Feeding Hay from a Round Bale

NdAppy · 12-09-2012, 06:45 PM

Dittoing what Cat said. I don't have much wastage. Had more when I had to pitch it to them, when the tractor was broken, due to wind and them deciding "hey this is more fun to spread out then in a bale!"

deserthorsewoman · 12-09-2012, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cat

I must have piggies because then really clean it up as long as I have the hay ring. Without the ring they end up using it for bedding.

As to the mention of chronic cough and respiratory issues - that is directly linked to the quality of hay. You should only use hay from someone who knows how to cure and bale it for horses and keeps it stored under shelter. They can take shortcuts for cattle hay and keep it stored out in the field but that is begging for problems when it comes to horse hay.

True. But a wet spot in a bale can happen, and cannot be easily seen in a big roundbale. Once mold develops in there, it's not only what you can see as moldy, but the spores go about 10" in the visibly good part. Plus, even hay stored under tarp can go moldy.

NdAppy · 12-09-2012, 06:56 PM

If you have a wet spot in a hay it wasn't properly baled. And if you have 50% of wastage feeding rounds something is drastically wrong.

deserthorsewoman · 12-09-2012, 07:18 PM

NDAppy....just stating my experience. I don't have X-ray eyes, so cannot see what's inside a big bale. I'd rather not risk it.
50% waste....heck yeah, seen it. They just went for the core of the bale, and the rest got trampled, pooped on, peed on. That was without a roundbale feeder. And leaving them to eat the "junk" is not my cup of tea

Tianimalz · 12-09-2012, 07:29 PM

I tried free feeding...

Probably lost a weeks worth of hay in the course of three days due to the newbie scattering it and sleeping/pooping all through it >8l

Bright side... bright side... I have lots of garden bedding... -tries not to cry-

themacpack · 12-09-2012, 08:07 PM

We do free-feeding because it's what keeps the weight on our TB through the winter

Horsnaround64 · 12-09-2012, 08:12 PM

I have seven and we feed round bales. We use feeders and they get all they want. Yes they waste some. But makes me feel better when they have plenty to eat on cold winter nights

BadWolf · 12-09-2012, 09:10 PM

Looks like it's split about 50-50. Thanks for weighing in :)

We don't have a hay ring, and a net feeder is sooo much cheaper... I guess I'll see if the extra work is worth it.

Cowgirls Boots · 12-09-2012, 09:29 PM

I had round bails and peeled it off and fed it. We had three horses in the pasture and one left and my two would have just wasted it all. The round bails are a PITA so I switched to the huge square bales.
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Tiamo · 12-13-2012, 08:57 AM

My barn uses squares but my friend uses the smaller round bales and unrolls them in the pasture for the horses.

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