Help straw!

H

hayleymyles

Active Member
Joined
11 September 2013
Messages
43
Location
Langtoft
Visit site
Ok, so i'm new to this owning a horse thing... went to put straw down in her stable (can't have shavings etc as they will get soaked in mud over winter as its got a grass floor) for her bed as it was getting chilly and she didnt have anywhere to lay down and get comfy...

Wake up in the morning - she's eaten it ALL!!
She gets plenty to eat, lots of grass available, fed at night with chaff and pellets and apples from my family during the day. (grrr)


I think she's just greedy but how on earth do I get her to stop eating her bed?!

Please help!
 
You do not mention her having hay, she is probably eating the bed as it is there as a tasty alternative to grass, leave some hay in for her while the new bed settles and it will become less tasty, I am assuming it is an open stable in the field for her to go into when she wants so she really does not need bedding to be comfortable they are quite happy to lie down on the ground without any..
 
you say it has a grass floor but does the stable leak? I have two stables with natural floors but as they stay dry in winter so is no prob for me to use shavings, i usually do a deep litter shavins bed and that works fine on a natural floor as long as the roof doesnt leak :)
 
Sorry, yes she has hay too! I generally forget to mention that as its such a habit putting it in her stable - she has about two slices a night? Is that enough? And yes it's both but I leave the door open for her to go in when she wants... And no leaks, very dry area under trees. Used to have two shetlands in there over the winter and has worked fine... was going to try it out this winter to see how it goes purely to save money but if it does prove difficult I think I may give up and put mats and shavings in..

Thank you all for your help btw :)
 
two slices for the night isn't a lot, how big is she?
Its probably easier and warmer for her to stay in the stable than go to grass and look there is more easy food here!

Is it a problem for her to eat the straw? Are you watching weight?
 
they spraying the straw with dettol or something may stop her eating it, she may want more than 2 flaps of hay size dependant, and also she may just be greedy, my horse likes a thorough munch of his straw, wats quite a bit at first and then he slows down, I would prefer him to eat that if he is starving than get ulcers.
 
dianchi said:
two slices for the night isn't a lot, how big is she?
Its probably easier and warmer for her to stay in the stable than go to grass and look there is more easy food here!

Is it a problem for her to eat the straw? Are you watching weight?
Click to expand...

Shes a 15hh tb that was only ever fed grass at her old place but to me she looked FAR too skinny so I have built her up on calm and condition while she was settling in then after a few months just basic pellets, chaff, hay and excersize and she looks fab!! So im careful she doesn't get too fat but if im honest I don't know what im doing exactly as my shetlands just ate grass and pellets and were huge (that was before we got them) so that's all im used to.

I also have my dad going "why are you giving her hay she doesnt need it til winter!!" "You don't give her more than one slice a night surely?"

So im in a bit of a cuffufal - tend to ignore him and go on how she looks. But because she's not used to food, im worried she'll be over greedy. She eats her hay all in one sitting!!
 
mjcssjw2 said:
they spraying the straw with dettol or something may stop her eating it, she may want more than 2 flaps of hay size dependant, and also she may just be greedy, my horse likes a thorough munch of his straw, wats quite a bit at first and then he slows down, I would prefer him to eat that if he is starving than get ulcers.
Click to expand...

Yeah but she eats every last scrap!! Might try spraying it, does it do them any harm with the chemicals? Think I may be upping her straw by the looks of it as well! Haha

Typical novice... :(
 
Sounds like she likes a good nibble on the straw!!

How about popping some straw into her net as well as her Hay??! It may intice her to not eat what's on the floor and continue to eat from her net? I'd be 'upping' the quantity of hay too as has been suggested.

Or alternatively put her a net of straw up and a net of hay as well, again to keep her off eating her bed.

Just a thought!
 
Last edited:
i just think she needs more hay. but eating straw isn't actually that bad i don't think- my guys will always start nibbling on it if they run out of hay (which they always do), chaff contains chopped up straw i think. i know plenty of horses that do and have never got sick from it- probably more likely to if they have nothing to eat rather than straw. but personally i think she needs at least 4 sections a night.
or if it is a field shelter with her free to go in and out she doesn't really have to have a bed, they can lie down on grass (harsher but money saving option!)
 
pippixox said:
i just think she needs more hay. but eating straw isn't actually that bad i don't think- my guys will always start nibbling on it if they run out of hay (which they always do), chaff contains chopped up straw i think. i know plenty of horses that do and have never got sick from it- probably more likely to if they have nothing to eat rather than straw. but personally i think she needs at least 4 sections a night.
or if it is a field shelter with her free to go in and out she doesn't really have to have a bed, they can lie down on grass (harsher but money saving option!)
Click to expand...

I think i'll up her hay and leave the bed until the thick of winter and give it another go...
 
I think she is hungrey, the grass is starting to slow down and the nights are colder so she is going to need more calories and bulk any way. I would be giving her al least 2% of her bodyweight even if its mainly hay until you see how she copes with the change in temperature. The straw was obviously tasty, if you up her hay she will probable still pick but not eat the whole bed.
 
How big are the bales of hay? Small bales i.e the ones you can lift by hand? Ir the huge ones you need a tractor to move?

I have a straw eater - no matter how much hay I gave him, he would prefer the straw and eat it all - even if I deep littered his would dig for the clean straw. I had to change to shavings to stop him.
 
kathantoinette said:
How big are the bales of hay? Small bales i.e the ones you can lift by hand? Ir the huge ones you need a tractor to move?

I have a straw eater - no matter how much hay I gave him, he would prefer the straw and eat it all - even if I deep littered his would dig for the clean straw. I had to change to shavings to stop him.
Click to expand...

Small bales you can lift (just about for me!!) by hand... and ahhh thanks... fills me with hope :P Will see how she goes...
 
That is about enough hay for a 12hh, so I would up her hay personally! Esp with the cold weather starting she will need it, no harm in her eating the straw and will keep everything moving.
Your pics she looks a little under still so feeding more hay wont hurt.
 
hayleymyles said:
Small bales you can lift (just about for me!!) by hand... and ahhh thanks... fills me with hope :P Will see how she goes...
Click to expand...

Yes not enough hay for starters but some do prefer the taste of straw. Does she tuck straight into the straw even if there is hay available? In which case, shavings might be the way forward or spraying the straw with dettol/fairy liquid but you must make sure she has lots of hay available if you do that.
 
2 slice is not enough, so feed more hay and see what happens, she may also get out of the "wow there is straw let me eat it", please do not go spraying it with dettol and other dreadful stomach irritating products, you wouldnt eat your food with fly sprayed sprayed over it so why should a horse. If you cannot deter her by giving her more hay, then put down shavings or bedwell and work a semi deep litter bed then not expensive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top