Is this years hay particularly nutritious ?

[Yardbird]

My cob weighs more now than in the summer although there is little grass in his field .He has no hard feed so it can only be the 15 lb of hay he has been having overnight. I have not found this other years when he has had up to 20 lb of hay overnight.I plan to cut his hay to 12 lb and replace the 3 lb with Dengie Good Doer , but as he is in the stable from 4 pm till 7 he next morning do not want to leave him with less.Has anyone else found the hay nutritious this year ?

 

[Britestar]

Yes it is. It was cut earlier, so has a higher sugar content. It also dried quickly so again more sugars.

Try soaking it to remove some of the sugars. Minimum 6 hour soak. The longer you soak the more you remove.

 

[Abby-Lou]

mix with straw

 

[chaps89]

I would avoid the dengie good doer (it's actually quite high in sugars and starch given how it's marketed) and use a plain straw chaff - There's honeychop plain oat straw and topchop zero as options
. Topchop lite is mixed with alfalfa so possibly more palatable but still fairly ok if you want something with a little more oomph/taste.
I'd also echo soaking the hay, reduce/remove rugs and up the exercise!

 

[meleeka]

It’s also been very mild this winter which has meant their energy requirements are less.

 

[Keith_Beef]

A while ago I was at a party and got talking to a farmer who told me that the hay this year had been abundant and very good quality.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Yes, my current crop of home grown meadow hay (late June cut) is like rocket fuel! One of mine has been suffering from ' liquid farts ' and associated mucky back end, and it took me ages to pin the cause down to the hay.

Normally I can feed my hay ad lib, but not this winter. The field we take the hay from hasn't been fertilised for donkey's years, it just gets sheep on it in winter. Last year's late August cut crop off the same field was much more suitable for my neds' needs.

I may have to soak it for that ned, just as the freezing weather arrives... I normally steam it.

 

[Leo Walker]

And don't forget that due to the mild winter the grass has been growing as well. I'd cut it back and replace with chopped straw. I'd also be mixing the hay with actual straw.

 

[Auslander]

My grass never stopped growing. You can't see it in the paddocks they're in, as they're eating it all - but my empty paddock is bright green and about 3inches high - it was absolutely bald a few months ago!

My hay is really good this year - I usually have stand offs about eating it at this time of year when they start getting bored of eating hay, but they're doing a fantastic job of clearing up every scrap this year! I've got a few on haylage as well - they wouldn't normally eat hay when they have haylage down - but they're tucking in very happily

 

[be positive]

My hay/ haylage is lovely but with the grass still growing the ones that live out are not clearing up the meagre amount I am giving them so it is being reduced until the weather gets bad, I have never fed so little to the field kept ones.

 

[madamebonnie]

We can't believe how well the 'poor doers' at our yard look this year. Hard feed is at a minimum for everyone, most of the horses just aren't fussed.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I would give a big trug of chopped oat straw chaff in place of some of the hay but be wary of adding long straw, as it can cause impaction colic.

 

[Cortez]

I would give a big trug of chopped oat straw chaff in place of some of the hay but be wary of adding long straw, as it can cause impaction colic.

I've been feeding barley straw for 40 years and never had an impaction colic. The hay cut last year is the best anyone's seen here since 1995 (or 1975, depending on who you're talking to ) so obviously is more nutritious.

 

[southerncomfort]

I've noticed the texture is different too. Much less coarse. In fact the bale I've just opened is so soft that even the dentally challenged oldie is eating some.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Yes, its splendid stuff and I am currently not feeding any! They are on 7 acres of well-grazed non-improved grass 1400ft up on the side of a hill. The Exmoor is a decent weight, the Fell a bit overweight. They get a tiny amount of soaked agrobs a day and if/when they come in, they have oat straw bedding to eat.

Straw impaction is a risk-especially with horses kept in and/or not having enough movement when out or if they have poor teeth. When its very frosty, icy and dry like right now, I make sure they get enough fluid (sloppy feeds, bring them in to have a drink from something less cold than the burn which they do). I've seen a few straw impactions, all in heavy, draft types when given solely straw (and drafts eat alot) to eat in the winter. But basically any sudden change in weather from drops in temp to drops in pressure are a colic risk people should be aware of.

 

[buddylove]

My ponies could have been the leading stars of the obese pony show, and they haven't seen a bit of hay!! We are back on the spring/summer regime of 7am to 5pm on the hardstanding with a trug of chopped straw to nibble on and turned out overnight.

 

[Yardbird]

Thanks for your replies ,so i am not imagining it and need to be careful.