Mud and saving a round of hay - advice please?

[Jericho]

I have just had to leave a wrapped big round of hay in the muddiest part of the field just outside the field shelter. I was trying to get it into field shelter for the horses to feed adlib from but it all went wrong with mud. Plastic wrapping ripped as welll in two places and its now raining.

What's my best course of action now? I can't move it so shall I just make slits in the wrapping and netting lower down and let the horses just get on with it. The mud is very thick all round it and means the horses will be standing in this whilst they eat but I guess as the hay starts coming out it form a bit of 'carpet'. What a blooming waste of money as most of it is going to get trampled in the mud before it gets eaten and splint by the rain.

Anything I can do to eliminate wastage, stop raining getting to the middle and stop the mud around it getting to bad?

Am never getting a round of hay again...grrr

 

[AmyMay]

Tractor and round bale feeder?

 

[nieghham]

if you can get a pallet or two and place beside the flat end.....you can flip the round bale onto the pallet...then get a couple more putting them at the rounded side then flipping the round bale onto those pallets....this lifts the hay off the ground and keeps the flat end down so rain/snow does not seep into the middle rotting it out faster.
We put feeders around the pallets.

 

[eatmyshorts]

A friend of mine swears by leaving the wrapping on but putting the bale on it's sideside, not the flat end. Horses then eat from each end and it gets flatter and flatter.Would never have thought of that but it does work and waste is minimal!

 

[Kallibear]

Haylege (since it's wrapped)?

They will waste at least half if you leave it outside without a feeder.

I wouldn't leave it wrapped for them to get at as the plastic string inside is far too easy for them to eat and choke on.

Was it by yourself you tried to give it? Very impressed if you did!

Get two strong guys to shift it the last bit (phone up a garden maintenance company or farmer to hire someone?!) They'll manage no bother.

Alternatively unwrap it and carry it in in bit. Will take a half hour of hard work but easily doable. Once you're half way through you should be able to flip it easily enough yourself.