Large Hay Bale Nets - Has Anyone Used Them?

[Baptism]

Has anyone used those large bale hay nets with their minis? Our choices for hay baled in different forms is getting smaller and we may have to go with large round bales. I don't like them because a horse can stick their face in the bale and breathe in all sorts of unhealthy things. I am thinking the large bale hay nets might make a difference but would like to hear from someone who has tried them. Any thoughts or experiences?

 

[Kendra]

We are very happy with our small mesh round bale nets from Eco-Nets. Keeps them from breathing the dust, protects their eyes, and eliminates waste. They climb all over the bale, drag it around ... we've used them through several winters now.

 

[JAX]

I use a chinch chix round bale net the one with the smallest holes. I love it, my guys used to pull the round bale to pieces and lay all over it and use it for their restroom and waste a lot of it. Not anymore! funny thing is nowif I give them a choice they will eat out of the net first... weird but true. I do also use a big horse round bale ring with it to keep them off the net itself but I imagine it would be fine without that. I don't imagine I would use it in an area where mini foals were because I would worry about little feet trying to squeeze into a square and getting stuck. I think mine have 1' openings and my guys have no problem pulling out what they need. Let us know what you end up trying and how it works out for you!

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I agree with Jax, not with the foals , but I have a net for my round bales and I love it. Almost no waste and the horses seem far more content that they did with either being turned on the un-netted bale for limited times (about 2 hrs 3times a day) or with individual feedings. For them it is like grazing and they will eat a bit, then nap or play and later eat again. The only problem I have is this years bales are much bigger than in the past so my net does not fit. I have solved the problem by filling a tarp with more than they can eat in a day and using that to fill the net each day. Same effect bit a bit more work for me.

 

[secuono]

I can't move the 1k bales, lol. I only get square 40-70 pound bales I can lift and move! I'd still be worried they chewed out all the low hay and it'd fall and cause some kind of issue, like leg stuck, etc.

 

[Minimor]

It is possible for a partly eaten round bale to tip onto a horse and kill it--it has happened to Minis and I heard of a Morgan being killed this way this winter.

I don't use the nets--I just do not like them and in any case they are not practical when I set out 19 bales at a time! I check my bales 2x a day and when one starts to get tippy I push it over.ir, I cut the last strings and push some off the top, whichever works best for the particular bale.

 

[Marty]

I am cheap. I wrapped a section of field fencing around mine and secured it with two way clips and no one gets stuck.

 

[JAX]

The nets can also be found in smaller square bale size. The holes are small enough that none of my guys could get their feet in there. I also do as Minimor said and as soon as I can I tip mine over (usually as soon as the minis eat it into the apple core shape lol). I actually used to worry more before I used the nets because my minis always tend to try and eat the center of the round bale first and id come out to see a mini with their whole head inside the middle of a 1000# bale and I'd go running out and they'd pull out their head and look at me as if to say "Hey, the best part is in the middle!!". With the net they cannot do that, they must eat the outside first. About 20 years ago I had a colt get his leg in a regular hay net that I thought was up high enough... I didn't count on him rearing up at it and getting caught! He ended up being fine but I thought I would never use a net again but 18 years later these nets are nothing like the old original ones.

 

[Jill]

We haven't, but the other day on "Pintrest", I saw people were using rain barrels and some mesh to slow feed horses hay bales -- that that was a neat idea!!! We might try it out

 

[happy appy]

I have been using slow feed Hay nets fir years with no problems and love them.

 

[sundancer]

I wrap my round bale the same way as Marty. It works and there is little to no waste.

Julie

Victory Pass Stable

Maine