Readigrass is very flexible in how it can be fed. You can use a couple of scoops in a bucket feed as a chaff alternative, or a small amount as a treat. You can also use it as a partial, or complete hay replacer. We would recommend using a big tubtrug, to allow feeding ad lib.

Most horses enjoy ReadiGrass dry, however it can be dampened slightly with water. As with all new feeds, please introduce any changes gradually, to allow your horse to adapt. Always ensure fresh water is available.

ReadiGrass is very versatile in how it can be fed, which determines the quantity you will feed. Always work out your horse’s feed requirement based on their weight, body condition score and workload.

 A handful of ReadiGrass can be fed as a treat, or ½ - 2 scoops can be fed as a chaff alternative in the bucket feed. When feeding as a partial or complete hay replacer Readigrass has less water content, and is therefore lighter than hay, so you would feed less weight than you would in your haynet.

Yes, ReadiGrass is ideal for both older horses and those with dental problems. It is a shorter and softer product compared to long stem fibres meaning horses find it much easier to chew. This avoids the problems of forage being dropped, balled up or wasted. Horses who struggle to graze naturally due to dental problems or tooth loss will find ReadiGrass much easier to chew.

Readigrass is very similar to good grazing, as we only take the water out. This means that it has the same, naturally-occurring sugars as fresh grass. For this reason, we cannot recommend it to horses with Cushings, or those prone to laminitis.

ReadiGrass is not freeze dried. It is dried under a low heat which gently removes the water content in the grass, but preserves the high nutrient content as well as the aroma and colour of fresh grass.

Unopened, ReadiGrass will last indefinitely. Once opened, ReadiGrass should be stored correctly in a dry place away from direct sunlight to preserve its freshness.

Yes. Readigrass is a natural product. This means that, although we use the same blend of ryegrass seeds, in the same fields at our farm in Yorkshire, using the same drying process; Readigrass is prone to natural variation across the season.

We do not add anything, and all we remove is the water, preserving the grass as it comes straight from the field. In this pure state, it can vary from bright green, to pale green, to even having a little brown in. Every batch is quality checked before being released for sale.

If you have any concerns about the appearance of your ReadiGrass please contact our team for advice, using the contact page, or emailing us at: info@friendshipestates.co.uk

Even though it is marketed for horses, the Readigrass 15kg is becoming increasingly popular as an economic option for small pet owners who have the space to store it.

 Readigrass 15kg and Friendly Readigrass 1kg are made from grasses grown in the same fields in our farm in Yorkshire. They also go through the same drying process. Readigrass has a slightly higher protein content than the Friendly Readigrass (15% vs. 12%), but both are within the recommended levels for rabbits, guinea pigs, and other small pets.

Yes, Readigrass is very popular for all types of poultry. It provides all the nutrients of fresh grass, all-year-round. This can be fed as a treat, or part of a balanced diet.

Yes. Readigrass is suitable for most grazing animals. It is a Ryegrass blend, similar to what you find in grazing pastures. All we do is remove the water, preserving all the nutrients of fresh grass.

Generally speaking you should feed at least the same quantity of HorseHage by weight as you would hay, and as part of a balanced diet.

HorseHage is baled the same size as a normal bale of hay. It is then highly compressed down in to an easy to handle bag, meaning it still splits into wedges for ease of use. On average it will provide the forage requirements of a 500kg horse for 3 days.

Yes! HorseHage is a perfect option for any horse or pony with a respiratory problem as it is dust free!  All horses and ponies, even those without a respiratory problem will benefit from being fed HorseHage rather than hay, due to its nutrient content and dust-free nature. It has been shown that an environment with dust and mould present is harmful to horses and humans, so it is better to prevent respiratory problems in the first instance.

There is no need to soak HorseHage as it is dust free and has a known nutrient content. Generally hay is soaked to remove dust and to reduce its nutritional value (often the nutrient content of hay is unknown and sugar and protein levels can vary a lot). The particular fermentation process involved in making HorseHage reduces the amount of naturally occurring sugars in the grass therefore meaning it is considerably lower in sugar than hay and thus means that HorseHage does not need to be soaked.

Unopened, a bale of HorseHage will last for up to 18 months. An open bale should be used within 5-7 days.

HorseHage High Fibre and Timothy are suitable for horses with laminitis or Cushing's as they have a lower energy and protein level. The particular fermentation process involved in making HorseHage reduces the amount of naturally occurring sugars in the grass therefore meaning it is considerably lower in sugar than other forages.

Older horses have an increased requirement for quality nutrition, primarily from forage rather than concentrate so yes HorseHage is ideal for veterans. It will provide the energy they need to maintain or increase condition, is dust free, quality guaranteed, and is very palatable encouraging them to eat. The variety of HorseHage you choose for your veteran will depend on their overall body condition.

HorseHage Alfalfa is made from the Alfalfa plant which is a legume. It is a member of the pea-family and is also known as Lucerne. It is a deep-rooting plant, with nitrogen-fixing nodules on its roots, so when established needs no nitrogen fertilisers to be applied to the crop . As it is a perennial plant, once it is established in a field it can be cropped for 3-4 years and has the advantage of being drought resistant.

Horses have evolved to eat a diet high in fibre and in the wild they would spend many hours of the day grazing which is why they are know as ‘trickle feeders’. Within the horse’s hindgut there a millions of micro-organisms which break down the digestible fibre, and release energy which the horse can then use. If the delicate balance of these micro organisms is upset, either from not feeding enough fibre or feeding too much concentrate, it can result in health and performance problems in the horse. Fibre from forage should make up 80% of the horse’s overall diet.

Chaff is dried and chopped forage. There are many different types of chaff available such as chopped straw, grass, alfalfa, hay, or a combination of these. Chaff helps to provide the important fibre requirement in a horse’s diet, alongside hay or haylage. Chaff is commonly used to bulk out concentrate and to reduce bolting of feeds. Chaff also helps to satisfy the horses need to trickle feed and encourages longer chewing time. This in turn increases saliva production, and the alkaline saliva together with the presence of fibre in the stomach helps to buffer and neutralise stomach acid.

Predominantly, horses and ponies with laminitis or cushings require a low calorie, low sugar and starch diet. We have a number of products within our range which are specifically suited to those with laminitis or cushings. These are Mollichaff Hoofkind, Mollichaff Light Molasses Free, Mollichaff Donkey, Mollichaff Alfalfa Oil and Mollichaff Calmer.  

Horses and ponies with ulcers should ideally be kept as natural as possible. This includes maximum time spent grazing, and ad-lib access to forage if and when stabled. Any bucket feed should be high in fibre and as low in starch as possible to help buffer the stomach acid. Alfalfa is a great natural acidity buffer so any feed that contains alfalfa is ideal. The most suitable products within our range are Mollichaff Alfalfa Oil, Mollichaff Hoofkind, Mollichaff Calmer and Mollichaff Donkey. The latter 3 are complete fibre feeds containing broad spectrum vitamins and minerals so when fed at the correct levels no addition of concentrate feed is required. Mollichaff Light Molasses Free can also be fed in a bucket feed or a forage alternative for horses and ponies prone to ulcers. 

Donkeys, like horses, have evolved to eat a high fibre diet. In the wild they would likely only have access to arid scrub land where they would browse fibrous plant material in small amounts throughout the day. They are very efficient at getting the most out of what they eat so anything other than fibre often provides too many calories causing them to quickly put on weight. Fibre is also important for Donkeys to maintain a healthy gut function.

Yes, Friendly Readigrass can be fed to a variety of small animals including rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and poultry. Generally, any animal that would naturally eat grass can eat Friendly ReadiGrass. If you would like further information about feeding this, or any of our products to a specific animal please contact us using the contact page, or emailing us at: info@friendshipestates.co.uk

Yes. Friendly ReadiGrass is often enjoyed as a treat by many species of tortoise. It should be fed alongside a balanced diet to ensure the tortoise is receiving all of the required nutrients.

Readigrass 15kg and Friendly Readigrass 1kg are made from grasses grown in the same fields in our farm in Yorkshire. They also go through the same drying process.

The Readigrass has a slightly higher protein content than the Friendly Readigrass (15% vs. 12%), but both are within the recommended levels for rabbits, guinea pigs, and other small pets.

Yes. Friendly Readigrass is a natural product. This means that, although we use the same blend of ryegrass seeds, in the same fields at our farm in Yorkshire, using the same drying process; Friendly Readigrass is prone to natural variation across the season.

We do not add anything, and all we remove is the water, preserving the grass as it comes straight from the field. In this pure state, it can vary from bright green, to pale green, to even having a little brown in. Every batch is quality checked before being released for sale.

If you have any concerns about the appearance of Friendly ReadiGrass please contact our team for advice, using the contact page, or emailing us at: info@friendshipestates.co.uk

Friendly Green Oat ReadiGrass is made from oat forage, grown in our own fields in the heart of Yorkshire, rather than grass.  The oat leaves, stems and fibrous husks are harvested at an early stage whilst they are still fresh and green, and before any oat grain is formed. This offers a forage with a different taste for variety in the diet. Our drying process removes only the water – retaining the natural flavour and high nutrient value of the oat forage.

No. Friendly Green Oat ReadiGrass is starch free as the oat plant is harvested before the starchy grain is formed.

Friendly Timothy ReadiGrass is made from a different grass variety – Timothy grass. Again, grown in our own fields in the heart of Yorkshire, our drying process removes only the water – retaining the natural flavour and high nutrient value of fresh timothy grass.

Timothy grass offers a slightly, different taste to other grasses. It is great for stimulating appetite and is tempting even to the fussiest of feeders.

Hutch Hemp is made from the soft core of the hemp plant which is chopped finely after harvesting and dust extracted to give a comfortable and warm bedding for small animals.

Yes, Hutch Hemp makes the ideal dust-free bedding for a wide range of animals including for rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, chinchillas, gerbils, degus, mice, ferrets and tortoises.

Yes, Hutch Hemp is suitable for tortoises. It has an outstanding absorbency which greatly reduces ammonia smells. Tortoises also enjoy digging in Hutch Hemp, as they would do in a natural environment.

Friendly Natural Cat Litter is made from British straw which is a rapidly renewable source as it is re-grown every year. The straw is pelleted for ease of use, with only mint flavouring added.

Friendly Natural Cat Litter is available in 3 pack sizes. 3.2kg is a convenient size for those with limited storage and has an easy-to-carry handle at the top of the bag. 8kg is ideal for those with more than one cat, and 20kg is an economic pack size for catteries, or those with more storage.

Friendly Natural Cat Litter can be used for rabbits. It is natural and doesn’t clump or swell, making it safe for any pets that might eat it. Friendly Natural Cat Litter is also dust-free, so won’t irritate your rabbit’s nose.

For any smaller pets, like guinea pigs and mice, Friendly Natural Cat Litter may not be suitable. The pellets are hard and relatively-large for these little guys, and may not be the most comfortable choice.