready mixed feed. That is exactly what makes it so versatile: you can top up an existing ration where it falls short or mix your own feed entirely to your own plan. Whether for horses, hens, cattle or garden birds, here you can buy straight feed that you portion out on its own and combine freely.

Grain, flakes and protein feed

Feed grain is the basis of many rations. Wheat, barley, oats, black oats and maize come whole, cleaned, rolled or crushed, along with flakes of oats, barley, wheat and peas, plus maize grits and popped grain. They give horses, poultry and ruminants energy for work, growth and laying. For more protein in the trough there is rapeseed meal, linseed meal and organic soya and sunflower cake. Peas and mung beans complete the range of pulses.

Seeds, fruit and special ingredients

Oilseeds such as linseed, sunflower seeds, hemp or perilla supply fat and add energy to rations for horses, poultry and wild birds. Millet, niger, safflower and nuts are popular ingredients in bird and small animal mixes. Dried fruit and berries such as rosehips, elderberries or banana chips bring variety to the bowl. For special rations there is also brewer's yeast, milk thistle seed, gammarus, spelt husks and organic lucerne pellets.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between straight feed and complete feed?
A straight feed consists of a single ingredient, for example oats or linseed. A complete feed is a ready mix that covers an animal's entire daily needs. So you use straight feeds to top up a ration or to mix your own.

Which straight feeds are suitable for horses?
Popular choices are oats, rolled barley and maize flakes as a source of energy, plus linseed for fat. Good hay always remains the foundation though, and hard feed only tops it up. Introduce any new feed slowly over a few days.

Which is better: rolled, crushed or whole grain?
Rolling and crushing break open the hard husk, so horses and cattle digest the grain better. Chickens, on the other hand, are happy to peck at whole grains. Whole grain also keeps longer, while rolled and crushed grain should be used up quickly.