Round bales

X

xponyloverx

Active Member
Joined
11 December 2008
Messages
46
Visit site
At the moment, we are putting a round bale of hay in the field every week for two horses and one pony living out 24-7, however they are greedy and eat them so quickly sometimes within 3 days. At 35 pounds a bale it will work out really expensive to keep replacing the hay after every 3 days. Does anyone else have this problem? We have thought about maybe giving them sections of hayledge every night instead of hay although it may blow away. The pony and one of the horses can sometimes have bad breathing occassionally when the hay is very dusty or bad.
Is there anything anyone could recommend please?
Thanks x
 
My two horses and one pony wind in a round bale in about 7 days (10 if it is dry and the hay doesn't spoil - I don't think even my greedyguts could manage one in 3 days!

Also £35 is very expensive, even here in Surrey I pay only £20. Whereabouts are you?

If I got a dusty or bad bale I would be hopping up and down (esp. at the price you are paying) - in the 3 years I have fed round bales I think only one has been slightly below perfect but certainly not bad or dusty.

I did toy with the idea of leaving the bale outside the field and putting hay down twice a day but with the weather as foul as it is I am glad they are on ad lib.

I have just invested in a ring feeder (made by a tame blacksmith) and I thought it would extend the life of the bale as they wouldn't tread on it - but it hasn't! I also thought it would be an end to clearing up a mound of spoilt hay - but it hasn't!

Sorry not much help, perhaps switching to haylage and then rationing is the answer - in the past I have fed it from huge tubs wieighed down with rocks and it solved the blowing away problem.
 
Thanks for your advice, yes they are very greedy.I slighty exaggerated a bit with 3 days but the last bale just gone they had it in 4 days!! We are in Kent area, and as we need the hay rounds delievered the cheapest and only ones that will deliever to us are 35 pounds !!
 
Hi - We have three horses and a round bale lasts 3 days max if out 24 hours with it. We are in East Sussex and we pay £20 per bale delivered into the field so does sound quite pricey. As this works out quite costly we fill some builder sacks with hay and do this when convenient and only put a ble out if short of time etc.
 
blush.gif
blush.gif
blush.gif
£35 down here its £15!!! when ours are out 24-7 we put a chunk out in the morning and evening for my two ponies. otherwise im worried they just stuff themselves, as earlier this year when they were out all the time, one of them got a bit of lami.
 
We have 6 horses - 3 cob/pony types and 3 TB types - and they go through a round bale of haylage in about 5 days.

I would try haylage nets personally
smile.gif
.
 
as has already been said £35!!!!!!!!!, we only pay £15, one bale last 23 horses about 2 days, I think when it is add lib like that they just gorge themselves, for 2 horses Iwould just put piles out and top up as needed, you will probalby find they are oulling a lot out and weeng on it, a lot of expensive spoils
 
They seem to be getting through it very quickly , are they stomping it down into the ground and wasting a lot? I put a round bale in once a week for 2 horses 2 ponies and 2 sheep. They did mush the first one into the mud a bit so I made a gage of sheep hurdle round the next one, the ponies can pick at it through the bars of the hurdles so can the sheep and the horses can get the top of the bale. None of it gets wasted. I am on the kent/East Sussex border and I pay "£19 per bale or £22 delivered
 
Yep, I'm in Kent and ours are £30 delivered now, going up to £35 after Xmas. (Why you may ask, it's still the same hay... but fuel costs are mentioned).
Can anyone tell us where we can get round bales delivered cheaper in Kent? Round the Sevenoaks area?
I gave up round bales in the field, and although it was more work, kept them under a tarp on pallets. Then I pulled the hay off every day and fed it in various containers and haynets around the fields and shelters. Whatever I put a round bale in or on there was just so much waste. I didn't want to use a metal cattle round bale feeder as they didn't look safe for horses. I understand you can get horse ones, but, well you just run out of money don't you?
 
Thanks for all your help, i wouldnt pay 35 pounds if i had the choice but sadly cannot find any suppliers! Where does everyone get their hay from in the kent area ?? What would you do if you had 3 horses living out 24-7 and not much grass, give them haylage or hay?? Thanks everyone i just need to think of an alternative solution as i cannot afford 35 pounds every 3/4 days for round bales of hay!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top