Doncella
Well-Known Member
I have a 15 hand 3/4tb mare and her 9 month old 7/8tb already 14 hands, they live out 24/7 and get two small bales of hay every three days. I feed from a feeder which has made it very cost effective.
For those of you who feed Ad Lib Hay......
- Thread starter Joyous70
- Start date
Cortez
Tough but Fair
I am GOBSMACKED at how much most of you are feeding!!! Ad lib is ad lib, of course, and if mine were on all-they-can-eat they'd be the size of houses with bellies on the floor! But they are getting roughly half a small bale of hay each over the course of a day (slightly less for the ex obese, very greedy one), out in a very bare field for half the day, are in medium work, get NO hard feed and all look good on it.
Polotash
Well-Known Member
Count yourself lucky ;0)
My big (17.2) KWPN is eating LOADS compared to by other two - he gets 20 lbs (about 2/3 of a small bale) every night, which he eats between 6.30pm and 7.30am. The rest of the time he is out with fresh grass every day (I strip graze) and two large feeds - sugar beet, alfa, linseed and conditioning mix.
My 15.3 TB mare eats about half that (hay and feed wise) and is looking well.
*Maddy&Occhi*
Well-Known Member
Not to sure on weights either but Moja is out from around 9-2, coming into bowl of readygrass and haynet. Another small haynet of hayledge at around 6ish, then 2 nets of hay at night time. She gets 2 medium sized feeds inc basic feed. She keeps her weight pretty well although droped coming into winter- she got a bit fat but is currently out of work until the next 2 weeks or so (hay belly) hay will stay the same when she's back in work, feed may increase/decrease depending on how well she keeps this when back in work.
*Maddy&Occhi*
Well-Known Member
Just to add, Moja is 16.1 cob x tb
RoobyDoobs
Well-Known Member
Cortez me too!
I have a 16.3 ID x Cob who would be the size of not a house, but the houses of parliament if I gave him ad lib hay!!! He lives out, but I bring him in at 'teatime' each day to check him over, groom and feed him. He has a scoop and a qtr of Pure Feeds Pure Fibre balance, and about half a big slice of hay fed from a haylage net as he is greedy (and has had choke two or three times recently). He isnt doing much work at all at the mo as I work full time and can only really ride at weekends (a gentle hack). The grass is still pretty good in his field, and if anything he seems to have put on some weight, certainly he hasnt lost any!!!! He is in excellent condition, and is happy and i think feeling well.... Therefore I'm happy! *Maddy&Occhi*
Well-Known Member
I'm glad I've read this thread because I give my boys around 13 kg of haylage a night (out all day from 7am-4/5pm). People on my yard have commented on how big my haynets are & how they've always got lots left over.....urm yeah they're on ad-lib & I don't want them finishing their haynets & standing eating nothing from 7pm
The left overs are put into the field for them to pick at over the day.
My pony is permently on a diet. She gets 5 kg of hay mixed with oat straw & triple netted so it lasts her all night,
Me too, Id hate to think Moja had run out half way through the night, she's a ganet and eats like a pig on hay too. Although ive found she really fills up on the hayledge so will most morning's have hay left over (not by much though) Moja gets the most hay and hayledge on our yard. If she gets a bit porky I just double net.
I read that if horses go more then 4 hours without eating they start to produce stomach ulcers
they need to be foraging all day.barehoofhannah
Well-Known Member
I'd feed them enough that there was still some left over each time you go to replenish it. If they know it's never going to run out they'll only eat what's required (after a while of gorging if it's a new experience having loads out) better than it running out as horses continue to produce acid to break food down so if nothing in stomach then stomach acid just washing about as no food to absorb into and break down. Mine isn't rugged so I except him to need to go through more in order to have the energy to keep warm. Some sort of slow feeder net or contraption may keep the hay clean and together, but some horses just better with it on ground and easier for owner to do than tying hay nets.
Saw some good home made hockey net contraptions to slow feed hay which ok provided not got shoes on to get caught if ground level feeding.
Hope that helps, Hannah
Saw some good home made hockey net contraptions to slow feed hay which ok provided not got shoes on to get caught if ground level feeding.
Hope that helps, Hannah
monkeybum13
Well-Known Member
My 16.3 could easily get through 8 slices in 24 hours, if not more.
She's currently a bit porky as she's only just coming back in to work so although she is fed "ad lib" it is double netted to reduced the amount she is eating but there is enough hay that there is always some available.
She's currently a bit porky as she's only just coming back in to work so although she is fed "ad lib" it is double netted to reduced the amount she is eating but there is enough hay that there is always some available.
rolsterlady
Well-Known Member
I have a 27y/o thoroughbred and a 9yo warmblood both 15.2hh ish, they have approx half a bale of hay per 24 hours and live out 24/7 - they look well off it and never seem overly 'hungry'!
Alfiem
Well-Known Member
When I had my TB - 16.2 substantial fella he had around 3/4 of a bale over 24 hours, it weighed around 16 - 18 kgs. So glad I have natives now, much easier on the pocket, with only 8 -10 kgs in 24 hours!
Toast
Well-Known Member
Both my long yearling and my three year old get a big hi fi bag jam packed full twice a day. That sees them through 24 hours easily
Enfys
Well-Known Member
10 in one group, youngsters, broodies, ancients, QH's, tb's, arabians, all out 24/7 on 10 acres, no grass to speak of, they clean up, and I mean clean up a round bale of 20% alfa hay in 48 hours.
Bale is unrolled, zero wastage and no fighting or problems with shy feeders being pushed off by the bossy mares. They are all a little too well but not much I can do about that, when, if, winter comes they'll need the coverage, night time temps are only just dipping to -10C now so it's not even really cold yet.
Bale is unrolled, zero wastage and no fighting or problems with shy feeders being pushed off by the bossy mares. They are all a little too well but not much I can do about that, when, if, winter comes they'll need the coverage, night time temps are only just dipping to -10C now so it's not even really cold yet.
Pale Rider
Well-Known Member
Ad lib, in nutritional studies, denotes providing an animal free access to feed or water thereby allowing the animal to self-regulate intake according to its biological needs.
Therefore, there should always be some left over at replenishing times.
Controling a horses weight through restricting bulk fibre, hay or haylage, is a mistake and will lead to gastric problems of some degree. Remember that acid and bile is constantly being released into the alimentary tract and needs fibre to work on, all the time. You can of course reduce the calorific value of the hay rather than the quantity, and/or give the horse more work to do.
With regard to feeding hay, it is better fed on the floor as this maintains the alignment of the jaws, haynets can cause uneven wearing of the teeth which can cause problems in bitted horses, and of course increase the need for dental work which should be a rarity rather than routine.
Therefore, there should always be some left over at replenishing times.
Controling a horses weight through restricting bulk fibre, hay or haylage, is a mistake and will lead to gastric problems of some degree. Remember that acid and bile is constantly being released into the alimentary tract and needs fibre to work on, all the time. You can of course reduce the calorific value of the hay rather than the quantity, and/or give the horse more work to do.
With regard to feeding hay, it is better fed on the floor as this maintains the alignment of the jaws, haynets can cause uneven wearing of the teeth which can cause problems in bitted horses, and of course increase the need for dental work which should be a rarity rather than routine.
Prince33Sp4rkle
Well-Known Member
mine are stabed overnight, the fully clipped TB in hard work (schooling PSG) is eating 8 slices of haylage overnight, and another 1 in the field (he does have excellent grass as well, but likes to have some hay to pick at during the day). so thats 3/4 of a medium bale of haylage!
the other TB isnt clipped or in work (yet) and is eating about 4/5 slices overnight, and ignores his slice in the field.
they both have a good 1/2 slice left over each morning .
my haylage bales arent the very tiny ones, they are about double a marksway horsehage bale.
the other TB isnt clipped or in work (yet) and is eating about 4/5 slices overnight, and ignores his slice in the field.
they both have a good 1/2 slice left over each morning .
my haylage bales arent the very tiny ones, they are about double a marksway horsehage bale.
Sparkles
Well-Known Member
On average, we've worked it out as 15 horses will go through one big bale of hay [put out in long cattle feeders] in 2 days.