Devon Haylage Timothy Grass Currently Out Of Stock Due Back In June Timothy Haylage is made from an ‘old fashioned’ native grass which is naturally lower in protein and sugar than other grasses. Devon Haylage Timothy has a different aroma to the High Fibre Ryegrass but is still very appealing to the most fussy of eaters. We had our Timothy Haylage independently tested for the Fructan level. Results showed that the Fructan level was below the detectable level of 0.05% making our Timothy Haylage the ideal choice if your horse suffers from Laminitis and Cushing’s disease or is Insulin resistant. Everyone knows that too much starchy feed and spring grass can trigger laminitis, but it is now known that it is the level of Fructan in the grass, which is the real culprit. When the rate of photosynthesis is higher than respiration, such as in times of drought or on a cold frosty morning, sugars (glucose and fructose) in the grass accumulate. Fructans are glucose and fructose molecules formed into chains of differing length. Horses do not have small intestinal enzymes to digest Fructans so they therefore enter the hindgut for digestion (fermentation) by bacteria. It is thought that toxins from this fermentation enter the bloodstream and damage blood vessels and organs throughout the body. When the feet are affected this way, the amount of blood flowing down to the sensitive laminae is reduced and it becomes swollen and painful. Horn growth can also be adversely affected. Timothy is a native grass and contains less Fructans than other grasses like Ryegrass and Fescues. At Devon Haylage we decided to analyse our Timothy Haylage for the Fructan level. A sample of Timothy Haylage was independently tested and the results showed that the level of Fructan was below the detectable level of 0.5g/kg (0.05%). This result indicates that fermentation within the haylage had occurred. Therefore the micro-organisms involved had utilised the majority of Water Soluble Carbohydrates (WSC)(starch, fructose and sucrose) within the haylage. Forage with a WSC content below 10% is considered safe to feed to horses suffering from Cushing's, Equine Metabolic Syndrome and Laminitis. Hay is unlikely to have a WSC content below this as it is likely it was made from a variety of grasses which may be naturally higher in Fructan and if it was dried quickly, the sugars would not have had time to metabolise fully and will still be present in the hay 1 Pallet contains 40 balesEach Bale Approximately 20kg
