If I get that many, my hubby would truly divorce me... And to be honest, even with the way I have things set up right now, with our current schedules and all, the ones we have are *probably* too many! It's crazy and while I get a little done here and there, we have so many different and on-going "projects" right now, that it seems every time I do one thing there's 4 others not getting done. And when I slow down and have down time, I often fall asleep (even outside sitting in one of the feed sheds OR here at my laptop computer).
I REALLY like(d) using Nutrena Safe Choice. It's the first feed EVER (well, besides the "real feed" in MT that I fed - COB - corn, oats, barley) that I found they all did well on and that I just had to add a mare/foal supplement to. Also, it was available at more stores where I could get it if I had horses on the road (didn't have to take as much with me) or if my/our work schedule kept me from getting to the feed store while it was open. Right now, our local feed stores (including Tractor Supply - some open until 8pm and others open until 9 pm) have Strategy on sale and I'm in the process of giving it a try for the first time in years. That's a $5/per bag savings and it's supposed to be on sale for another month or so (I think that's what the rep said). IF they do well on it and I decide to continue using it, it's $2/bag less than Nutrena SC at regular pricing. HOWEVER, years ago when I used it, ours didn't do well on it. We'll see - I haven't gotten everyone switched over all the way yet. They are eating it. It is 2% less protein, though, and we'll see how that goes. Everyone now also gets alfalfa pellets (before I used to just feed a couple the alfalfa pellets). I am not feeding beet pulp at the moment - but seriously thinking I will be going back to it. I feel like they did better overall when they were on it.
When we take the buckets of feed out, we wet it down. I feed every horse here wet to soupy. During the spring and summer it's tap water (outside). Last winter - both in the temporary qtrs and when we first moved in here, they still got cold water. Doing hot or even warm water here will not be easy! Even hauled out to the pastures in the two ltr bottles and a couple of covered 5 gallon buckets like I used to do - it'll be cool by the time I get out to the pastures with it - ESPECIALLY the last one to be done. But going back and forth isn't really an option either. Have some thoughts about putting a hot water heater out where I want to set up a wash rack. Could do one that uses propane to heat the water. OR maybe could do one that is a "flash" heater (can't think of what it's actually called at the moment). A plug in bucket warmer will work in a pinch - but doesn't work for the amount of water currently would be using... After I feed, the individual small buckets get dunked int he water tank to clean and get re-set/filled up while the ponies are all eating. in the evenings, I do the Sr mares first - as with the tarp set the way it is, it gets real dark in a big hurry in that feed shed (soon it will be dark before I get home from work and I'll have to go back to using the head lamps). Then the boys and then the Jr girls - electric lights in that "barn". I haven't had the problems here with the ants like I did at the previous barn - in fact - I have yet to actually see fire ants here (THANK GOODNESS).
I've actually got the feed time - w/ doing all 3 pastures, the big pen (1 arab/1 shetland pony) and the two chicken tractors out between the 2 pony pastures, cleaning/re-filling 2 (of the 4) water tanks - down to 1.5 hours. Now, if ponies decide to be "crazy" and I choose to work at catching them - that adds time. If (like now) I have to put out small square bales of hay, it adds MEGA time to the equation - have to unstack it in the stall it's in, load in truck or onto the wagon and then take to where it goes. I REALLY LIKE and DEPEND on free choice hay and LOVE the round bales. I wish I had a tractor with the "pokey" attachment that can pick up/move hay bales and a "proper barn" to store it in. I prefer to have no more than 2 round bales at a time out in the paddocks - each then wrapped in a cattle panel for a hay feeder to reduce waste.
The JR girls wasted a lot of hay when I put 4 out at one time (I didn't put cattle panel around any of them) - though they have gone back and were going thru it today (in the rain) because I haven't gotten more to put out for them yet (they DO have hay and they DO have grass).
When I have ponies penned up - I've been lucky in that I can free feed hay that way too (put out a bale at a time - prefer to put in hay nets, or a feeder but can do on the ground as well) and it makes life soooo much easier not having to "mess with" hay at each feeding. Our boarder, Julie, has her feed for each horse set up in zip lock bags - we open/dump into the carryout buckets and pour it into their feed buckets. they are tied just like my regulars are.
With the loss of 2 equine in the past month (Kava, Shet filly & Jazzy, 16 hh NSH mare) and the birth of a new one (Riddler, Shetland colt -not eating from his own bucket yet), we currently have 22 purebred Shetlands, 2 -1/2 shetlands, 1 arab. Board - 1 mini and 1 shetland (so feed 27 equine 1x daily at this time).