how do you all weigh hay or horsehage?

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paddy555

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I don't feed in hay nets so to weigh hay/horsehage I am having to net it, weigh it on a spring balance type scale, repeat when I under/over measured, remove the net to soak etc and it's a PITA.

does anyone have a better way? what do you all do?
anyone weigh it in a plastic bin/container on a scale and if so which scale do you use.

just looking for ideas to make life easier. :D
 
Sorry, no. We were just saying yesterday that we need a new spring balance. We don't use nets either but nor do we soak our haylage/ hay. We use big bales and measure it out into old plastic feed bags.
 
I've never had to weigh, so don't know if this would work, but I used to use a dumpy bag to transport large bale haylage and they're wide enough to make putting hay in easy. You might need to stand on a chair to get enough height to weigh it though!
 
poacher82 said:
I use the big green tough garden sack things like this for night-time hay: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Garden-Waste-Bags-PREMIUM-Industrial/dp/B08424R44X/ref=sr_1_6?crid=BXWKX2S3YT08&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Exq4spZ4QlcN_bR6YYJKO8VIZqwEvFZ5166thnwQgdB5_tkTuGrsnoKaRVZJWo5HketELx2KtppLW9Igkgd3AjkppIjqo6_lxXbY1PgYTA6WFZJDfk5hbIMGR5eBrQjMuVxUeMbYneycbGV1nHDaJt25pqh6Co0b6OuiMkemSu1iKjR1BcBp7ySKjm7o1DugSSNKlm2QCLhV7pteLI44FsVE-l66FTZj1QwZwjX3RlQxGailN9X9TuHXpR86NOF55dlU1xy28Fie5sLpAeatLCxojiM3PozqdLsezCzgH5Ao4frA-jixcoKPqDwixxKM4ll-DquOwQtfKS7a4cD6WW39Z3wNX6sAupCuBWZz1k7DBvdK14kZnXOcYCLNHpR_voKCqh_5it5QF6oAb2ruScXBlVb_iNvm6q0v_gHOudiBKsP-lk3TE5TT3TgMMSoe.x4AJy3vRv6IEO9E1iToiZUTi6gXHnWItDijefXlb-Kw&dib_tag=se&keywords=garden+sack&qid=1737484206&sprefix=garden+sack,aps,165&sr=8-6&th=1

and for smaller day-time rations, the blue Ikea sacks!
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These are what I use too 😀
 
A big black rhino bucket that we know the weight of. Then stuff what we hope is the usual amount of hay for both donkeys and then weigh it with my son's fish weighing scales. We only need to do that a couple of times with different bales from our two different suppliers to have a rough idea how much to stuff in the big bucket each feeding time ready to put out for them.
 
I used a 40 litre tub trug with baler twine tied to both handles to make a large handle to hang my digital luggage scales on.
The trugs are really easy and quick to fill, than faffing with nets as the weighing vessel. Once i’d got the correct weight in the trug, i’d then fill it into a net. Easy to do as the trugs are wider at the top and slippy plastic, the whole lot transfers in one massive bundle into a net.
You soon get used to what 3kg looks like and get accurate with weighing by eye, if you stick with same forage.
 
criso said:
Aren't the horsehage bales a set weight? I think it varies by type.

So knowing what the total is you could think in terms of 1/4 of a bale = 5kg or 6kg depending on the variety. Doesn't help with the hay though.
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No - they can vary a lot.

I use the Ikea bags.
 
We just net and then empty the nets into the field rather than wheelbarrowing it down there

We also used to use small hay bales - you learn how much a 'slice' is and can roughly guess that way
 
Surbie said:
No - they can vary a lot.

I use the Ikea bags.
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They do state a weight.

Anyway with haylage any weight variations could be if it is drier or wetter so just weight can be misleading too If you spilt the bale into the same number of portions, then you'd be feeding the same each time.
 
I put mine in an empty Dengie sack and make a hole in it to hook the scales through. I only weigh it now and again just to get an idea of how much she's eating. I aim for the horse to always have something left in the morning so she never goes hungry so not the same situation. I use empty dengie sacks then tip into a manger like a home made hay bar so I don't drop hay all over the yard.
 
One of the sides/panels of a dumpy bag with baler twine loop handles either end. Chuck it on the floor, chuck your hay/Haylage on it, pick it up by the handles and weigh it. Been using the same one for probably 20 years.
 
criso said:
They do state a weight.
Click to expand...

I buy Marksway horsehage and I'm sorry but these don't have a weight on them, I've gone & checked both my timothy and high-fibre bags to be sure. Other brands may differ.

On the bags is a statement that the contents should be enough to feed a 500kg horse for 3-4 days, which I don't think is particularly helpful given so much could depend on how long that horse is stabled.
 
Surbie said:
I buy Marksway horsehage and I'm sorry but these don't have a weight on them, I've gone & checked both my timothy and high-fibre bags to be sure. Other brands may differ.

On the bags is a statement that the contents should be enough to feed a 500kg horse for 3-4 days, which I don't think is particularly helpful given so much could depend on how long that horse is stabled.
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I use devon haylage timothy. It does have 20kg on it and that is probably about accurate.
However unlike the Marksway it doesn't separate into slices. It is a nightmare to separate the bale and no easy way to divide it into 4 (5kg lots)
I don't want to change as he is doing well on it.
 
paddy555 said:
I don't feed in hay nets so to weigh hay/horsehage I am having to net it, weigh it on a spring balance type scale, repeat when I under/over measured, remove the net to soak etc and it's a PITA.

does anyone have a better way? what do you all do?
anyone weigh it in a plastic bin/container on a scale and if so which scale do you use.

just looking for ideas to make life easier. :D
Click to expand...
I have scales for when I need to but normally done by my judgement of 40 odd years.
 
We hang a luggage scales on a nail on a beam in the hay shed and then weigh our nets that way. I would do that in your case but just use a bag likes others have mentioned, then you can just lob the hay in quickly. Just make a note of what the bag weighs and then calculate including the bag weight and aim for that each time.
 
I’ve just rehung up my spring scale in the hay barn actually! I feed ad-lin though but I reckon they are getting about 12lbs per night - which they don’t eat all of but that’s the whole point of ad lib!
 
spotty_pony2 said:
I’ve just rehung up my spring scale in the hay barn actually! I feed ad-lin though but I reckon they are getting about 12lbs per night - which they don’t eat all of but that’s the whole point of ad lib!
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sadly mine can't manage ad lib. "Billy Bunter" comes to mind!!

thanks for the comments. I have a selection of bins and bags coming from Amazon. I do like shopping for bins. :):)
 
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