If hay in short supply, whats everyone feeding?

I'm ok at the moment, but if/when that changes I plan to feed small bale haylage (if there's no shortage of that) and chaff/speedibeet in a trug. I only lost my old pony who was on a total hay replacer, last year, so it doesn't worry me too much.

It would worry me more if I still had 5 to feed!

I remember there being the same shortage around 15 years ago, and we got through that unscathed.
 
Haylage as one of mine can't have hay so easier to have them all on same.. My supplier said last week when he delivered 10.large bales he has enough for me until March.

I still have 50 small bales of last year's hay which I was keeping in reserve in case I couldn't get anything but will sell in the New Year. It's not top quality meadow hay though as I bought it for an EMS horse and soaked it.
 
I'm not sure. I bought in a load of haylage to hopefully see me through until spring but after that, I genuinely don't know as our supplier is completely out.

I can't feed chaff to my mare due to diastemas or straw because she's had colic a couple of times in the past and previously had ulcers.

I wouldn't be able to feed chaff to the gelding because he's a greedy native who would polish off the lot in one go but I can get away with straw which is what he is on with a mixture of hay so he would be okay but if there is no decent grass, it wouldn't be enough without bulking up the feed with calories if he started to drop weight too much.

It's worrying. I'm hoping there might be some more options by then but I doubt it. I think our supplier does still have hay but no more haylage so my mare would have to have it dampened. Storage will be a problem though as I don't have cover, only enough for the straw which the fatty needs!

We might have to resort to a million of tiny bags of hay for rabbits! 😂
 
I bought 10 bales in (I'm lucky my supplier has plenty) but one pony is refusing hay so those bales will do the other 2.

I'm feeding grass nuts and speedi beet (can't give chaff as po y has diastemas otherwise I would give honeychop).
 
GrassChop said:
I'm not sure. I bought in a load of haylage to hopefully see me through until spring but after that, I genuinely don't know as our supplier is completely out.

I can't feed chaff to my mare due to diastemas or straw because she's had colic a couple of times in the past and previously had ulcers.

I wouldn't be able to feed chaff to the gelding because he's a greedy native who would polish off the lot in one go but I can get away with straw which is what he is on with a mixture of hay so he would be okay but if there is no decent grass, it wouldn't be enough without bulking up the feed with calories if he started to drop weight too much.

It's worrying. I'm hoping there might be some more options by then but I doubt it. I think our supplier does still have hay but no more haylage so my mare would have to have it dampened. Storage will be a problem though as I don't have cover, only enough for the straw which the fatty needs!

We might have to resort to a million of tiny bags of hay for rabbits! 😂
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Storage: If you can keep them away from it with electric fencing then hay keeps well if put on its put on its round side with a tarp over it. Sit it on a pallet. I have kept several bales like this in the field.
 
fidleyspromise said:
Storage: If you can keep them away from it with electric fencing then hay keeps well if put on its put on its round side with a tarp over it. Sit it on a pallet. I have kept several bales like this in the field.
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Thank you, unfortunately our supplier doesn't do round bales, only the very large 4 string ones!
 
Honey08 said:
Thankfully the grass is still growing well here and it’s not too boggy yet, so we’re still getting lots of field turnout rather than the hard standing.
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Yes, we stopped strip grazing and released my two onto the bottom winter acre a couple of weeks ago, and there's still plenty to eat down there. There are bright green new shoots growing up through the strip grazing strips so that is at least keeping the ground protected.
 
We're doing ok for small bale hay at the moment, it's been bought in by our supplier from another supplier, and the price has understandably gone up quite a bit, but I'm thankful we have some.

If our supplier is going to run out at any point my back up will be bagged haylage. Like others have said, the grass is growing where we are. Even the badly poached areas of our winter field have new shoots coming through and our boys have definitely been grazing interspersed with their hay.
 
We have 11 horses (a mix of retired and youngstock) living out on about 15 acres. Due to good grass growth in the Autumn we have only just started feeding them hay. Our lovely hay man will be delivering one four string hay bale every 10 days or so, depending on the weather. We also have 3 horses in work (including my own) who live in the fields/hardstanding close to the yard, they generally come in overnight, although they have stayed out for a few days recently while it has been dry. We have 6 four string square bales for them in the barn and 30 ish small bales of haylage (which I won in a competition!)
Our hay man says he has enough to supply us until about mid April, so as long as spring isn't late coming we should be fine. Fingers crossed!!
 
We won't run out it'll just get very expensive.

If it did I'd move to high fibre haylage then unmollassed forage feeds. Simple systems haycare, grass nuts or lucie pellets, honeychop chaff range is good value (daily fibre or Lite), in the past I've bought Handy Hay chop which is just chopped hay and wasn't much more expensive than a bale of hay, unmollassed beet (not a quick soaking variety), some straw chaff but not loads or long straw due to compaction risk. And get them out.

As an aside I've just bought a bag of thunderbrooks hay cobs because I couldn't get my usual blue simple systems grass pellets and the time it takes them to eat their feeds has doubled. I will stick with that for as long as its available.
 
The grass is still growing so we aren’t using as much as expected .
Plus I’ve rested my Haylage field which I usually let them graze on over winter . It’s growing well , so I’m hoping for an early cut next year
 
We are rationing. A few piles thrown out and a decent bucket feed.

I have passed by the meltdown stage and just accepted that it will pan out.

We don't have storage for more than one large bale at a time, so have not been able to stockpile. Im sure many are in a similar situation.

There is hay about. It isnt cheap and you might have to drive a bit further as the winter goes on, but it is about.

Worst case scenario, bagged haylage (which I actually love, that stuff is lush) or they will have to have three big chaff based meals each day.

Money comes and money goes. Take the sting now and rejoice knowing the shortest day is behind us.
 
Having moved my 2 up to a pals house, together with her 3 making 5 in total her hay supplies are diminishing rapidly. I think she is ok for getting more (at higher cost) but personally if she runs low then of course hers get priority for what she has and my 2 will go onto small bagged haylage, extra chaff in their bucket feeds and then grass nuts. Hoping it doesn’t come to that though.
 
I've already started to mix in oat straw as of yesterday. Horses not impressed. If they were hungry, they'd eat it, I guess (hope!), but I'm still walking fence back into the set-aside and will continue with that until either it runs out (will be February if I continue as I am) or snow comes (I'll open it up).
 
Not struggling yet but may do. I have hay, as much as I could get my hands on; enough for the horses and goats for a "normal" winter. However the summer drought hammered my grass so badly that even with the autumn regrowth it's been eaten down very quickly. It's so poor now that even the sheep are starting to need hay putting out, and they don't normally touch it even in snow.

So I may end up buying small bale haylage from the local Wynnstay if we continue with the cold, or it gets very wet and windy. I'm already bulking out the horses with chaff buckets as I have no idea this year how the hay will last. And the sheep don't lamb until April. I have a feeling it's going to be an expensive winter!

But bagged chaff is cheap and filling and goes a long way to fill tummies. Just a shame the flipping goats won't touch it! Oh and sugar beet as well - the horses get the cheap stock beet pellets that the sheep/goats have. It's the same stuff and gets a 24 hour soak. Just half the price.
 
Jenko109 said:
Money comes and money goes. Take the sting now and rejoice knowing the shortest day is behind us.
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That made me feel a lot better!

Normally my sheep/lamb sales cover all the animal costs and a bit more but definitely not this year. But as you say it comes and goes. Here's to better grass next year.
 
The grass is still growing here - well it was until this weekend - and the sheep (no horses anymore 🙁) are on the well rounded side of looking good. We are normally well into our hay supply by now but haven’t had to open a bale yet. That may well change over the next few months….

To tempt our fussy eaters with hay they politely declined we used to dilute treacle or molasses in water and use a watering can to drench the hay - ponies loved it!
 
meleeka said:
I'm ok at the moment, but if/when that changes I plan to feed small bale haylage (if there's no shortage of that) and chaff/speedibeet in a trug. I only lost my old pony who was on a total hay replacer, last year, so it doesn't worry me too much.

It would worry me more if I still had 5 to feed!

I remember there being the same shortage around 15 years ago, and we got through that unscathed.
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Exactly this for me too, I’ve got enough hay for now - still can’t decide if I’ll make it through the winter without running out though. But I’ve been feeding two feeds whilst it’s been so cold and I’m still strip grazing the field too. They are eating a bit of hay but not loads whilst there is still grass. I’ve got plenty of chaff and sugarbeet though and I’ll also buy some haylage I think if we do run out.
 
My hay supplier said he will be out by February. I have some hay in reserve but with four horses, it won’t last long. I’ve deliberately kept a field back to put them on in the spring. It’s worrying. Im
East Anglia and we had a terrible harvest.
 
Exracehorse makes the excellent point that a lot of us had a terrible harvest across the board, so all crops ( including human crops!) did poorly. Down on the south coast, an equestrian centre near me has just had a lorry and trailerload bought in from France. ( no idea why, if it's available further north..) I've only got about half my normal stock, but luckily the late grass flush means I've only recently started feeding hay at all, though as of now it'll be twice a day, and levels will plummet.
 
We picked up 40 bales yesterday. We've gone through a heck of a lot so far this winter, mostly because its been so mild that I've been nervous about letting them access too much of the lush winter grass.

The colder temperatures this week mean I can ease up a bit and let them have a bit more grass so they should be less interested in hay.

I've also been emptying rejected hay out of the hay bars every few days and putting it in the hay feeders in the field. Apparently its fine to eat outside! 🤷‍♀️😃
 
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I have been feeding some barley straw - and also a couple of small feeds of hay cubes and purabeet. Mine are all a tad chubby, so I am hoping to eek my hay out and get them a bit slimmer, so hoping this works!
 
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