BOSS-Black oil sunflower seeds

[heavensminis]

I am looking for information (pros/cons) on people who use boss? How much to you give and how often? Is there a certain type or brand that you use? Do you give the whole sunflower seed? Does it cause colic or any side effect?

Does it work better on a certain color horse? I was told it can really help black horses darker up?

What is the general turn around for seeing results?

Thanks for any advise you can give on the subject.

 

[cretahillsgal]

I've only started using BOSS recently and havent really seen any results. But I am feeding the whole black sunflower seed and each horse gets a handfull each evening. I got mine at Atwoods.

 

[Reble]

I did use it for years, but found it did put weight on.

 

[ruffian]

I use it on my show horses. They each get about 1/2 C twice a day, give or take. I like the shine they get.

 

[Mominis]

BOSS have been very successful for some people. I did try it once, but didn't see much change. I also had a fellow boarder whose horse was on BOSS colic. The vet told her that it was the undigested seeds that were the cause. It was enough to scare me off of the idea, even if that is the only time I've ever heard of that happening due to BOSS.

If you are looking for a good coat supplement, I would suggest that you try flax. I've always ground mine in an old coffee grinder just prior to feeding it, but I recently spoke with someone who said they have good results with just the whole flaxseed. Also, I think it was disneyhorse who mentioned in another thread that they are also helpful, in the seed state, to prevent sand colic.

I don't think that flax will darken a coat, just increase the moisture in the hair shaft and make it appear darker. I've not heard anything about BOSS darkening a horse up either. The only thing I've tried and had work was sweet paprika for a dark coat.

 

[Pipsqueak Paddocks]

I have used BOSS for over six years. It works really well to pair it with flax as they have complimentary omegas. Your horse gets a broad spectrum of goodness! With the first pony I used it with, you could actually see where I started feeding it in the hoof a few months down the road.

I use it for coat and hoof condition as well as for putting weight on skinny rescues. I researched it further recently, to check on sugar levels when we got our first cushings case in, and it had none, so it's great for putting weight on cushings cases. It is a staple in our horse's diets.

I have never heard of any problems... other than some horses don't like them much at first. Just be sure that you are getting BLACK OIL sunflower seeds... NOT the striped ones! Black Oil are the only ones with a soft enough shell for them to digest.

Also... you get the benefit of the occasional pretty flower if you spill them outside!

g/kg

Dry matter 900

Crude protein 196

NE1 (Mcal/kg) 3.04

TDN 1010

Fat (oil) 440

NDF 241

ADF 165

Crude fiber 225

Ash 37

Ca 2.6

P 6.7

NE1 = net energy for lactation, TDN = total digestible nutrients, NDF = neutral-detergent fiber,

ADF = acid-detergent fiber.

Source: Sunflower Technology and Production Agronomy No. 35 1997

 

[spindleberry]

I have used it on my horses, currently using it right now on a few. I have noticed that it adds weights and helps their coat shine.

I normally use it for weight gain if there's a horse that needs it.

 

[krissy3]

I have a mixed bag of different grains-seeds. I have the black sunflower seeds and flax seed in with this grain. they only get about 1/4 cup a day at the most. I havnt found it sold alone here yet. My horses fur feels like bunny fur, and its shinny.

 

[qtrrae]

I mix BOSS right in with my feed, I have found that my horses all have beautiful shiny coats and their manes and tails glisten and sparkle. Here is some info on BOSS that I had saved from LB some time ago-

As already noted, BOSS is an acronym for Black Oil Sunflower Seed. These can be found in feed stores, pet stores, any place that carries bird seed, etc. The black oil seed is said to contain more oil in the shell than the gray-striped version, but nutritionally they are otherwise fairly equivalent. The gray-striped have a larger shell surface, and some reports indicate that they may be better for horses who tend to not chew their food well (seniors, horses with teeth problems). On the other hand, some sources say that the gray-striped shells splinter more easily. There are no real rock hard facts about feeding sunflower seeds, but they have been a staple in the equine diet in other parts of the world, especially Australia for years, and have been used around the race tracks for a long time as well.

Sunflower seeds are high in fat, anywhere from 30-50%, but are also mineral rich, are a good source of Vitamins A and E (both good for the hair coat), and are high in omega-6 essential fatty acids which are essential for skin/coat/hoof health and a strong immune system. The seeds also contain a high level of protein and good levels of amino acids (but not lysine and threonine, two of the more important ones). They are also very calorie dense, so a little goes a long way.

If you'd like to add BOSS to your mini's diet, you should introduce the seeds slowly, like you would any new food item. The average amount given to an adult mini should be less than 1/2 cup per day. Because they are rich in minerals, anything more than that should be mineral balanced with the rest of the diet in mind. If your mini is in extra good flesh, you could use the seeds to SUBSTITUTE for part of the grain ration, instead of just adding them to what he is already getting. As far as what age to introduce them to your mini -- there's no real hard facts on this. Personally, I start my horses on them once they are about 8-9 months old and are starting to get more grinding surface to their teeth. In any case, whether you feed them to young or old horses, there are bound to be some seeds that don't get ground up and digested well and are passed in the manure. The upside to that is your pasture or manure pile gets a little more attractive as the plants grow and bloom!

 

[Minxiesmom]

I have been feeding the BOSS for about 4 months. 1/4c. to minis and qtr horse. My qtr horse is a rich blood bay, very red. After a few months of the BOSS she started looking more of a blacker bay, kind of seal brown. I like the red bay better so stopped feeding them to her. Haven't really noticed any color difference in the two minis, one black pinto and one silver bay pinto. We'll see when we do the first body clip.

 

[Coventry Lane Farm]

We feed the show horses half cup twice a day ech of flax and black oiled sunflower seeds and we feed flax year round, we have a friend that is a equine vet and he said the the flax seed prevents a horse from colic. Some horses won't eat whole flax so you can also feed it ground using a coffee grinder or comercial blender. We have had great results and it does take a few months to see the results when you are first starting out feeding them.