Hay

[MetaJayne]

We're about to move our ponies from a livery yard where we can buy hay as and when we need it to somewhere where we can't! Our two New Foresters use about 5 large round bales through the winter. Our current YO wont supply to us once we've moved and we're having trouble finding somewhere that sells round bales of hay in our area. How many small square bales do you think this would be? They're also moving to a different type of grass, how do we introduce them to this carefully without upsetting their stomachs, when electric fencing is a no because of a local gypsy camp...it tends to go walkies! Any advice appreciated.

 

[jewel]

i think a big bale it the same as 20/25 small bales but i may be wrong.

 

[Tia]

It really depends on the weight of the round bales you buy in comparison to the small squares you usually have. For example we sell 800 lbs hardcore and 500 lbs softcore rounds and our small squares weigh 50 lbs, so 16 of our small squares are the equivalent to 1 hardcore round and 10 small squares to 1 softcore round.

However when we lived in the UK our small squares were 75 lb bales ........ just to confuse you even more LOL!!

 

[WallisM]

Hi there !
I was told by my farmer that there is approx 8 to 10 square bales in a round bale.
I hope you get some sorted, I am all organised on the hay front I got all mine sorted the beginning off this month and feel a massive weight off my shoulders.

Good luck !

 

[hannah1982]

You should introduce them to the new grazing slowly at first if pos, maybe for an hour on the first day and then build up. At this time of year it can contain as much sugar as competition feed!

Maybe you should reduce their concentrated feed for the first couple of weeks until they have settled in to balance this out, just make sure they get plenty of fibre.

Good luck with your hay problem!