Another question for grooms: what's your feeding system?

Escapade

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I'm trying to find ways to become more efficient at feeding the yard but I'm quickly running out of ideas, so I'm interested in hearing how other yards are run!

When feeding by myself, it takes an hour on average (inc. mixing feed, steeping pulp, sweeping feed room, preparing lunch and field feeds etc.). Roughly 50 horses, the vast majority get a number of supplements of which I do some AM and some PM as there are just so many, but a number are both. The layout is also difficult as there is one big yard and 3 separate barns, while the feed room is way up top so making trips quickly eats away at time.

I'm under pressure to get the job done faster but I'm not sure how I can do that without cutting corners, which I can't do as many are sale horses and have to look 100% or eventers which get light very very quickly. Any and all ideas appreciated :)
 

Tiddlypom

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I'm trying to find ways to become more efficient at feeding the yard but I'm quickly running out of ideas, so I'm interested in hearing how other yards are run!
50 horses to feed in an hour? That's just over a minute a horse, including weighing out, adding supplements, mixing and then actually travelling round the yard giving the right feed to the right horse?

Not enough time. If they were all getting identical amounts of everything, then yes, but having to check off each horse's ration, then no.
 

be positive

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Do you have a decent sized barrow or trolley so you can take the feed to each barn and make them up individually once you are there, it would work if there are not too many different types of feed, a big tub of beet, big tub of chop, tub of whatever else is basic, take them all to a central point and scoop out into each bowl taking them straight into each box, supplements added as required as long as you know who gets what.
I have seen this done and it makes more sense than making up each feed in the feedroom and carrying loads of feed bowls to the boxes, it doesn't work if there are too many feeds in use but if they want it done faster maybe they need to look into the feeds they use and simplify things.
 

criso

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As I have complicated supplements for my horses I make these up in advance in little plastic pots with the horse's name on it. It means that whoever is doing feeds (ym during the week, me at the weekend) just has to tip it into the feed just before feeding. I make up about a fortnight at a time.
 

Escapade

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Do you have a decent sized barrow or trolley so you can take the feed to each barn and make them up individually once you are there, it would work if there are not too many different types of feed, a big tub of beet, big tub of chop, tub of whatever else is basic, take them all to a central point and scoop out into each bowl taking them straight into each box, supplements added as required as long as you know who gets what.
I have seen this done and it makes more sense than making up each feed in the feedroom and carrying loads of feed bowls to the boxes, it doesn't work if there are too many feeds in use but if they want it done faster maybe they need to look into the feeds they use and simplify things.
Yes, that's basically what I do. Always in my ear to do individual buckets, "that was done in the past and it worked brilliantly" (apparently!) but it just doesn't work for me. I think it's just a job that will take a long time to do it right but I'm always interested in seeing if I can do it better :)
 
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