Anyone feeding hay yet (those out 24/7)

cob&onion

cob&onion

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How is your grazing getting on?
My cobs are both not in work - ones a 4yr coloured LW type and the others a 2yr old welsh D. The coloured is looking chunky and still holding a fair bit of weight (probably a bit too much but for the time of year not too bad) the 2 yr old is looking good. Looking at there paddocks today (they are both separated in their own parts due to my colt!) the grass is running out and figured will have to start feeding hay the end of next week!!
There both naked and will remain that way throughout the winter.
They may get hard feed depending on the winter we have.
Was hoping to hang on till November but with the sudden cold snap and all the rain the grass is fast disappearing!!
 
We've started feeding hay ad lib in the field, more through personal preference then because they need it. Our grazing isn't awful but not that great so its nice to have it in the field to fill their bellies. We have a tb and a quarter horse... Both good weights with the hay (:
 
No yet. Mine has just moved into the first quarter of his winter paddock so he will be let into the other sections over the next few weeks. He will then get hay. Hes getting a haynet for half an hour when he comes in, which he wasnt getting before. He is a fatty though so I dont want to be feeding him too much. x
 
Not yet. Iv just this week let my 2 into the other half of their field which I saved all summer as half was plenty for the summer.
Once its gone Ill start putting hay out, I reckon by November time it will be gone.
 
Nope still got loads of grass 15acre(ish) field with 12 in they've all got plenty of weight as well. YO said they only had to put hay out a couple of times last year think just when it snowed. There on it all year round as well.
 
I was for a short while til I started strip grazing their winter field. Hoping the previous field comes back a bit for when I start feeding hay. I didn't think it out very well and grazed the field nearest the house first. Should have done it the other way round. Oh well!
 
Yes, for about 6 weeks. I started feeding hay during Burghley week, absolutely unheard of. They're in a pretty big field but the grass just isn't growing. Already feeding a lot of hay, it's going to be an expensive winter!
 
Have just opened up the last bit of their current field which they will be in until december (2 acres - 2 horses - will then go into winter field) but as of a couple of weeks ago they have adlib hay in haybars in field shelter - partly because one is 18 and one hunting and also to encourage them in onto the yard and field shelter when its wet - if there is hay they will stay in there - otherwise they get hungry and wander back out to fields even in the pouring rain. they are both spot on weight wise going into winter.
 
In the last 2 weeks mine have started to show an interest in the hay when in. Usually one picks at it when in if grazing is good, other ignores it. But over last fortnight the greedy one has been eating a leaf & half a day before leaving it. The non food orientated one has begun picking at it. Which is basically how I assess the grass quality.
 
Not yet, mine are actually still in muzzles, 3 on 2.5ish acres and my grass is ridiculous, never seen it this well in over 30yrs and have never had muzzles on at this time of yr, totally bizarre. However it is finally this week started to lose it's 'fluorescent greenness' thank god. Mine are Lami risk so no way are those muzzles coming off just yet, paranoid about it, 1 very fat, 1 fat and 1 just right at the moment, all being worked as much as possible and the weight just hasn't shifted all yr.
 
Mine just get a section of hay each in the mornings, they are all good doers and all a little on the podgey side so won't be getting more than that for another few weeks
 
Yep, have been giving the boys 2/3rds of a bale every night. I've got good grazing but they seem to want it & I can't risk the young lad losing any weight :(
 
No I have got far too much grazing. I have started to strip graze mine each day onto the rest of the field and will do so every day now until March. Even then I will not have used up all of the remaining grass! Never have to feed hay in the field unless the snow is too deep and compact for him to dig through to the grass.
 
Is it me or am I wrong there is nothing in the grass now so my 2 boys 2 year old 13 year old cob have been fed the last few weeks cob very fit as hunts twice a week out 24/7 old pasture very sheltered on hard feed senior top spec and haylage looks great i feed him little or more haylage depending on if he leaves it so got it down to a t now the 2 year old gets bailys no 14 3 scoops a day and a little alpha mixed in he's in with other babies and looks good I cannot understand why people dont feed there horses ie: balancers if nothing else !! people say good doers but my cob would probably be a GOOD DOER !! and the lady who has another 2 year old in the same field as mine dosn't feed at all it looks SAD my 2 horses look happy in the eye and are very content and relaxed I am not one for over feeding they both have nothing through the summer. so can someone explain why you don't feed through the winter as you say got plenty of grass !! I can't blame people actually for not feeding as a bag of D & H pasture mix has doubled I was shocked as to how much feed has gone up how are you all coping.
 
hunteress said:
Is it me or am I wrong there is nothing in the grass now[....]can someone explain why you don't feed through the winter as you say got plenty of grass !!
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The grass up here seems to be fine just now, but we have grazing which is really too good, muzzles are very common on our yard.

Re feeding I can only speak for myself, I only feed enough to get supplements in, the one that's out 24/7 gets add lib haylage in the field from whenever the grass runs out in the winter field to whenever it starts growing again. He rarely needs anything else to keep weight on so no actual feed for him.

The one that's in at nights and out by day is a very good doer, he gets soaked add lib haylage over night and a starvation paddock through the day, again only gets enough feed to get bute and supplements in.

I wouldn't class what I give them as feeds as such as there is so little in the bucket it won't do anything for weight.

Suppose it comes down to your own situation and hay/haylage availability, grass quality and the horses health.
 
I dont feed my good doer in the sense of nuts, grain etc. His 'feed' consists of a couple of handfuls of chaff to put a supplement into and that is all he needs. He has a lovely shiny coat at the moment even though his winter one is on the way through and bags too much energy given he is only strip grazed onto a small amount each day.
People say there is no goodness in the grass at the moment...tell that to my good doer! He has been a nightmare to ride since I started moving the fence a little each day...far too much energy.
Even if I did not feed him his chaff and supplement he comes out of winter looking great and rarely drops weight on even crap and limited winter grass and soaked hay at night and not rugged.
 
Not yet - still have some grass in the summer paddock to use and have the winter paddock to go, doesn't look like I'll need to feed hay until xmas as we have had abundant grass this year!
 
hunteress said:
! and the lady who has another 2 year old in the same field as mine dosn't feed at all it looks SAD my 2 horses look happy in the eye and are very content and relaxed I am not one for over feeding they both have nothing through the summer. so can someone explain why you don't feed through the winter as you say got plenty of grass .
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8 acres of this to eat before they will look at hay. They aren't sad, believe me!

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I have 2 out 24/7 - 17hh WB in 100g fill rug and a naked Dales 2 year old and I am feeding them a bale of hay between them a day. They wait for it and are definately appreciating it. I will start bringing them in mid November and start hard feed then also.
 
Not yet, its been a great year for my grass and they all look very well and healthy and still have grass in the fields. Will proberly have to start in early november, youngsters all look a bit too well and they have not had 1 bucket since last winter.
 
I have got loads of grass and will be strip grazing forever at this rate. Mine still seem to be getting fatter even though I only move the fence a small bit each day. Can't see me opening any haylege for quite a while yet.
 
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