When will you start feeding hay?

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MelenR

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I keep my horse out 24/7 on good grazing with one other pony. However, I was wondering when I should get my hay delivered. I only have a small storage space so I was going to get it in as late as possible. I was hoping to start giving them hay towards the end of october but I just wondered if other people feeding hay already? And if not, when do you hope to start feeding it?
Thanks
 
Hi

I dont know about you but our grass is really 'flushing' at the moment and there is loads of it. Unless it snows I won't be feeding for at least a month, maybe not even then. I'm mindful of the shortage predictions though so I wouldn't leave it too long as price will rocket later on.
 
ginadrummond said:
Hi

I dont know about you but our grass is really 'flushing' at the moment and there is loads of it. Unless it snows I won't be feeding for at least a month, maybe not even then. I'm mindful of the shortage predictions though so I wouldn't leave it too long as price will rocket later on.
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Me too! I reckon this might be one of those years where I don't have to start feeding it till nearly December! :D
 
The grass is growing quite well at the moment but I'm not sure when it will stop. Does anybody know? Fortunately, I have reserved 100 bales from my local farmer and he will deliver it as and when I need it.
 
Mine are getting a handful in the evening at the moment as I desperately want two of my paddocks to grow back to a) get some grass back b)cover the mud from last year

However once we are in winter I will be feeding barly straw and haylage mixed
 
Was just discussing this with my YM only yesterday. He reckons it will be at least a month yet as we have so much grass at the moment. Naturally if Mother Nature decides to be awkward and give us hard frosts before then to stop grass growth it will be sooner. At the rate things are going I think we are looking at November before we start feeding hay
 
MelenR said:
I keep my horse out 24/7 on good grazing with one other pony. However, I was wondering when I should get my hay delivered. I only have a small storage space so I was going to get it in as late as possible. I was hoping to start giving them hay towards the end of october but I just wondered if other people feeding hay already? And if not, when do you hope to start feeding it?
Thanks
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I agree with Ginadrummond prices are going to go through the roof later on and that is providing you can get any!!!! I would fill your little storage space with as much as you can now!!!
 
Hi PC Steele, I've managed to reserve to form the farmer last month. He has a huge barn that he can store it in and he's happy to bring it when I need it which is great, otherwise I'd be a bit stuck (and paying a fortune)! It is a pound extra this year...it's gone up to £4 (from £3), but from what I hear this isn't too bad!
 
On average I start feeding hay (my gang live out 24/7/365) in about the 3rd or 4th week or October.

This year however, I'm hoping that it's going to be later than that. From having no grass whatsoever about 3 weeks ago, we've now got loads of it. I'm also moving my gang to a new place in a fortnight, and the grass there is really abundant too. At the new place, I'll have sole access to 30 acres of winter grazing, so I'm hoping (especially considering the hay shortage) to be able to delay feeding hay until I absolutely have to.

Am worried sick about what I'm going to end up paying for it mind, as because of moving premises I can't bring any in early - and at the new place I'll only be able to store a small amount at a time on pallets covered with tarpaulin.
 
We've got loads of grass so won't be feeding hay for some time yet. But if you can get hold of any hay I'd get it anyway. That way you are prepared whatever happens.
 
My two porkers have to wait until we are forecast snow or snow is on the ground or when they start to drop weight. However at the moment i dont think the weight dropping is going to happen at any point soon.

I have been thinking about this hay shortage and i have decided that if hay prices rocket so bad i would feed my girls a hay replacement feed instead.
 
Well my lad is in on hay at night all year round but during the day I am hoping to not have to feed hay unless we get snow. He is currently on a well cropped paddock he has been on all year and I will start to strip graze some of the rest of the field once he starts to look hungry or the grass stops growing.
To be honest have enough grass for him to never need hay all year at all...ever but sadly he has had laminitis so will never get to eat even a fraction of what is fenced off.
 
gleek said:
My two porkers have to wait until we are forecast snow or snow is on the ground or when they start to drop weight. However at the moment i dont think the weight dropping is going to happen at any point soon.

I have been thinking about this hay shortage and i have decided that if hay prices rocket so bad i would feed my girls a hay replacement feed instead.
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There is usually snow first time 25th November - children in need day so sticks in memory, I must admit all of mine are porky too. Incredible how up here we've gone from zero growth to massive growth, I'm actually thinking I might have to top as mine not keeping up. Long may it last though!
 
As others, we've had such dry weather and no grass all summer that ours have been getting some overnight as we shut them out of the woods at night, and a token bit in the morning too. However I've cut back recently as our grass has finally grown a bit.

I've not bought hay yet as am a bit broke and am winging it for a mild winter as our own hay has almost run out!
 
Does anyone on here not feed hay at all? Had a nightmare last year with one of mine showing COPD symptons plus the odd choke, was wondering if you could get away with a very high fibre diet and no forage except grazing?
 
farriersmum said:
Does anyone on here not feed hay at all? Had a nightmare last year with one of mine showing COPD symptons plus the odd choke, was wondering if you could get away with a very high fibre diet and no forage except grazing?
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Mmm I wouldn't recommend it in the snow and when the ground is frozen but I guess if u have a good doer I can't see a problem with that
 
We never put hay in the fields only the mares, foals, youngsters and stallion that YO has get it as they never (or extremely rarely) come in to the stables.

We just feed the ridden ones when there in to be ridden, they get a haynet and usually a feed. When it snows they usually end up stuck in anyway as the field they are in is up a steep hill about 1/2 mile from the yard so can't get to it. Though if they got stuck out in the snow then we would put hay in the field.
 
been feeding hay since July...... stopped about three weeks ago but obviously they have haynets when they come in to be fed hard feed, grass has grown quite well so I reckon it'll be end of september before we start feeding it again. (having already used half of our winter supply thanks to the no grass situation!)
 
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