a hay question.........

[lucky7]

How much small bale hay would you expect to use per day for 2 very good doer natives who live out 24/7, are an ideal weight, have natural shelter but little grass just mud!!
When there was snow on the ground they where getting through a big round bale of hay a week, normally a big bale would last 12 days in mild weather.
Big bale hay no longer available so need to order in small ones.

So if you use small ones how many do you get through per week, and what is your horses situation etc?? am thinking approx 1 and a half per day when its mild

 

[Mongoose11]

I would say a bale a day each. My good doer has grass, half a bale of hay split between teatime and supper and is maintaining her weight with exercise. I guess it depends how much they are doing?

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I would say that's about right, or maybe even slightly less as there tends to be less wastage in small bales. But work on that and it should be enough easily. Assuming it is nice hay that they like.

 

[lucky7]

I would say a bale a day each. My good doer has grass, half a bale of hay split between teatime and supper and is maintaining her weight with exercise. I guess it depends how much they are doing?

One is a youngster and the other is currently turned away, so both doing nothing

I would say that's about right, or maybe even slightly less as there tends to be less wastage in small bales. But work on that and it should be enough easily. Assuming it is nice hay that they like.

Yes the wastage of the bigger bales is terrible, because i store it in the field under a taupaulin loads goes on the floor and gets ruined
The hay i have sourced is really nice stuff

Am trying to work out how much to order to last me till the end of march! hopefully by then the grass should be coming through.......i have a small paddock which has been rested all winter but its not ready yet!

 

[w1bbler]

Blimey, I must be starving mine, 3 x 15hh ish natives, get fed handful of chaff with balancer once a day & 1/2 small bale btw them per day (went up to 3/4 during the snow)
Live out 24/7 in a 5 acre field - doesn't seem to be lots of grass but they always have heads down munching.
One of them still looks a little overweight, other 2 about right.

 

[LovesCobs]

i go through 1 1/2 bales for 4 a day. they are all good doers, 2 small ponies and 2 horses. Id say one bale a day is ample, keep an eye on weight and reduce if you need to

 

[lelly]

I think a bale each a day is far too much. You don't say how big the ponies are. My two Shetlands only have a cake each a day. They also have sugar fee ossi chaff in a ring feeder. They are about right for weight, with a small feed as well to get their vits down them. If I give them anymore they will be too fat.

 

[Mongoose11]

I think I was blindsided by the 'just mud' comment. If my horse had no grass she would need a bale a day... Good doing cob!

 

[TGM]

Depends how big they are!

 

[Irishcobs]

My 2 cobs who were out 24/7 with very little grass had a bale and a half a day last year. One was a very good doer the other wasn't but she got fed hard feed as well.

 

[diamondrockharvey]

I have a 15.3hh cob and a 17hh ISH and they have hardly any grass left in the 3 acres they are in at the moment. They have one small bale between them a day, and a small feed of speedi beet, pony nuts and Equivite original and have 100g rugs on and they both look really well! If anything too well!