If you were/are a YO, how much hay would you expect...

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mollymurphy

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....11 horses to go through in a week? One 12.2hh, two 14hh and the rest between 15hh and 15.3hh. ALL good-doers.

I soak hay for 2 of mine for up to 12 hours. The 12.2 gets between 2 and 3 leaves of hay, depending on the bale, one of my others gets about 5 leaves of soaked hay, and the other gets about 5 leaves of dry hay.

Our DIY livery was £25 per week, but has just gone up to £28 p/w because we're "using too much hay". We're stabled on a working farm, and they cut their own hay. The livery fee includes ad lib hay and straw. It has never been specified how much we can use.

Now i dont think that we're using any more than would be expected. We worked it out that the yard is going through 23-25 bales of hay per week. Would you say this is excessive? The YO wont stop going on about it, but he's not at all horsey so doesnt seem to understand. Or is it just me?!!

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Lou.
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I'm not sure of the amount to be honest. But it's still a damn good deal - so personally I wouldn't be complaining.........
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Wow, sound like your getting a good deal to me. I pay £120 per month and have to buy my own hay and bedding. My mare (15.2hh Cob) is out at night and gets one section of hay per day (would be more if grazing wasn't as good, but as it is she doesn't eat all her hay). In the winter she is out during the day (grazing isn't that great then) and she goes through about 3 bales per week.
 
Oh yeah, dont get me wrong, it IS cheap! And it's a really lovely farm, so we're there to stay. I just dont want the YO watching over us every time we fill our hay bars!!
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Well i pay for hay on top of my livery. I pay £25 for my horse and £15 a month for my pony, but to be honest if I used small bales I'd be using about 3/4 of a bale a day and at £3 per bale thats alot. I think the price your paying is good. If you went to a yard were people had to buy by the bale I think you'd find they hardly waste any, but when people can use as much as they like it tends to get through loads. Maybe the YO has now realised this
 
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I just dont want the YO watching over us every time we fill our hay bars!!

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Oh - you'll never stop that. YO at previous yard used to do nightly rounds and weigh the nets
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Are some people throwing a lot of hay away??? Nothing annoys a YO more than people throwing away loads of hay, when it is included in their livery (you can bet they would be more careful, if it wasn't!!!).
 
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Oh - you'll never stop that. YO at previous yard used to do nightly rounds and weigh the nets
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Ha ha! Really?! God, dont tell my YO that - you'll give him ideas!!
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Oh - you'll never stop that. YO at previous yard used to do nightly rounds and weigh the nets
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Ha ha! Really?! God, dont tell my YO that - you'll give him ideas!!
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He'll have fun trying to weigh yours, as you have a haybar!!!
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Are some people throwing a lot of hay away??? Nothing annoys a YO more than people throwing away loads of hay, when it is included in their livery (you can bet they would be more careful, if it wasn't!!!).

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No, they only get it in their stables, and they're not given enough to last them until morning, so they's none left when we muck out. And were the hay is stored, all of the bits are raked up and soaked for someone to use.
 
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He'll have fun trying to weigh yours, as you have a haybar!!!
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True! Only we do though - the rest of the liveries use nets. I wouldn't mind, but his daughter has a horse there, which he looks after, and he uses the same amount as the rest of us...if not more!
 
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No, they only get it in their stables, and they're not given enough to last them until morning, so they's none left when we muck out. And were the hay is stored, all of the bits are raked up and soaked for someone to use.

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God he would hate me then, cos mine is always on ab lib hay (mind you none wasted as have a haybar!!).
 
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Oh - you'll never stop that. YO at previous yard used to do nightly rounds and weigh the nets
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[/ QUOTE ] Many years ago I was at a yard where the YO used to take hay out of the nets if he thought too much had been put in
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It sounds to me as if this is a somewhat unsubtable way of putting his livery costs up.

He'd be far better charging you a flat rate for livery - say £20.00 a week. And then £7.00 per week for hay and an additional charge for bedding.

He may well have sat down and done some figures and realised that he is probably not making any money from you guys........
 
Yeah, that's a good idea actually. Will speak to him. He's not bothered about the straw - he's ok with the amount of that we're going through. He's run out of last years hay now, so is buying it in, which is what the problem is i think. He's waiting to cut this years hay (if it EVER stops raining), but wants us to start using is AS SOON as it's baled. That's not right is it?
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It's a bit difficult when you are supposedly on adlib hay, I guess you know you've got a good deal though, but you don't really want your YO breathing down your neck which must be SO annoying. I pay £200 a month for part livery (they turn out, bring in and feed) and I have to buy my hay and straw on top. Mind you my strapping 16.3 lad only gets 3 sections of hay a day and 6hrs grazing - poor soul!
 
I'll make myself unpopular here I expect but what's new?!
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You're getting a damn good deal there (as you've acknowledged already) and the cost of actually harvesting the hay has gone up a huge amount. Last time we baled it had jumped from 75p a bale to 95p (just to bale it,) that did not include shutting field up, fertilising, rolling and harrowing it, mowing, turning it several times, rowing up and wuffling; that is all extra, both on labour, machinery and fuel, plus the actual aggro of doing it - will it rain, won't it, will we get it in in time and so on. To be realistic, each bale should cost in the region of at least £1.50 baled and ready to go off the field, let alone the blood sweat and tears to have done it! So even if he is thinking/charging you £2 or something a bale, it's not a great profit is it?
I'd make the most of it, prices are set to soar this winter if there's no or little harvesting, I wouldn't be surprised to be seeing the £6 bale in dear areas.
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I'd make the most of it, prices are set to soar this winter if there's no or little harvesting, I wouldn't be surprised to be seeing the £6 bale in dear areas

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Yep, we've lost one crop at my yard. Hoping to be able to get another field in - but who knows.

Then if haylage has to be bought in I expect my £7.00 a week to double at least (ad lib haylage).
 
Our livery is £25 per week with straw free, but no hay - and especially as hay is a much sought after thing this year, you are on a fab deal!!

Our horses go through half a bale of hay each a day in the winter when they are in 24/7. In the summer they get a section at 7am and then a section when they come in at 6pm and one at 10pm - so 3 a day, each bale has 12 sections, more or less, so we each have about a bale and a half a week, give or take. On that premise, yes you are going through a lot of hay!
 
At our yard we have menage, indoor & jumping field etc & pay £27.50 per week diy. The DIY livery is for stable & grazing & use of the facilities, all have & shavings etc we have to pay for. I think you are getting a good deal. The main problem I've seen at yards where hay is in with the price is the wastage. When people don't have to pay they get greedy & loads gets thrown away. If I was you I wouldn't moan about your lot....you're doing very well out of it.
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If I was you I wouldn't moan about your lot....you're doing very well out of it.
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I'm not moaning!!! I was just WONDERING if we really ARE using a lot of hay, or if we're just the same as most other people? I'd use the amount i use wether i was paying for i seperately or not. I'm not just gonna feed my horses loads because it's 'free' - they're fat enough as it is! I am very greatful to the YO for doing what he does and i uderstand how difficult farmers have got it - especially this year. I was just wondering, that's all.
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Try looking at this from a different angle. The farmer may make his own hay, however he still has to look at it's value. Presently where I am we pay £4.50 per bale. On that basis 23 to 25 bales could bring the farmer £103.50 to £112.50 per week. That is just selling out & not having to have anyones horses on premises etc. 11 horses at £25 per week = £275 then take an average hay cost of approx £108 from this. & for me, He is now down to £167 per week plus providing bedding, grazing & probably losing all his privacy. For £15 per pony per week. Hmm. I think you are on a mega deal
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I understand what everyone is saying, but i have never once said that we're NOT on a mega good deal!! I know we are! He's had a brand new stable yard built and the grazing is lovely - TOO lovely for the amount of fatties on there! I just wanted to know if we are using an alright amount of hay?
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And if so, he can put his prices up accordingly. I'm on HIS side - we get on really well.
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I think you are using an 'average' amount of hay.

My cob (small to medium appetite) would eat 5 flaps per 24 hours stabled and the big fella about 8. Thats assuming no grazing.

At the moment the cob is on 4 flaps per day (turned out in the mornings only) and 'bigness' is on 3 (turned out at night).

Ive been paying £15 per month for adlib bigbale hay up until recently but this has now been withdrawn due to the shortage and we are sourcing our own small bale.
 
I'm very, very lucky and pay £45 a week for Stable, grazing, muck out, turn out and adlib hay plus 1 bale shavings a week.
At my last place £40 a week for stable, grazing (such as it was), turn out 5 days a week and pay for your own Shavings (@£5.95 a bale) and hay (@£3 a bale). Muck out your own stable too.
So new place is an absolute bargain!
 
sounds about right to me. Average 15hh horse would have between 2 to 3 bales a week if they were in for 12 hours ( at least thats what my guys have in the winter, considerably less though in the summer when they are out more and have better grazing) but depends on management routine, how many hours out etc. So 20 to 30 bales a week between that number of horses I guess.

Cost could be going up though and your Livery owner would have to pass that on to you.

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I work on 100 bales of hay per horse/pony per year - averages out over the large eaters v the ponies

so 2 bales per horse per week
 
that is cheap and as a yard owner the horses do get ad lib hay but it does really really annoy me when liveries give there 14hh pony 6 sections of hay a night then when i go in there it is all over the bed and mashed in - what a waste ¬!!!!

Well prices are going up so maybe thats why they want to make sure they are covered - we are waiting to cut our fields now its such a pain we are going to buy 500 bales over this year though !! just incase !!
 
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