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Feeding Round Bales or Large Squares?

20K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  maura 
#1 ·
How many horses does it take to make it worthwhile to feed round bales or large (800#) square bales? How fast do you want them to eat it? Would it be practical for 2-4 horses, or should I just stick with small squares??
 
#2 ·
We have four horse and feed round bails. We go through one a week ( plus alfalfa, but only 1/2 flake daily) They are fed more than they can eat twice daily. We purchase a years worth at a time and it lasts better than small squares. Peel off the first layer and the rest is just cut fresh. If you give them the full bail, we found most of it just gets laid on! LOL. Our four are stalled at night and out during they day, unless it is pouring.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I feed round bails the way I think Peetz does. It's in my barn and I peel off what I need per feeding. Doing it that way, it stays fresh, clean, and none of it gets wasted. I also find that the round bails are much less expensive - which is a bonus.
 
#7 ·
I feed round bails the way I think Peetz does. It's in my barn and I peel off what I need per feeding. Doing it that way, it stays fresh, clean, and none of it gets wasted. I also find that the round bails are much less expensive - which is a bonus.
Me too. I HATE peeling round bales but it's a lot cheaper. I get ALMOST a month out of mine. They are large bales though (not sure what they weigh). I had to go to a local dairy farm for one a couple weeks ago because my farmer wasn't home and it was much smaller, lasted about 2 and a half weeks.

I have 5 horses and I peel it twice a day (AM and PM). One of my horses can't eat hay, he just chews it so I am really only feeding four with it and get about a month.
 
#6 ·
I fee both round and small square bales The rounds I put on end on pallets cut the strings and un role them. Works well no real wast and they last quite some time.
 
#8 ·
I'm feeding 2 horses and 2 minis right now and a 1/2 ton bail lasts me ~3 weeks. My guys are usually out on pasture from the PM feeding until the AM feeding; other times they are out 24/7. My pasture is just starting to come back from the winter so I can begin to cut back on the PM hay feeding.
 
#9 ·
I fed round bales for 2 horses (lasted 2 - 3 weeks) and 3 horses (lasted 7 - 8 days.) My horses are out 24/7. Way, way cheaper than square bales.

A round bale feeder designed for horses is a huge help; with only 2 horses, covering the bale is a great idea.

Do consider how you're going to move the bales. We have a 50hp tractor with a spike to move our bales, our neighbors feed square bales because they have a smaller tractor and can't handle the bales.

If you're relying on your hay dealer to deliver the bales on an as needed basis, have some square bales as back up in case you run low before the hay dealer can bring a new bale.
 
#11 ·
Dry airid parts of the world are an exception to this rule - ie. airizona, but generally, you do not want a bale of hay to last more than 1 week due to mold and spoiling outside in the weather. That means the 800lb bale needs to be eaten and replaced in 7 days. 4 horses x 30lb hay day free choice = 120lb /day x 7 days = 840lb/week! Looks very doable!
 
#16 ·
Dry airid parts of the world are an exception to this rule - ie. airizona, but generally, you do not want a bale of hay to last more than 1 week due to mold and spoiling outside in the weather. That means the 800lb bale needs to be eaten and replaced in 7 days. 4 horses x 30lb hay day free choice = 120lb /day x 7 days = 840lb/week! Looks very doable!
Might want to rethink your theory - in MN the vast majority of round bales are stored outside. Some covered - some not. A person that knows how to stack (my husband, BIL, hay supplier) can do so in such a manner that we do not have issues with maintaining the quality of our hay.
 
#12 ·
Wow, I can't believe I never thought of just peeling off a layer of the round bale at a time. I had just been putting whole round bales in a feeder and leaving them out.

My heart is breaking over all that wasted hay... and the wasted time scraping up the wasted hay with the tractor to get it out of the field :(
 
#15 ·
Those round bale feeders are nice. I did once have a friend that had a foal break it's neck in one. It got crowed by bigger horses and slammed in just the right way, just something to be aware of.

As for the round bales, one thing to think of though, you might want to add a botulism shot to your regimen.
 
#22 ·
As for the round bales, one thing to think of though, you might want to add a botulism shot to your regimen.
There will not be a higher incidence of baling up dead animals with rd bales or large square bales than there would be with small square bales. The chances of feeding a dead mouse in a flake of a small square bale are very similar to the chances of finding a snake or rabbit in a large rd bale.

A botulism shot might be a good idea, but it would be equally a good idea in small square bales.
 
#17 ·
Yes, I would question that assumption as well.

I have very well cured hay that I keep undercover before feeding - I've never had a problem with mold or spoilage after the hay's set out.

Perhaps the difference is if the hay is run through a hay conditioner before baling?
 
#21 ·
Perhaps the difference is if the hay is run through a hay conditioner before baling?
Do you know what a conditioner does? Explain this logic! A hay conditioner helps to get hay dry quicker. A HAY CONDITIONER DOES NOT KEEP HAY DRY IN THE BALE AFTER BEING SET OUT IN THE RAIN. IF ANYTHING, CRACKED STEMS IN HAY WILL ABSORB WATER EASIER AND THUS BE MORE PRONE TO MOLD!
 
#18 ·
It takes my two big horses and a pony just about 2 weeks to go through a round bale. I leave it out ( thought about peeling it but that seems like a lot of trouble and I am a little on the lazy side) and make them clean up most of what is wasted on the ground before I put out a new one. 1 large horse quality round is $70. That is $35 a week. Squares are $6.50 and I go through a bale a day x 7 is $45 a week. So I save myself about $10 a week feeding rounds and this way they get as much hay as they want.
 
#19 ·
i have one stabled horse 24/7 and i feed only round bales as i get them off my dad one large bale lasts me about 6 weeks with 3-4 feeds per day
very worthwile much better them small bales as you decide exactly how much to give and its not dependent on flake size very handy for weighing as well
 
#23 · (Edited)
No need to shout.

And yes, I understand what a hay conditioner does.

My logic is the dryer and more thoroughly cured the hay is, the less prone it is to mold, period, both while stored and while set out being fed.

I live in Central Virginia, an area that's damp and humid, and I have not had a problem with round bale spoilage with bales that stayed out more than a week.

So your "rule" about not leaving the bales out for more than a week may be a valid generalization in other parts of the world, but it hasn't been my experience.

I think we all can agree the longer you leave the bale exposed to weather, the more prone it will be to mold and spoilage. However, I would add that the amount of time it takes to mold or spoil depends on a variety of other factors.

And back to the OP, it is perfectly feasible to feed round bales safely to 2 - 4 horses.
 
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