What do people use to feed hay in the field and does anyone use a hay cube outside?

[Birker2020]

I've inherited a lovely hay cube from a friend which I intend to use in my paddock in the winter. Before this I used to use a smaller tub with a larger one inverted over the top and both Bailey and Lari learnt to push the tub off the top with their nose. This saved the hay from getting frosty overnight when it was below zero or rained on overnight and spoilt.

I was thinking of filling the cube with damp hay from a net each evening in winter like I used to and covering it with something like a lightweight cover/piece of plywood so that the horse can access it in the morning. I can't go up myself before work because my start time is well before anything else gets turned out.

I feel a hay cube would be more practical than a tub because it can hold more hay and because it won't blow away in the wind and I never liked the idea of having to tie a brick to a tub as there was always that element of risk of getting caught up.

Do you use a hay cube or similar to feed hay in the paddock and if so what do you use?

I intend to put my hay bar back up in the stable at some point so don't need the hay cube for stable use.

 

[ycbm]

I think the cube sounds too much of a faff, I'd either feed the hay from the floor or from a small hole net with an open ended chain and carabiner closure (then feet can't get caught) . But it needs to not be able to escape under the fence.
.

 

[Birker2020]

I think the cube sounds too much of a faff, I'd either feed the hay from the floor or from a small hole net with an open ended chain and carabiner closure (then feet can't get caught) . But it needs to not be able to escape under the fence.
.

If I feed from the floor it will blow about everywhere and get rained on as I can only leave it out the night before. And a small hole net sounds good but it could be dragged under the fence which would be problematic. The hay cube is really easy, just transfer hay from a net and put some kind of lid on it.

It used to take me about 6 minutes from leaving the stable, walking up the field in the dark with a head torch, emptying the hay, moving the electric fence and getting back again.

 

[meleeka]

I use nets tied to the tree or shelter. I used to use wooden tile crates, reinforced and made safe.

 

[ycbm]

If I feed from the floor it will blow about everywhere and get rained on as I can only leave it out the night before. And a small hole net sounds good but it could be dragged under the fence which would be problematic. The hay cube is really easy, just transfer hay from a net and put some kind of lid on it.

It used to take me about 6 minutes from leaving the stable, walking up the field in the dark with a head torch, emptying the hay, moving the electric fence and getting back again.

I think it will get knocked under the fence unless you can restrain it.

 

[Surbie]

Yes, at my last yard one of the liveries cable-tied two cubes to the fence for her two. They had their own paddock and were only minorly squabbly with each other over hay. Theirs was nearly the first field from the yard, so easy to fill from nets taken out in barrows each morning.

 

[Birker2020]

Yes, at my last yard one of the liveries cable-tied two cubes to the fence for her two. They had their own paddock and were only minorly squabbly with each other over hay. Theirs was nearly the first field from the yard, so easy to fill from nets taken out in barrows each morning.

thanks Surbie

 

[PurBee]

If youre refilling hay daily, i wouldnt personally worry about it being rained on. It wont get spoilt by becoming damp. It’ll just add to their moisture intake

Round hay bales left out for days/weeks at a time have the opportunity to get manky from rain, but daily fresh re-fills of hay being rained on that day doesnt have time to spoil, before theyve eaten it.

If the hay is outside in a container of any kind, i’d drill small holes in the bottom to allow any rain to drain-out from very heavy downpours. Just so that the bottom hay doesnt sit in water.

It’s always amazed me, when i’ve put a pile of hay outside on the floor in a downpour, how the top will be soaked, but the hay inside the pile is dry. The rain tends to run-off the top and side, rather than go through and saturate the whole lot.

 

[AmyMay]

Is he on individual turnout?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I saw a field with a couple of hay hutches in for a small herd of horses the other day I thought that looked good. The hutches looked to be have enough to withstand normally windy conditions, even if not gales.

 

[expanding_horizon]

I use a netted hay hutch. Need the side nets not to get the hay pulled out of side holes and left on floor. Lid stops getting wet. I need an extra bolt so my horse doesnt unscrew the lid (how is a mystery).

 

[Barton Bounty]

I have a haybox

 

[Tronk]

I use a Dolav type plastic pallet box. It stops it getting blown around & wasted, and you can fit lots in with no faff. Never had an issue with rain, the horses don’t care. The base of them has holes in so any water just runs through.

 

[marmalade76]

When I feed hay in the field I find a clean patch of ground (ie not muddy or cut up) and drop the hay on the ground.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

RDA ponies live out, hay is put out in nets in huge plastic boxes, like potato boxes, and fastened to the bottom. If it's raining the water just runs through. Boxes can be moved to stop poaching

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Either off the floor or the large round cattle lick tubs which hold a decent amount and are fairly robust. You can always drill holes in the bottom to allow any rain to soak away.

 

[M1lbie]

I’ve used a hay cube in the field but have tied it to the fence to stop them pushing it around, also use a hay hutch but have to make sure the lid is screwed down or else one of mine is very good at unscrewing it, when they had to have soaked hay I just left the lid off.

 

[Red-1]

If you are putting it out damp, I can't see the issue with rain?

I thought Lari was at retirement with others? If so, a Hay Hutch is fabulous. They have a lid to keep hay restrained and dry but the biggest bonus is that they are round and large enough, with holes to dispense hat wide enough, that horses can share the hutch in relative safety and everyone gets a share. Obviously, with more then 3 horses, more hutches would be necessary.

I would be cautious to try to share one Hay Cube with various horses as they would likely fight and kicks etc would occur.

 

[Widgeon]

Gosh these are sophisticated solutions - ours get their hay in an old tractor tyre sat on a mud mat! Heavy enough that they can't move it and it keeps the hay in one place. Yes it gets wet but that's never seemed to be a problem.

 

[Widgeon]

When I feed hay in the field I find a clean patch of ground (ie not muddy or cut up) and drop the hay on the ground.

Thank goodness - I genuinely thought this was what everybody did, I was starting to feel like a right cheapskate

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Is he on individual turnout?

I think this question is for when she gets a new horse that was my take on it anyway

 

[expanding_horizon]

If you are putting it out damp, I can't see the issue with rain?

I thought Lari was at retirement with others? If so, a Hay Hutch is fabulous. They have a lid to keep hay restrained and dry but the biggest bonus is that they are round and large enough, with holes to dispense hat wide enough, that horses can share the hutch in relative safety and everyone gets a share. Obviously, with more then 3 horses, more hutches would be necessary.

I would be cautious to try to share one Hay Cube with various horses as they would likely fight and kicks etc would occur.

I had assumed this planning for her next horse.

 

[expanding_horizon]

When I feed hay in the field I find a clean patch of ground (ie not muddy or cut up) and drop the hay on the ground.

my horse is very wasteful if you just put hay on the ground, doesnt eat anything he has trodden on or has got wet or muddy. I'd end up with lots of waste hay (and mud) if I fed it on the floor. I have a rectangle of mud control mats and feed in a lidded, netted container on the mats.

 

[wiglet]

I have a wooden hay box made by my OH. I used to just feed off the floor but, on windy days the hay just got blown away - the hay box stops that.

 

[Birker2020]

Is he on individual turnout?

He will be when I buy him whenever that is. I am just thinking ahead as always.

 

[Birker2020]

I had assumed this planning for her next horse.

YEs it is I apologise. I am just planning ahead.
I just wondered if anyone else used a hay cube for outside. What do people do that feed hay if they are on assisted DIY and cannot get down in the morning?
There are a few of us that leave hay out in the evening once the horse is brought in so that when its turned out in the morning it has access to it but those people usually leave a pile on the grass and it gets blown away or rained/snowed/hailed on.

 

[webble]

My last yard owner put a large post in the field for me at one end with a tie ring on and I tied a net to it, it didnt matter too much if it got rained on as the hay inside was usually still dry and it would drain off anyway. That does need a very good YO though

 

[expanding_horizon]

My last yard owner put a large post in the field for me at one end with a tie ring on and I tied a net to it, it didnt matter too much if it got rained on as the hay inside was usually still dry and it would drain off anyway. That does need a very good YO though

You could make your own post for attaching a haynet to? You just need an old tyre, a wooden post, some huge screws or nails and some postcrete.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Gosh these are sophisticated solutions - ours get their hay in an old tractor tyre sat on a mud mat! Heavy enough that they can't move it and it keeps the hay in one place. Yes it gets wet but that's never seemed to be a problem.

Err, please don't do this . Horses can and do get trapped in the tractor tyre, and not all of them survive. There are some very graphic photos of this to be found on t'internet, which I won't post on here.

 

[webble]

Err, please don't do this . Horses can and do get trapped in the tractor tyre, and not all of them survive. There are some very graphic photos of this to be found on t'internet, which I won't post on here.

Sorry yes to be clear no tyres involved in my set up just a post and tie ring