how much hay have you gone thru this winter?

I can't get small bale hay and after shifting two big bales but by bit to get it undercover I got haylage this time so it can be stored outdoors. It's lovely stuff though, pretty much wrapped hay it's so light and dry

Two small ponies, nine sheep and two goats have got through 30 small bale hay, two big bales hay and probably around 40 small bales of shop bought haylage (!) I'm hoping the 3 large haylage just delivered will see me through
 
We have averaged 10 large bales of hay a month since November so about 50 bales so far at £35 a bale so £1,750 so far :eek: BUT that is for a herd of 23 horses of varying sizes and split 6 ways as 6 owners so that works out to £291 each


*THUD* That was me hitting the floor. Really wish I hadn't worked it all out now :( Doesn't seem so much when you are paying £10 or £15 a week for hay somehow
 
Not much at all, although it's been wet there's been plenty of grass. Mine have only had hay when it's been snowy or frosty or when they've been in and two of the three are still too fat. The fat paddock will be coming into use early this year me thinks.

That said, we have sold loads of the stuff, I suppose I'm just lucky to have plenty of grazing at my disposal.
 
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17 x big round bales haylage since end of October (one TB, one cob, one Welsh pony all out 24/7 but haylage fed netted in all-hours access stable yard and open barn).

2011-2012 winter our friendly farmer ran out, which was very expensive, so last September I told him what I thought we would need for October'12 to April '13 - 21 bales. He put that much aside for us, and I think/hope we're going to be OK -better be, as we've no grass!
 
My 2 boys living out and rugged up (not worked through the winter) have gone through approx 95 small bales of hay out of an original 120 bought, however as this weather seems to be hanging about I have just bought another 100 small bales.
The 25 sheep have had 6 5foot round bales of haylage - as it is easier to roll out into the field whole and just cut the wrap off the bottom half of one end of the bale - hey presto cheap sheep bale feeder lol, but we have 2 more decent ones on order and have been given 6 not so good quality bales of haylage as a friends horses wouldn't eat it

Cost of hay & haylage this winter is
120 x £3.50
100 x £2.00
8 x £36.00

Equals £708 on hay alone.
 
Gone through approx 30 large round bales of hay and just had 8 more round bales of haylage delivered. Ran out of hay so had to go onto haylage. £30 a bale. Been an expensive year,although all ours are out 24/7. :-)
 
Tons....... Friendly farmer so far has been brill but then several bottles, cakes and jams have been used to sweeten....
 
1 17hh and 1 14hh moved onto 2/5 acres at Christmas that hadn't been touched since hay made in July - still used 240 bales and still feeding! (last year same horses same field set up they had 140 all winter)

Anyone else think the hay isn't as good nutrition wise as previous years because of such a poor summer - we make our own so dust/ visable quality is good - they just seem to need more this year that ever before.
 
Too much and the end is not in sight! Grrrr! I get my usual 150 bales in about October and normally put aside another 50 or so for after crimbo. These have been long gone this winter and I've had to but 6 big round bales and 60 small square bales extra. Cost will be approx. £1,100. My god thats depressing. It's been so wet and I've not had a blade of grass. My 3 all get time out though together to socialise and be horses, so if I have to fed extra I will. Their welfare is what is important here.
 
Have bought 36 or £150 worth since beginning of december but still have 6 bales left. He's been in on a night since beginning of October and used up what hay I had left from the 12 I bought July which was about 6 bales I think. Thats for one 14.1 getting AdLib.

We've been lucky that we can turnout what ever the weather and field has coped well, a couple have been out 24/7 with only a few days of getting hay when it snowed. Only 4 out on 15acres for most of the winter.
 
40 a month in nov and dec, as had 3 horses,whom eat hay, down to 2 eating it now and using 30 a month. At £4 a bale, as small bales. Far too much spent. And how much gets trashed in muddy fields- lots even though it is usually put in big tractor tyres to contain it.
Grass not growing either, could weep at the expense.
 
Baby coblet goes through just under 2 small bales and the ponies 3/4 of a small bale each a day currently.


£4 a bale....


I dread to think.
 
OMG have just added it up & scared myself & am def not telling oh. Am going through 1 round bale every 3weeks for 2 at £40per bale & its going up to £45!:(:(
 
pipwat said:
OMG have just added it up & scared myself & am def not telling oh. Am going through 1 round bale every 3weeks for 2 at £40per bale & its going up to £45!:(:(
Click to expand...

I just did maths too.....



:eek::eek::eek::eek:


I'm thinking the fella had a very rational point that I shrugged off non-commitedly when he said I could be rich if I didn't have horses the other day....
 
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I hate to think as well!! I budgeted for the usual 5 months worth of haylage for a bad winter and they've now been fed for over 9 months as our summer grazing was too wet so our winter grazing got hammered so had to feed much earlier than usual!!!:O So at £32 a bale and we get through one a day for 8 gg's - eeeeeeeeeek!!!!!!!:D Plus due to the wettest year last year in cumbria the haylage wasn't as nutritious so we've been hard feeding too - *falls over sobbing quietly!!*
 
210 small bales haylage since start of Nov. on two horses (approx 10 bales per week) = £1027
Horses fed adlib as stabled at night but out during day with top up of haylage in fields as barely any grass here from Nov onwards. Cripples me!
 
so far (and we are still feeding it) 50 large bales hay, 30 large bales haylage and around 1000 small bales of hay. All the hay was our own so kept the usual winter costs down but we are buying in haylage rounds for the main herd now, just to make it easier than loading 10 small bales a day into the field and to ensure they are ad lib whilst it is so cold. We haven't fed any hard feed though so that is it, they live out 24/7. I dread to think how much the cost would have been without our own cut and are hoping we get another good crop off this year.
 
We have had a terrible summer and winter still goes on. Made 550 small organic hay bales in August. At my yard we have a 17hh Dutch Warm Blood, Minature Horse ( so cute and only 9hh ) and my Dales pony. The minature and dales are tough and don't waste any food. All have field shelters and ad lib grazing BUT we have gone through all the hay and since December have been buying a large round bale of haylage a week. Friend says that her DWB is hungry all the time even though there is hay/haylage out constantly for him to eat. There is always plenty out and it isn't all eaten up. What do you think? I'm confused... would think if he was hungry then he would eat it all up???
May be an academic question as she is talking about getting the DWB and minature PTS this week as she cannot cope any longer :(
 
I use the large 4 string square bale (not the huge 6 strings) hay.

Mine eat one bale each per month. Ish. I don't know exactly as they share with the calves so each time I'm monitoring usage a large chunk suddenly vanishes!

Ponies have been out from approx 10-4 this winter and in the rest of the time. They have had a few days in on top of that and have been fed a small amount of hay in the field on a few occasions. I think I have about 5 months (10 bales) of hay left so will be planning on making the same amount this year.

I bed on straw so they can eat as much of that as they like.

They are both 14.2 Section D. Not rugged, not clipped, not fed hard feed. Been in light work only through the winter. Both look well with lovely coats.
 
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