Round bale of hay in field

[lucy1984]

Mine are out 24/7 in a field with shelter. There is 3 on 5 acres (there was just the 2 until I bought Marley last week).

I only ordered a bale of hay from the lady that rents me the land a few days ago and already im ¾ through it. I dont mind it if I have to buy one a week as long as they are eating well. Anyway....

Not sure whether to just put my next one straight in the field so they can have unlimited access or just carry on giving them a haynet each morning and night?

I'm sure they will get through it but will it go mouldy being in the wet weather?

 

[JamesEarwaker]

Id just carry on putting 1 in after the other, try make sure most of the 1st has gone as they will only want the fresh and its a bugger to clear piles of un eaten hay. Shouldnt worry too much about the weather with hay, if it gets wet it gets wet, most hay here this year had water on it before it was baled

 

[nijinsky]

I have the 5ft round bales out in the fields. I have 2 mares & 2 foals in one and the bale would just about last 1 week. I take the netting down to half way but don't take it off completely as it all falls away, they end of peeing & pooing & babies sleeping on it, much less wastage leaving the netting on. The netting is quite flimsy & I've had no trouble leaving it on.

I have 1 horse & 1 pony in the other field & their bale lasts approximately 2 weeks, although now it's turned much colder they are getting through it sooner.

I have absolutely no grass so I prefer to just put the whole bale in the field & because it's so muddy I can't be doing with trapsing through mud with nets, plus I wouldn't have nets in the field with the foals. No arguing amongst them either as they have constant food.

Mine are now coming in at night so I have another round bale at the stables & strip that off and put in the stables.

 

[Enfys]

There are pros and cons to either option.

If you put it in the field, unless it is in a feeder they will most certainly stomp on it, lie on it, pee and poo on it and ruin a part of it. They will also make a lovely mess of the field around the hay. They can't do that to a haynet.

In the field, it is ad-lib, you have no control over how much they eat as you do with a net. However, you know that they can eat as much, or as little, as they want and they won't be left hungry, unlike a net.

If you are going through a bale a week, it shouldn't go mouldy unless it is already cooking. In the field you obviously can't cover it up easily, it certainly shouldn't go mouldy under cover.

 

[Puppy]

[ QUOTE ]
There are pros and cons to either option.

If you put it in the field, unless it is in a feeder they will most certainly stomp on it, lie on it, pee and poo on it and ruin a part of it. They will also make a lovely mess of the field around the hay. They can't do that to a haynet.

In the field, it is ad-lib, you have no control over how much they eat as you do with a net. However, you know that they can eat as much, or as little, as they want and they won't be left hungry, unlike a net.

If you are going through a bale a week, it shouldn't go mouldy unless it is already cooking. In the field you obviously can't cover it up easily, it certainly shouldn't go mouldy under cover.

[/ QUOTE ]

What Enfys said

In previous years, I would feed both of mine hayalge, rather than hay, and would put it out twice a day, purely to prevent wastage from the wind and rain as much as the horses. This year (I have one on haylage and one of hay, but that makes little difference) I have invested in hay hutches for each of mine, so that I only need to hay once per day for them to have it ab lib, and it is protected from the elements, making waste minimal

I think they make one large enough for 3 horses...

Here: Large size

http://www.hay-hutch.co.uk/acatalog/Hay_Hutches.html

 

[Fii]

Can you get a round sheep feeder? we use one this year for the first time and it stops the hay being trashed , and there is'nt so much waste.

 

[Tinypony]

I have tried everything with these big round bales, and they never last as long for my lot as the equivalent in small bales. They pull it out, throw it about, wee on it and make beds in it. I've always been a bit concerned about the mesh wrapping as well, and reading this confirmed that slight worry http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/5124163/an/0/page/0/gonew/1#UNREAD
So I've decided to get big round bales for economy, but put it on a pallet and strip it off to feed as needed. With 3 ponies living out it still won't last much longer than a week, so not much chance of it going bad.

 

[Fii]

I have ,a shire, an arab, a 16 hander and a NFx arab, and at the moment it is taking them ten days plus to eat a bale in the feeder with minimal wast.