I figured, what the heck, this should be easy.
Then I got stuck on number one.
It was:
"When you have an adult horse and or pony, how many flakes of hay should they get in one day?
A. 2 B. 6 C. 1 D. 0 E. I don't know.
It doesn't seem like a hard question... unless you're a person who's dealt with many types of horses for a long time.
My brain immediately went: I need more information! I need to know how heavy and thick each flake of hay is. Are they thick flakes or little ones? I need to know the grass type of the hay- is it Bermuda, alfalfa, Bahai, grass mix, what!? What's the protein content? Is it green and fine or is it brown and stemy? How much rainfall did the field receive before it was baled?
How big is my horse? My 17 hand horse isn't going to need as much as my 13 hand pony. Are they an easy keeper? What season is it? Is there still grass in my pasture? What's the weather like? Is it warm, cold or icy rain? How old is my horse? What work am I asking my horse to do? Are they in serious training?
Am I supplementing their feeding regimen with things such as grain, beet pulp or alfalfa cubes or only feeding hay? What is my horses current weight? Are they in rehab and need to put on a lot of weight or are they overweight? How many times a day am I feeding? Am I feeding it loose or in a slow feeder?
When I know this, then I can say about how many flakes of hay they should get. That said, I was waiting for the answer: "You should feed by weight, not flake number."
I eventually chose "2" because it wouldnt let me continue without an answer. It said that was the correct choice. I judged the quiz maker. Yes, the rest of it was terrible and probably written by a 12 year old girl.
I might have some issues. Also, I'm currently trying to decide what I want to do for hay this year. I'm going to pretend that this is where my ridiculous answer comes from. Do I want to do round, net wrapped bales and try to tarp them on pallets? Then just leave them in the hay saver we built and let them have free access.
Or, do I want to get square bales, pay a bit more, have to feed twice a day and possibly feed grain as well, but be able to keep them in the barn and use the slow feeder?
Choices, choices.
That said, I am posing this question to you, my dear fellow horse readers, do you prefer round or square bales?
We usually have around 4 horses.
Round Bales-
Price Between $25-35 per bale, exuding delivery.
Number needed: Around 20.
Pro's:
Cheaper, more hay for your money.
You can put one in a hay feeder and not worry about feeding multiple times a day.
You can put one out and be able to go on vacation without worrying your horse watcher isn't giving them enough- or too much.
Your horse has 24 hour access to roughage during the winter.
You can potentially leave out feeding grain if they have more hay. Grain is expensive (we pay between $12-18 a bag, which doesn't last more than a few days if we have 4 horses)
Cons:
Horses waste a ton of it usually.
Heavy as hell and a pain to move without a trailer.
Transport: must pay for delivery or make multiple trips with a small trailer.
Storage- we don't have covered storage for round bales since the barn door is small.
Must be kept on pallets to make sure they don't mold.
Can't control rate of consumption/use.
Square bales:
Price: Between $3.75 and 4.50
Number needed: around 200
Pros:
Stackable and storable inside of a covered barn- prevents molding.
Convenient.
Can often be a better quality hay.
Easy to move and sort.
Controllable rate of use.
Can specify how much each horse consumes.
Can put in the slow feeders and provide prolonged access to roughage.
Can collect ourselves and unload without a tractor.
Cons:
More expensive per pound.
Not constant access to food.
Usually need to supplement with grain.
Must go and feed at least twice a day, morning and night, no matter the weather.
Unloading 200 bales sucks. (At least the places I found this year will load it for you, I hate picking it up out of the field in 100 degree heat.)
So, there's my pro's and cons. My question to you is: Which do you prefer (or usually buy) and why?
What do you like or dislike?
And, if you're feeling especially awesome, which do you think I should get?
And, just for the heck of it, what type of grass do you like your hay to be?
We've always just fed Bermuda.
That could be a hay field!!!
One of my horses got a corneal abrasion from a roundbale and I know of a few others that have too, so I'm not a fan! My current gelding would look like a roundbale if he had free access to feed all day haha
ReplyDeleteIf you choose to go the round bale route, Cinch Chix nets will make a dramatic difference in reducing waste. I've seen them in action where I used to board, and the horses handled them well - nibbled all day instead of gorging & flinging sessions. I have one of their wall-mounted nets for my mare's stall where we now board, and they're ideal inside as well. The hay lasts much longer and doesn't get stomped into the bedding as much either. Well-made and worth a look! http://www.cinchchix.com/
ReplyDeleteI use both. I keep a few round bales under tarps outside each pasture and peel off what I *think* they need twice a day. I also stuff my little barn with squares and use that for horses that I have up for whatever reason and to toss in the trailer when I go camping. Thus I have the best (and worst) of both worlds, lol. And I know you been asked before....do you ever train outside horses?
ReplyDeleteIt would depend upon your horses. If you have young, healthy, not obese horses, that get along so that all can eat go the round bale route. If you are going to be concerned about their weight or access, do not. I need to feed small bales due to the individual needs of my 11 horses and the old wonderful dairy barn hay mow that I have to store it dry. It's a lot of work to put up 1400 bales and use 4 different suppliers, but my hay needs vary from horse to horse as I have a lot of old ones with limited teeth and insulin issues along with some young obese ponies. I have seen the round bales work well in good herds, but be careful of your supplier as many "things" get baled in those things that aren't intended and can make your horses sick. Also agree with the Cinch Chix nets. Amazing. I set up slow feeding nets in my stalls for the fatties and it takes them all day to eat a couple of flakes!
ReplyDelete