hay cubes (with questionaire)

[chandab]

Oh, ok. I think I read on the package of one at tsc that they're good for hydration (after soaking) or something. Not sure if it was regular compressed hay, or if soaking was just optional. I never really looked at the bale, just kinda read it as I walked past, lol

That was probably the Purina Hydration Hay; with those you break off cubes of it to soak and fluff up.

Regular compressed bales look like a mini sized regular bale, they are like 2' square or so, usually stacked up out front of TSC, if yours carries them (made by Standlee).

 

[NewToMini's]

Oh, ok. Never looked to see what brand they were, but that's probably what they are. Thanks for teaching me something new!

 

[AngC]

My two minis and one large pony get half a bale of hay per day (1/4 bale morning and night), along with safechoice grain (1/2 pound for fillly, 3/4 pound and hoof supplement for mare, and 3 pounds for large pony) and full turnout (not much grass, so turnout is mainly exercise atm). They get the hay cubes when there's snow on the ground, or when it's really cold, because I don't have enough hay to feed extra.

WOW.Your hay bales must be a much different size than we get here. ...a half bale per day???!!!? (...never mind all that grain/supplements.) I think a ton of hay here is roughly 20 to 22 bales, so just under a hundred pounds per bale.

Interesting... if I fed anywhere near what you say you feed, I would have three really fat (and probably dead) horses.

 

[NewToMini's]

Our bales are about 50 pounds each.

 

[chandab]

We also need to consider the size of the minis when we talk feeding, too.

I have mostly B-sized minis, my 6 mares and 1 stallion go through almost one 70# bale daily, when I feed them small squares, dead of winter, they are on rounds and one will last them about 3 weeks. My 31" stallion, 32" mare and mini jenny that share a paddock, and thus hay, go through 1.5 bales of hay per week (same 70# bales).

 

[NewToMini's]

My two minis are both under 32 inches, the big horse is the one that eats all the hay XD Last spring when I first got the minis and was transitioning them onto pasture, they got 2 flakes of hay per day (to share) and wouldn't even finish that much, lol. I think I've got about 1200 pounds of horses, total.