Best/worst hay feeding options for in the field?

Sol

Sol

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 May 2009
Messages
4,133
Location
Shropshire, England.
Visit site
Looking for people's opinions on the best way to feed hay in the field! My colt will be coming home soon, and I have rented a field for him & 1 other horse/pony (currently arranging to try & buy back the Sec A that was my first pony, or will track down someone to share the field, or even move my gelding on with him for a while if necessary - so he isn't going to be alone!)

If I do get the pony back, I know he isn't one for trampling his food into the mud, but don't know what baby will do or if I end up with a different companion horse. I've seen various hay hutches, hay weight type things, some people just open a bale & leave them to it (haylage) etc. but would like some opinions on what you've tried & what works well :) Also not sure if we will be feeding hay or haylage yet, depends if I can find someone to deliver haylage a bale at a time or will need to collect hay in my car! :o

Thanks in advance :)
 
I have a baby and youngsters and to be honest I won't risk them with anything in the field. They play and get into too much trouble too easily. I put out hay when they run out, usually twice a day, more if they need it. They don't tend to trash it that way but always have it when needed. Baby does make a bed out of it now and then though. I don't like anything they may get their legs into - or heads for that matter.
 
HBM1 said:
I have a baby and youngsters and to be honest I won't risk them with anything in the field. They play and get into too much trouble too easily. I put out hay when they run out, usually twice a day, more if they need it. They don't tend to trash it that way but always have it when needed. Baby does make a bed out of it now and then though. I don't like anything they may get their legs into - or heads for that matter.
Click to expand...

This does make sense, but I figure that they will always find something to try to try to harm themselves on, if they are so inclined - be it the fencing, the field shelter door way, the water bucket... I can hardly shut him in a padded cell :rolleyes: Anything I do use will be carefully considered for its potential risk, but I cannot make his life risk free. Sadly, I am somewhat of the mind that if the damn creature is foolish enough to make an actual attempt to break itself, then the sad reality is that it WILL break itself at worst and so be it. I shall pray he isn't stupid enough to do so as I am not about to walk around fastening foal-proof foam to everything... he'd only probably chew on it & choke.
I have no issue with them lying on it anyway, and will only actually spend any money on something to prevent the hay wastage if it starts being wasted (ie, the field manages to turn into a quagmire). This will be my first winter of renting this field so have no idea how wet it will get. I am used to cheshire where everywhere seems to end up 6 inches deep in clay & water...
 
I wasn't suggesting you pad his field. I actually wasn't suggesting you did anything, I was just saying what I do with mine, as you had asked for suggestions, namely "Looking for people's opinions on the best way to feed hay in the field".

I agree you can't protect them from everything, but I always try to think ahead as to what they "may" do. Fencing is essential, plastic objects with holes cut in them aren't. I would have no problem with my adults having something like this, just not the babies. I am sorry if I get a bit confused by posts that ask for opinions or suggestions, then people seem to get irked when you give one that isn't in line with theirs. :confused:
 
I must admit I have been mulling this one over and having decided that my two (1 and 3 years old) will entangle themselves on fresh air knowing my luck! I am going to use two of the largest size tub trugs as they are soft enough to be lobbed about
 
HBM1 said:
I wasn't suggesting you pad his field. I actually wasn't suggesting you did anything, I was just saying what I do with mine, as you had asked for suggestions, namely "Looking for people's opinions on the best way to feed hay in the field".

I agree you can't protect them from everything, but I always try to think ahead as to what they "may" do. Fencing is essential, plastic objects with holes cut in them aren't. I would have no problem with my adults having something like this, just not the babies. I am sorry if I get a bit confused by posts that ask for opinions or suggestions, then people seem to get irked when you give one that isn't in line with theirs. :confused:
Click to expand...

I asked for opinions, yes, doesn't mean I can't respond with mine though ;) I'm more of a two way conversation kind of person, apparently this doesn't always go down too well though! (took me a long, long time to find a riding instructor, put it that way...)
Clearly, not using anything is an option, but he will meet buckets and whatnot very quickly, and if he decides to fling them about & stand on them, lie on them, play hopscotch on them, so be it. Not sure how a bucket-type thing with hay in as opposed to feed or water can do too much harm if the creature has any brain at all! Mud could be just as dangerous even. As before - yes, I will be very cautious about what I DO choose to use (if anything) but I'm sure wasting vast amounts of hay would work out equally detrimental to him, mostly as there are only number of hours in a day that I can work in order to earn the money to feed him! :) I'm sure it will be no issue what so ever, and that the field will be large enough for two small ponies that there will be no such need for anything in the first place, but we shall see.
I'm sorry if you had a problem with me responding to your post. Thank you for your opinion.
 
i used a hay hutch (whichim now selling) medium one - little youngster who puts her feet in EVERYTHING is fine with this and no incidents yet....

same pony that will try and stand in her feedbucket...!..

i loved it - just ashame i dont need it anymore else i wouldnt sell they are expensive but imo safe...

they tipped it over once but i put a haynet in (not reccomended for proper babies)! as they couldnt get the hay - so sacked that idea and just hayed them - they are both more than happy with that arrangement :)
 
WelshD said:
I must admit I have been mulling this one over and having decided that my two (1 and 3 years old) will entangle themselves on fresh air knowing my luck! I am going to use two of the largest size tub trugs as they are soft enough to be lobbed about
Click to expand...

I had considered tub trug type buckets, I wonder if there is any way of anchoring them strongly enough that baby couldn't tear them up? Wouldn't care if the bucket ripped at the base, buckets are easy enough to replace, providing that whatever was anchoring it couldn't then be lifted & cause injury. Hmm, I shall have a think! I think if not 'fixed' somehow they would either blow over possibly or just become a big toy?
 
maisie06 said:
Old truck or tractor tyres can be pretty useful.
Click to expand...

This I would probably worry about as I have seen some pretty nasty pics of horses IN tyres? Unless there was a way to stake the tyre down & then fill the inside rim, as that seems to be the major issue? Effectively turning it into a giant, kickable rubber bucket...?
 
noodle_ said:
i used a hay hutch (whichim now selling) medium one - little youngster who puts her feet in EVERYTHING is fine with this and no incidents yet....

same pony that will try and stand in her feedbucket...!..

i loved it - just ashame i dont need it anymore else i wouldnt sell they are expensive but imo safe...

they tipped it over once but i put a haynet in (not reccomended for proper babies)! as they couldnt get the hay - so sacked that idea and just hayed them - they are both more than happy with that arrangement :)
Click to expand...

I had thought of one of these, I think someone on one of the yards I was at had one, it looked pretty good. I'd probably want to see one though, what are the edges like, and can it be fixed down? My theory is, if a leg goes into something fixed, the leg can be fairly easily taken out again. If a leg goes into something that then tips, falls over, rolls away or such, pony may then end up in a heap with god knows what contraption on him or various limbs flailing around, which does seem rather dangerous! Obviously not always going to be the case, but I have always been a lot more wary of moveable things than non-moveable things and it seems to mostly work... :confused:
 
nope they dont need to be tied down :)

if it does tip it cannot roll away just rolls round - believe me i have a destrictive pony!! :D

they are fab tbh... i really rate them - expensive though but wastage was less...and still gave them something to do by pulling the hay out :)
 
noodle_ said:
nope they dont need to be tied down :)

if it does tip it cannot roll away just rolls round - believe me i have a destrictive pony!! :D

they are fab tbh... i really rate them - expensive though but wastage was less...and still gave them something to do by pulling the hay out :)
Click to expand...

Just been reading the website, and their recommendations if you wish to fix it down. The one I saw wasn't fixed, but I would be worried perhaps that if it rolled and pony stuck a leg in (somehow), the two would roll together - which I could see as a catastrophe more easily. They do seem like a good design though :) Shall continue to ponder & read more tomorrow, off to bed now! :)
 
yep definately read reviews on them and google them - lots of info there! :)

i have heard people using compost bins etc but they just arnt secure - the hayhutch is made of motorway crash barrier material so the little sods cant break it haha :)
 
The only way to feed hay/haylage in the field to youngstock, that is 100% safe is in piles, always ensuring the number of piles is in excess of the numbers of animals being fed.

Yes you will have a degree of waste, but with a little observation over a few days/nights you can gauge how much to put out.

I would sooner waste a bit of hay than be calling the vet to an accident.
 
Sol said:
This I would probably worry about as I have seen some pretty nasty pics of horses IN tyres? Unless there was a way to stake the tyre down & then fill the inside rim, as that seems to be the major issue? Effectively turning it into a giant, kickable rubber bucket...?
Click to expand...

Yes, I thought of that too.

Pony-in-tyre.JPG


With a very young horse, I would pile hay on the floor, but once they are older I use a sheep hay feeder with extra mesh to stop them from putting their legs through the bars where the sheep would normally stick their heads through.

Like this.
Horseshayfeeder.jpg
 
Faracat said:
Yes, I thought of that too.

Pony-in-tyre.JPG
Click to expand...

how on earth did that happen? :eek:

we feed using tractor tyres, but I really don't think any of our horses (smallest 14.2) is going to be able to do that! They are pretty good, and make the horses walk round the piles of hay, rather than through them, as is doesn't matter how many you put out, some horses are like ruddy goldilocks and want to test every pile before they go back to their original one.
 
I use a tractor tyre but mine has been chained sawed in half to make originally a little Xc jump. Just lay the two halfs on the floor to make a circle. Then if somehow she ends up like that grey stuck in the tyre, they will just push apart with her kicking them.
 
I have two neds and put hay out twice a day, given loose and spread out thinly by hand in different areas of the field each day.

This means:

1. Old Fatty doesn't get to chase YoungUn off one big pile and pig it all himself
2. Both are good doers so spreading it out thinly means it takes longer for them to vacuum it all up.
3. Spreading it in differnt areas of the field avoids poaching.
4. Spreading it in different areas of the field also spreads hay seeds which means grass next year.
5. Defo no haynets or trugs or pallets or boxes as too much scope for either/both of them to play/pull/dismantle it.
 
I had a foal get stuck on top of a round bale last winter :(

My youngstock have to get on with life, they winter in a large pasture with three separate wooded/forested areas, fallen trees, low branches, tight spaces, a pond that freezes over...they trip over, skid and face plant, but they only do it once! You can't, as you say, put horses in padded cells, unless they are brain dead they will learn from their mistakes.

I tend to feed round bales unrolled now - less wastage and one bale does for 10 horses rather than having to put out three bales at a time.

Smaller groups just get their hay ration lobbed over the fence in lots of piles, what they do with it then is their business. If they eat it/ruin it then they have straw in feeders to fill their bellies with. Feeders have their advantages but to be honest, unless you can move them, or they are on hardstanding, they are just a bog waiting to happen.

In your situation I would be inclined to take a bale in at a time and spread it around, a lot. :)
 
Lol, seen that before, just goes to show, no matter how safe you make things horses will always manage to do something you'd never expected! :D
 
We use 4 high scaffold boards two long & two shorter ends screwed together with wood inside the bottom corners to
strengthen.You can make it as high wide or low as you like. We are lucky enough to have a tractor so we drop a rectangle bale in that lasts six horses five - seven days in the winter. We can move it around too to prevent poaching.
We have used this method for years now and it works well.The key is also to never let the horses be without hay in the winter then no arguments occur as they are never hungry
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top