How much hay per day?

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noodle_

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My two horses (one 14hh warmblood x cob and one 15.2 tbxcob - both mostly take the cob bit!!)) both on good feed now (thank you those who helped )!supplements etc.. their weigh wll be sorted with feed so thats not why i feed hay.

The hay is due to less grass thanks to this crappy weather - both happy as larry as they have their hay (in a hay hutch!) one has/had ulcers so needs to keep munching/trickle feeding etc

BUT - they are greedy buggers... Before i state how much i give them ( :o ) how much would you expect good do-ers, on good feed and generally fed just hay to keep the gut moving etc..? I dont do weights - i do slices!

They live out 24/7 btw!

They are on small bales....so how much per day either per horse or for both is an acceptable amount?

I know people weigh the hay give to horses but ive never weighed hay in my life and i dont really intend to start now! :D
 
Personally I feed ad lib hay and no feed unless they are losing weight or need more energy. That could easily be a bale per day per horse. Totally unnatural to restrict forage and add weight with concentrates
 
Thanks -

i thought i was about right!

trouble i have is the eldest will gorge until there nothing left - same with the grass provided....they are eating a massive cost of hay which is fine but eldest is literally gorging....she needs to trickle feed according to the vet and not stuff her face! :o

I put a double net in their hayhutch which slows them down a bit....im half thinking of getting a haybag and putting this on their hayhhutch to provide another means of slowing it down...

nothing to tie nets too in the field etc but suggestions/contraptions welcome?!!

if i could afford another hay hutch i would - and put a net in one, and loose in another but at £200 i cant do that just yet!
 
noodle_ said:
My two horses (one 14hh warmblood x cob and one 15.2 tbxcob - both mostly take the cob bit!!)) both on good feed now (thank you those who helped )!supplements etc.. their weigh wll be sorted with feed so thats not why i feed hay.

The hay is due to less grass thanks to this crappy weather - both happy as larry as they have their hay (in a hay hutch!) one has/had ulcers so needs to keep munching/trickle feeding etc

BUT - they are greedy buggers... Before i state how much i give them ( :o ) how much would you expect good do-ers, on good feed and generally fed just hay to keep the gut moving etc..? I dont do weights - i do slices!

They live out 24/7 btw!

They are on small bales....so how much per day either per horse or for both is an acceptable amount?

I know people weigh the hay give to horses but ive never weighed hay in my life and i dont really intend to start now! :D
Click to expand...

I would say around half a bale or 4 slices a day each. More once winter comes.
 
Agree with those who have said ad lib hay and cut back on the hard feed. Horses aren't designed to eat set meals at certain times of the day. Also I wouldn't worry about her "gorging" on hay, personally I wouldn't be worried about her stuffing her face with hay as you say.
 
im worried about the cost!......

i cant have big bales as they have to be hand hauled up the field - and im using £5 a day so far on hay which is fine....but talking about doubling it is frankly eye watering...

1 bale a day imo is sufficient - they also are going to get a hay replacement feed (simple systems)... and grass/hay blocks etc...so lots to munch

but need to make the hay last longer...as they are gorging not "grazing"
 
x 2 slices each twice a day - so 2 am and 2 pm = 4 x 2 = 8. put out in seperate piles or hay hutches, once it is finished they will go and find grass which is better for them to move around and look for food, rather than stand in one place fighting to get the hay out of the double/trippled netted haynets. This creates saliva in anticipation of food which is taking a long time coming because trying to get it out of the net and therefore not working well on the ulcer.
 
a big bale cost £30 which would feed your two in the field for 2 weeks, thats £60 a month, you are currently spending £5 a day x 30 days £150, cant you keep the bale at the top of the field cover it in a tarpaulin (I do) it doesnt get wet, put a pallet on top for wind and just take down the required amount of sleeves per day day, or get delivery man to delivery the bale at the field.
 
I totally agree with ad lib for horses that are not prone to being overweight. Unfortunately, for those horses that live on fresh air, it does not always work out that they will just eat what they need. I feed haylage five times a day in winter, but the good doers have a weighed total amount that is split into five portions. They would look pregnant and possibly get lami if allowed totally ad lib.
 
^ thanks :)

Sometimes i can only go once a day - which is a bummer as i work weird shifts... so i guess i have to make sure they have tons to last them....

i spread a bale out one day and they were still nibbling the remains the next - so mabey some in hutch and spread the rest?

I literally cant have a big bale lol! i cant get it up the field! so little bales all the way (and its easier for me tbh...!)

Short term (winter x6 months) i could do 1.5 bales a day without killing my bank balance/bank manager murdering me! :D but long term theres no way on this planet i can afford them 2 bales a day!

Ideally if i can hay them twice a day then this (imo)! would be sufficient -

i guess once they have hay blocks it would be better

p.s good point about the nets!
 
yes sure - ive heard of people doing this??

is theres a specific type of straw?? isit half and half quantity?



horses will literally eat anything!
 
I believe a good quality oat straw would be best. I think you should introduce it over a couple of weeks and then maybe build up to half and half....
 
Unless there is literally no grass in the field i.e. as in a sandschool, they will be trickle feeding as they graze. Hay should be spread out around the field and should NOT be left out in haynets which is dangerous, especially if you can only get there once per day.
Monitor their weight with a tape and put out as much hay as you think they need. You can dispense with the Simple Systems feed and pay for the hay instead.
 
thanks guys :)

does straw last longer? does it increase the impaction/colic risk?

If i cant get oat straw - is there an issue to just use bog standard?

thanks :)
 
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