Is feeding BOSS still a thing?

[StarPattern]

I was at UFA today and came across black oil sunflower seeds and got to thinking… is this still one of those “holy grail” things for adding weight and coat condition to a horse? I remember reading about it, but never being able to find it at my feed stores. I picked up a small bag today and my mare, who is normally very suspicious of new food, absolutely loved it. I like the idea of BOSS for her coat because she’s not a fan of oils… if her food is wet, she turns her nose up. She won’t even eat beet pulp, which is odd. But she didn’t even hesitate to eat the BOSS straight out of my hand.

Does anyone still use BOSS in their feeding program and have you noticed any positive difference in your horses’ coat and hooves?

[TheJenners]

I used to and my horses all had rock hard feet (10 yrs ago). I recently added it to a horse’s diet to look for changes in foot quality, it’s a long term experiment.

[tabula_rashah]

Yes, I still feed 1 cup/day to most of my horses (along with 2-8 oz of whole flax depending on the horse). I love what it does for their coats. I’ve never tried it for weight gain though- I think it would be kind of pricey by the time you added enough for weight and it would unbalance the omega 3/6

[2DogsFarm]

:yes: It is here @ 2 Dogs. I’ve been feeding for almost 10yrs (after reading about it on COTH ) to 3 pairs of geldings & all have coats that stay soft & shiny year-round, maintain weight on very small amounts of BOSS (2T per horse twice a day) & have good feet
ETA: their other grain is whole oats < period. 1st cutting hay the only other feed besides pasture.
I’ve even converted my 3rd Generation Breeder/Driver friends who have added it to the regimen for their Hackney ponies after feeding for me & noting the difference in coat quality.

Bonus is the occasional volunteer sunflower in my compost pile
Not many seeds make it through, but those that do pay back.

[trubandloki]

Did not realize it was supposed to be good for feet.

What is the down side to feeding it?

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

Hmm. Haven’t thought about this in years. Might start adding it.

[Heinz_57]

Not currently using it, but I did feed it to a cremello gelding a few years ago. He went from that pale, dirty off-white color to a nice, shiny gold with tons of dapples. His owner didn’t know what I was feeding and remarked that he’d never been that color before. I don’t recall noticing any difference in his feet.

[Against_All_Odds1]

Do you just buy the bird feed stuff? I’d love to try it but don’t want 40lbs of it to try

[Scribbler]

Would BOSS do something more that flax wouldn’t? Maresy gets a cup of flax seed a day (in a beet pulp and oats mash) and a complete vitamin mineral supplement. Her summer coat is about as glossy as possible. Her feet are pretty good but as she’s barefoot I’m always thinking about how to optimize her feet. Would I likely see a difference if I added BOSS, or have I probably reached the maximum benefit of added oil with the flax? Btw maresy does not need to gain weight!

[candyappy]

@Against*All*Odds

Do you just buy the bird feed stuff? I’d love to try it but don’t want 40lbs of it to try

Yes. make sure the seeds are pure black and not grey striped.

I think my bag says “Sunflower for birds” or something like that.

I use it in my goat, cow & chicken’s feed that I mix and add it to my horses ration as well, at 1 handful per day.

[StarPattern]

@Against*All*Odds

Do you just buy the bird feed stuff? I’d love to try it but don’t want 40lbs of it to try

I got a small 1lb bag or something from UFA… it says Black Oil Sunflower Seeds for birds on it. It is also stamped “All Natural”.

I might have to continue this experiment if there are no real ill effects. She is currently on a diet of hay cubes (since hay is too dusty for her), Safe Choice senior feed and Hoffman’s Minerals. She lives outside, so she also has 24/7 grazing, but the grass is still in the process of coming in since our winter was stupid this year.

The cost for the seeds is minimal, so even if it doesn’t do much aside from make her enjoy her food a little more, that’s good enough. But a bit of extra shine to her coat and harder hooves is a bonus. She needs a little bit of weight, but that’s what the senior feed and pasture is for. It usually takes her about 3 weeks to bounce back from winter, and we’ve JUST gotten nice weather again. We had a blizzard 2 weeks ago, haha.

Thanks for replying, everyone… I figure I’ll eventually work her up to a cup a day, which is the recommended amount for coat condition. According to Google, 2+ cups a day would be for weight gain.

[Wayside]

I feed them to my geriatric pony as well, though in his case I started primarily because the NSC is so low. Really I just need a little bit of something to keep him interested in coming in every afternoon for a few hours to make my feeding routine easier.

[JB]

BOSS = high Omega 6 , which is something horses don’t need more of, and some do not benefit from (aggravates arthritis in some cases). If you’re using just handsful as a treat or mixer, it’s likely insignificant

Flax = high Omega 3, which is typically always a good addition, and almost always a great addition for horses who don’t get enough fresh grass.

You can feed a couple pounds of BOSS if you need calories. For the most part you don’t want to feed enough flax to provide a significant calorie increase.

Both need to be ground if chewing is an issue.

[JB]

Make SURE it is BOSS for birds. That means it’s not coated with chemicals that prevent birds from eating it while it’s supposed to be germinating in the ground. That coating is typically pink.

[cayuse]

I’m happy that this thread was started. I have been thinking of giving my ponies BOSS for their coats. So from what I understand from the above posts, it is OK to give them the BOSS that is birdseed? I was told on another site not to use the birdseed for horses because it contained either a preservative or something to keep it from sprouting (I can’t remember which).
So I could feed Agway BOSS OK? I’d love to try it.
I can’t use flax, allergies issues.

[tinah]

I’ve got one mare that went from “meh” to “wow!” with the addition of BOSS. They all get a handful of two a day. They like it

[shakeytails]

I fed it for a while just as an experiment and had some very nice coats. I don’t remember a difference in hooves, but my horses all have good feet anyway. Then the​ price jumped up and I just stopped feeding it. I saw greater difference (brilliant coats) when feeding plain unground flax seed, and the smaller volume makes flax easier to deal with in my feed room.

[csaper58]

In 2012, Scotts Miricle-grow was fined $12.5 million for applying insecticide to the bird seed it was selling from 2005-2008 under the names Morning Song, and Country Pride.

That is why I quit feeding bird seed to horses.

Flax Seed is safer, and cheaper.

[JB]

@cayuse

I’m happy that this thread was started. I have been thinking of giving my ponies BOSS for their coats. So from what I understand from the above posts, it is OK to give them the BOSS that is birdseed? I was told on another site not to use the birdseed for horses because it contained either a preservative or something to keep it from sprouting (I can’t remember which).
So I could feed Agway BOSS OK? I’d love to try it.
I can’t use flax, allergies issues.

You WANT the birdseed BOSS. Birds are really sensitive to chemicals. Trust me, the birdseed BOSS sprouts just fine lol

[JB]

@csaper58

In 2012, Scotts Miricle-grow was fined $12.5 million for applying insecticide to the bird seed it was selling from 2005-2008 under the names Morning Song, and Country Pride.

That is why I quit feeding bird seed to horses.

Flax Seed is safer, and cheaper.

That was an awful, awful thing to have happened. Supposedly it was orchestrated by just 1 employee, not an order from up top, if we are to believe the reports.

Clearly, it is illegal to do that, for obvious reasons, and it wasn’t even accidental :mad:

I’m curious if you also avoid all feeds and supplements for horses which could remotely come in contact with a harmful or deadly contaminant?

Flax is better than BOSS for some things, but doesn’t provide the calories that the 2lb or so max one would feed a horse. Personally I think there are better options for weight than BOSS, so I see no reason to use it. I HAVE used it, fed anywhere from 1/2lb to 2lb, but after learning of the high Omega 6 which they just don’t need, I quit and haven’t looked back.

We do however use it as a treat for the chickens Insecticide would kill the chickens long before it killed a horse :eek:

Around here, a 50lb bag of BOSS is less than $20 (it’s been higher in the past, but currently in the $18-19 range). A 40lb bag of flaxseed is in the $30-40 range.