How much hay have you stocked up on for this winter?

[Equidarby]

The age old question!
I know it can always only be approximate, but how many hay bales have you stocked up on for winter?

Preferably for one horse and small bales, in at night and out during the day during the winter months.

I have a 15hh cob mare who is in her 20's, an incredibly good doer, she usually lives out all year round but the yard we are now at the horses come in on a night from November.
I am making another order for winter but I have no idea on the amount to order! as I don't usually require so much.

How many small bales have you ordered for your horse?
Or large bale equivalent?

Details of your horse and the hours in and out would be gratefully appreciated

Thank you in advance!

i will add she is now only in very light work

 

[JulesRules]

You may find that the limiting factor is how many bales you can store as most yards have limited storage space.

I can only store about 12 small bales per horse. Both of mine are good doers - a 14hh highland and a 15.3 coloured mare.

I have only had the highland since June but will expect him to eat a similar amount to the mare which is about 2 and a half bales a week stables over night and out during the day. When we had the bad snow the hay consumption went through the roof!

 

[blitznbobs]

Our barn is stuffed full of haylage atm we bought 24 large bales that will hopefully last til February... but we’ll by more as soon as there is room for 10 more as that’s the minimum our supplier will deliver... I advise getting as much as you can store unless you have lots and lots of storage then work out how much your horse eats ina week and do the
Maths and buy that ... I have a feeling that hay prices will rise as the winter goes on cos it’s blinking cold already

 

[Nasicus]

I've got around 25ish small bales in at the moment, I'm not expecting to have to feed much hay until around late january/early feb, unless the weather is completely vile. Luckily my hay supplier only takes on as many clients as he knows he'll be able to supply, so worst comes to worst I'll order some more

 

[Rosiejazzandpia]

500 bales stocked up in the barn this year and 20 bales of haylege. Yard owners are farmers who cut their own hay so I think we will be fine. Last year they sold a lot as people got desperate in the snow, hopefully we won't have snow for a while yet as it was a pain putting hay out each day for the horses that live out

 

[Fiona]

The barn is full. About 160 bales for 1 horse and 1 pony.

Hopefully we'll have some left...

Fiona

 

[Nasicus]

Ooh that reminds me, the local farmer took 4 of our acres for hay, he owes us a couple round bales haha, I'll have to chase that up!

 

[Archangel]

We were flooded the other day so I am only taking 20 bales at a time just to be on the safe side. I have 6 round bales of haylage stored elsewhere but won't use those until they are in.

 

[Surbie]

I get a pallet of space in the haybarn so my storage for all food is limited. 15 bales max in my space. My 15.1hh cob gets 2.5ish bales a week now he's on days. He's out 6am to 4-5pm currently but I understand that will reduce into winter so the amount of hay will go up.

ETA: we can't have round bales on our yard - or I'd have those, and I am topping back up to 15 with every delivery given prices are going up - plus I vividly remember nearly running out at the RDA when the Beast struck.

When rounds start going out in the fields I'll need to factor in those costs. He has his own bank account with a good amount of ££ set aside, so I know his costs are taken care of.

 

[atropa]

Not very helpful sorry as I'm on round bales but I budget 18 round bales of hay for two sport horses (16.3hh ISH and 16.1 WB) in overnight from around 7pm-6am. May be slightly less this year as they will have big bale haylage out in the field during the day so might eat a bit less at night. Also have a 15hh Highland this year but she will be living out and eating big bale haylage which is included in my livery.

 

[autumn7]

Currently approx. 6-7 bales a week for 16hh hunting cob and 13.2hh pony fed ad-lib as grass has just about run out here. Dead of winter, 10 bales a week. Both good doers living out with shelters.

 

[QuantockHills]

6 large square (6 string) bales, for one 16.2hh and one 11hh... used about a bale a month last year.... out all day and in at night. have also got some small haylage bales in case of emergencies when the field is too wet to drive the tractor across to get to the barn..!

 

[Antw23uk]

I buy in a dozen small bales for two sports horses out 24/7 and that will last me a couple of weeks. I am feeding just shy of a bale a day as I've no grass at home. At some point they will come to work for a month or two (Im very fortunate to have a paddock and barn here to use) so until i decide when I am just ordering as i need it rather than stocking up! When they come to work they will go on haylage and get through a bale a week once all the grass has gone!

 

[be positive]

I am not yet feeding hay apart from a small amount for 2 living in a starvation paddock, I have a big field with too much grass on to risk moving any onto it for a while, it has only had 6 weeks rest and has shot up an amazing amount so I hope the ones that live out over winter will not require hay for some time once I can even allow them on it.

Everything is still out 24/7 and will come in at night once the ground starts to get wet, I don't stock up as my supplier will not run out and delivers up to 8 big bales at a time, just had my first load of 4 and expect it to last until the end of Nov if not longer.

 

[cobgoblin]

Just a word of warning for everyone.... I've been warned by a number of people that both hay and haylage are going to be in very short supply this year. Some haylage suppliers have already sold out and won't take on any new customers..... So get as much as you can now, even if you have to fill the garage.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Has anyone round haylage is too dry this year. I had the first bales in recently and was disappointed with how dry it is, there is even a level of dust. I suppose a lot was made in extreme heat and dried too quickly.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Just a word of warning for everyone.... I've been warned by a number of people that both hay and haylage are going to be in very short supply this year. Some haylage suppliers have already sold out and won't take on any new customers..... So get as much as you can now, even if you have to fill the garage.

That’s the sort of message that makes everyone panic and stockpile hay they don’t need actually fuelling a shortage. There’s loads around here the estate I’m on ran out of room to store theirs and the weathers been so good this Autumn we’re hardly getting through any. I have a good hay supplier who’s never let me down in 13 years. I can really only store 6 Eurobales at a time and I don’t have a garage 🙄.

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

We've had 200 small bales of hay delivered so far. We can have up to 15 or so NF's (and one fell) to feed, all out 24/7. We have another 300 or so being stored for us. It is drier this year, the heat has got to it sadly. I used to use about 30/40 bales per pony before the wetter and colder weather started a few years ago.

 

[Nudibranch]

25 small bales. One very good doer Fell and a growing Dales. 9 acres of decent old pasture, out 24/7, and I only put hay out in the depths of winter. They get a single slice, just to keep the gut bacteria ticking over, as they only get a larger amount when the ground is covered or it's truly horrendous weather. Even when I had a TB and a 17.3 WB we rarely got through more than about 30 small bales, with them coming out of winter just right.

 

[Cortez]

I have horses (small, good doers) and I always budget 100 small bales per horse per year. That's to cover any odd days in, and hay for competitions away during the summer. Seems to work for us, others may need more, or less, according to their management. When they are in I use roughly half a small bale a day each.

 

[tankgirl1]

Our YM buys and stores in bulk. I have a 14hh cob and a shettie who share a stable, and budget for 3.5 small bales a week, although it can be more or less

 

[TheMule]

Has anyone round haylage is too dry this year. I had the first bales in recently and was disappointed with how dry it is, there is even a level of dust. I suppose a lot was made in extreme heat and dried too quickly.

My haylage was cut, baled and wrapped all on the same day this year and is lovely, the grass was already so dry that any longer would have made wrapped hay!

 

[meleeka]

Currently approx. 6-7 bales a week for 16hh hunting cob and 13.2hh pony fed ad-lib as grass has just about run out here. Dead of winter, 10 bales a week. Both good doers living out with shelters.

Gosh how much does that cost? Our small bales are £5!

 

[Pinkvboots]

Has anyone round haylage is too dry this year. I had the first bales in recently and was disappointed with how dry it is, there is even a level of dust. I suppose a lot was made in extreme heat and dried too quickly.

I have found the same mine has made my breathing bad have had to pull it off the rounds and leave and have been wearing a mask to do it.

 

[L&M]

We have bought 200 small bales for 1 large horse/1 smaller cob. They will only be in overnight and on ok grazing during the day from approx. mid nov until the beginning of March. We anticipate using 1 bale a day up until Christmas between them, then have allowed for 1.5 bales after Christmas. We hope to have at least 50 bales left which will be used for days out in the summer and start us off for a few weeks next winter. We are lucky that we have barn storage for this amount and pay £4 per bale delivered - real nice hay and heavy bales.

 

[bubsqueaks]

Just a word of warning for everyone.... I've been warned by a number of people that both hay and haylage are going to be in very short supply this year. Some haylage suppliers have already sold out and won't take on any new customers..... So get as much as you can now, even if you have to fill the garage.

I have spoken to our hay supplier about this rumour & he states its the best hay yield they've had in decades! I think it really depends where you live in the country as to any shortages.
We have had one delivery which is going back because it was coarse like straw & I did wonder if this was due to the high temperatures but 2 of mine wouldn't eat it!

 

[Surbie]

Just a word of warning for everyone.... I've been warned by a number of people that both hay and haylage are going to be in very short supply this year. Some haylage suppliers have already sold out and won't take on any new customers..... So get as much as you can now, even if you have to fill the garage.

We've been told they won't run out and not to worry. If it has to be brought a fair distance it will be pricey but we will always have some.

 

[Abacus]

I have been told similar stories about short supplies later in the year as they didn't get a second cut; I suppose it depends on the area. I filled the barn and two stables when I could buy it cheaply at £3 per bale and am hoping it lasts, I think i had about 300 bales but have already used some.

I'm working on the basis of 3x bales per large horse, and between 1 and 2 per pony for winter, per week. I've calculated from November to end of March (23 weeks)but sometimes have to go on feeding hay for longer. I hope I have enough.

 

[Fransurrey]

I've got 23 bales of haylage (20 Kg). Yard has its own hay, though, so if I'm desperate I can move onto that. It's not been great hay the last couple of years, though, hence me buying in haylage. That's for 2 Exmoors who live out (restricted all year round).

 

[autumn7]

Gosh how much does that cost? Our small bales are £5!

My bales weigh approx. 20kg and cost £3.75. Ad-lib at the moment naturally works out at 2% body weight of the horse and pony. This rises to nearer 3% per day over winter months, hence 10 bales per week. Yes, it is expensive but on the plus side, the cob hunts off hay with the addition of a balancer and linseed, so economical in the bucket feed department.