How much hay do you get through in winter?

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Charlie-Brown

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Feel like I'm asking a gazillion questions at the minute! Sorry!

Basically, we have 4 acres of grass that we left for hay this year, but unfortunately we've been let down by the person who was going to cut it for us :( We've tried every avenue to try and find someone else but coming to the conclusion that it's just getting a bit late in the day now, especially with all this rain due.

So, starting to worry a bit about the coming winter and getting some hay sorted. Spent all evening online last night looking for hay for sale and have found a couple of people selling it. Think I'm going to go for small bales as we do have some inside storage and they're easier for us to maneuver. But I'm a little bit unsure as to how many bales I should expect to get through. Keen to pre order a load so that I can sleep at night without worrying about running out!

Know it's not an exact science as it depends on weather etc but just wondered roughly how much everyone tends to get through? We have three neddies - a 15.1 ISH, a mini Shetland and a yearling dartmoor, all of who we intend to be out 24/7 in a well sheltered field (this is our first winter together so we'll see how it goes!).
 
Very little now as my girl is out 24/7 in a huge field and has great grazing. She gets fed once a day and a chance to have a little hay. When I rented 4 acres and had a horse and 2 ponies I would buy 100-120 ish bales for them. (depending on whether I had any left from the previous year)
 
The Shetland and dartmoor very little amount, depending on the grass/weather would likely go without for bulk of winter! The ISH depends also on how much work and how good a doer, I'd probably work along lines of 1/3 bale a day autumn and late spring, half bale mid winter, and allow more for periods of heavy snow. Rough guess 100 bales more than adequate
 
I don't know the answer to your question but the long uncut grass that hasn't been cut for hay will go a long way to feeding them I would imagine, I think it's referred to as standing forage
 
the standing grass is known as foggage around here (NE Scot). I would say 100 small bales should be enough given the low requirements of the littluns and the fact that unless covered by snow the standing stuff will provide some forage.
 
last winter with my 17.2hh and my 14.2 in at night out during the day and fed hay in the field i went through 87 little bales between november and march :) hope thats a bit of help
 
I allow 3.5 bales a week for the deepest part of the winter for BF (15.2 full up Irish who will be in at night from mid Nov till March) and 1 bale a week for TF (33" & out 24/7 with access to field shelter at night if she wants)
I've got a total of 70 bales in, plus 8 of last years - and a paddock & half of standing grass.

I'm not expecting to hay at all until December & woud like to hope there will be about 10 - 15 bales left at the end of the winter to take me through the summer trips etc.
 
Around 3 round bales a week, normally.

Your 4 acres of standing hay should do you for some time over the winter I should think!
 
Last winter we only needed 2 round bales, 1 of which we're just using the last of! :D
We have 3 horses (a Welsh D, an Irish cob and a hunter type youngster) out 24/7, and in the winter we open up the back fields so they are on 12 acres. They only have hay when the snow is thick.
Before we had the back fields, and before I bought the youngster, we had the 2 cobs out on 3 acres and got through about 3 round bales a month.
I'm very lucky to have good-doers and a chunk of decent meadow grazing, which is now about knee high. They seem to manage their weight better when they have free access to varied grass, they seem to just pick what they need, but my cob mare does take a few days to realise its not going to run out and stuffs herself silly :rolleyes: x
 
I have one 15hh native who is stabled at night all year round. I use a third of a small bale per day in the winter months. I should think you could let them out on the 4 acres of standing grass to keep them going for some time.
 
I have two 14hh new forest ponies out 24/7 on about two acres. Last winter I only used four small bales when there was snow on the ground, but less rain than normal meant the ground was in good condition. The previous winter, which was wetter with a lot more snow, I used about 30 small bales but I did have an extra smaller pony as well. I wouldn't go mad and buy very much as you might not need it, especially if your ponies are good doers - they should lose weight naturally over the winter, so don't be tempted to over feed.
 
Thanks for the replies - interesting to read as it seems that I was thinking I would use tonnes more than people actually use! The ISH so far seems to be a good doer, plus he will be in his woolies as will only be light hacking at weekends, and rugged and fed hard feed accordingly. The two littlies will no doubt survive on very little so I'm hoping with some careful management of the grazing that we should be able to get by without having to use stacks of hay. Who knows though with our unpredictable weather!

Out of interest what do people pay for their hay? I've been looking at small bales priced between £3.50 - £5 but will have to draft in the cost of having them delivered as we have no way of collecting. The nearest supplier I can find is of course charging a fiver per bale! :rolleyes:
 
I went through 68 small bales last winter with one 15.2hh good doer. I now have two and we're supposed to be having a hard winter up here, so I've got 150 reserved. I'm in the far north Highlands, paying £3 a bale, which includes the farmer rebaling to small bales from large rounds (I can't store rounds, they won't go through the shed door, and I can't leave it in the field and ad-lib hay or M ends up like a barrel!) and keeping the equivalent of 100 stored for me (the shed only holds 50 small bales).
 
I pay £5 per bale which includes delivery

I get 10 bales in at a time and hope that 20 will get my two welshies through the worst of it, I also propose to buy six bales of Horsehage and some Graze On which will be my reserve and which will keep very well if not needed
 
ive got a 15,2 good doer who is out 24/7 in summer and out during the day in winter and comes in just before it gets dark and i used 50 bales last year....have got 53 in this year and hope this will be enough...hope this helps
 
Hi, I have 3 horses a 14.3 cob, 15.2 hackney x cob and a 14.3hh TB x. I don't usually feed hay until mid December as I have luckily got lots of grass this year. I have bought in 230 small bales for this year. They are out 24/7. Last year I used about 210 bales but concerned incase there's snow etc. I am very lucky and bought hay straight from the field. It cost me £3 delivered. My friend also had some cut so for helping her do so I got a load of very cheap hay because she was my friend lucky or what and very grateful :) otherwise generally hay down here is at its cheapest £3.50 - £4.50 per bale.
 
Let them eat what you would have cut for hay soon, that should do them till at least Christmas, then get bug bales of haylage in or big hay if you would rather...you'll only need one every few weeks for yours on good grazing I would imagine...don't panic! X
 
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