round bales

[TPs flat rock acres]

since I don't have a pasture I was thinking of always using round bales so they can eat as they please do a lot of you use round bales? and is so do you use a round bale holder/ feeder?

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Most ponies explode when fed free choice. Biggest issue is mold/weather damage. I prefer squares myself, sinvce they are usually higher quality, store better (but more work), and are easier to control feed amounts.

 

[wingnut]

We're talking about trying a round bale out this winter. We'd put it in the dry lot where we can block them from it as needed. Our biggest concern is keeping it "fresh" with cover of some kind. We'd keep a similar schedule to what we currently do with the pasture in the summer, minus the muzzles.

In my area, square bales are getting scarce. Its easier and more econmical for the farmers to do round bales. There may come a time when I don't have any choice. Even my current hay supplier is doing less square bales. I'm one of his few customers who buys them. Most of his hayer buyers are big horse folks and they want the round bales. He's also a man in his early 80's! Round bales are easier for him to manage because he can use heavy equipment to move them around. With the square bales, he has to rely on his family membmers (sons/grandsons) to help. That help is getting harder to come by.

 

[Jean A]

Here in NC, local round bales are cow quality usually..and more likely to have weeds you don't want for horses. Mine were fed on round bales..looked like straw. When we got them we changed their feed, and fretted for months over the foals that were due. All was fine, and milk came in, but they will over eat the higher quality quickly after needing to take in so much low quality hay.

Good round bales can be found, but are hard to store, move, meter out..and transport without a tractor and pole. smaller ones do fit in a truck bed, but can't be moved without grief and help. They should be stored on their sides to shed water..and they can roll..are dangerous around small kids and small horses.as they can be rolled on . Stored flat, the water can get in and mold the inside..not a problem for cows really, but deadly for equine.

I buy the best square bales I can find, when I can find them..and my farmers keep passing away. Breaks my heart. Most of the younger growers are baling for their cattle, and horse people are buying feed. I have gone to the bagged timothy cubes mostly, easy to know what I have, and to store..with the hay reserved for slow feeder bags in each stall. It's been really pricy.

Horse hay used to be $3. Last couple of years it got up to $15. Or more. Many sold their hay out of state and prices went crazy. I bought 200 bales last summer for $3.50 and was quite pleased. I am waiting for the second cutting now, and wondering about the price! Craigs List has been a good source..but you have to know what you are looking at. Many people here won't tell you who they get their horse hay from..because you might buy out from under them. Sad, but true.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I feed round bales but never free choice. I store them under cover to keep them dry and mold free and fill hay nets to feed my horses. I use a fish scale to weigh the net when its full so I know exactly how much each horse is being fed and can increase or decrease as needed. At this time of year the horses are on pasture for the morning and then given hay nets later in the day. Since I started feeding this way I have happier, healthier horses who are all (but one gelding who could still loose a bit)at good weights. I know some people keep feed in front of their horses 24/7 but mine would , as Nathan said. "explode" if fed free choice like that and I would be concerned about mold in a bale left out. Also even with a round bale feeder there would be some serious waste that would get walked into the ground (and possibly some would be eaten even after it began to rot ) and the center of the bale would end up being out of reach of many of the smaller horses. JMO

 

[mini horse mania]

We use 600 pound bales that we just roll out of the truck..it is economical..we cut the strings and let them have at it..the only part that molds is the bottom,as it lays on its side.we simply let it dry after they are done,and burn whats left..if ours have grass,they rarely eat much hay..if the hay has been out in the rain,we roll the top layer off.the horses pick what they want of the hay..the only time we have had mold on the imside is when the farmer baled it before drying it well. We love round bales,but they are messier than square.

 

[Kendra]

We feed round bales in the winter time. We used to do it as little as possible, as we didn't like the horses sticking their heads into the bale and breathing in the dust and poking their eyes. But now we are using Eco Nets on our round bales, and we love them! They can't stick their heads in, and it slows them down - they pick away all day, play with the net, climb all over it. There's also almost no waste ... instead of 2 feet of wasted hay left where the bale feeder used to be, when the bale is gone, you can barely tell where it was. We've been very happy with the Eco Nets, we also have nets for small square bales, and 2 flake nets to keep them busy and happy at shows ... our horses really like the little nets, they're food AND a toy! ;-) http://econets.ca/

 

[wingnut]

Kendra: What happens with it rains or snows on these bales in these nets? This seems like a reasonable option for what we're looking to do but I know my husband is going to be concerned about it getting wet. He wants to build some kind of "shelter" to put such a bale under, but his doing it is about a 50/50 chance!

 

[Kendra]

They get wet! ;-) Once they're in the net, we have enough horses that they're eating fast enough they wouldn't have a chance to mold. The nets have been pretty durable for us - we have one we've used through two winters and it's in great shape, though I hear big horses can be harder on them.

 

[wingnut]

I guess that's the biggest question for us then...is 6 horses enough to keep the rot/mildew from happening? Will continue to research. I wish there was a supplier of something like this in the U.S.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Kendra, how difficult is it to put that net on the round bale? I've been considering trying something of that nature for the coldest part of our winter for during the day but am unsure how much trouble it would be to do.

 

[happy appy]

I have been using rounds for a few years only in the winter. I use a metal feeder and a slow feed hay net over the bales. We put a piece of plywood over top and attach it to the feeder. The bale lasts about 3 weeks and no mold. Oh forgot to say we set it on a pallet to keep it off the ground. We had bought a "hay house" for the minis but the windows aren't low enough for them to eat out of it. We might cut them down lower but the big horses are using it now.

 

[chandab]

I buy small squares, but most of the winter I use our homegrown round bales; I'm lucky in the we raise cattle, so there is some place for the non-horse quality hay to go, and if it comes off the horse's bale or out of their corral, the stupid cows think its better than whatever they are eating.

 

[happy appy]

Kendra, how difficult is it to put that net on the round bale? I've been considering trying something of that nature for the coldest part of our winter for during the day but am unsure how much trouble it would be to do.

I'm not kendra but the net that I use is very easy to put on. It takes 2 people but 2 kids can do it, you just need one on either side and slip it over. I cut the strings from the round bale after I get the net one so that it keeps it held together better. I use nets from the makers of the "slow bale buddy".

 

[noblebrook]

Happy Appy, can you buy the hay nets in Ontario?

Also my solution for the hay hut is to put the round bales

on 2 pallets to get it higher up off the ground so the minis

have more access to it. It works well for me but mine are B

size so maybe easier for them to reach--the openings in my

huts are fairly low too.

 

[TPs flat rock acres]

happy appy can you take a photo of what you do with the ply wood I am trying to picture it but cant. i fed the round when I was expecting as I could'nt lift the bales and it seemed to do well that is the problem I am finding around here the farms want to do only the round so will have to go with the flow.

 

[TPs flat rock acres]

i wonder if a snow fence would work around them?

 

[Cricket8]

We feed by round bale. We just store it in the barn and break it off into flakes. We found some quality hay. Last year there was a shortage out by us and it was the only way to go because even straw looking hay was $5 a bale. Was much cheaper just to pay $45 for a round bale. Even though everything is going down we wont switch because our horses are really liking the hay we are getting now. Such picky eaters.

 

[sundaymom]

I am the only one who manages everything with the horses. As I have gotten older I no longer wanted to be climbing up and down from the loft, so started nagging husband for a solution. He came up with a great one for me a couple of years ago.

We have two of these in different pastures. The bales never get wet ( unless a wild blowing storm) and shaded from the sun. He used chair rails nailed to a flat board that fits under the bale which holds it in place and also keeps all the extra waste from escaping. The horses often lay or stand under it even when not eating, as a type of shelter.

In these pictures the hay has been eaten down but you can imagine how it looks when a full fresh bale is inserted. To insert we just remove one side and roll the bale in and then replace the side, cut the strings and set to go.

The last 2 years I have used bales year round. My horses know it is always available and have never acted like glutens. When a new horse comes in, they do seem to think they are in heaven but in a week or so, knowing it is not going anywhere, they eat normally. Would not call any of my horses fat.

 

[Jean A]

Beautiful! I love what your husband built..some great thinking happening in LA!!

If we had good round bales, it would work..mine will eat off hay nets for weeks, certainly not anxious it will disappear any longer, and not overeating. Out here most horses are an afterthought, cows are the thing, and they literally eat anything( and think it's wonderful). I'm looking at 2 pastures filled with what were fairly good round bales..but they have sat in the pouring rain for weeks now. They'll be dry by the time they are stacked, but...these are string tied, not plastic wrapped.

The well kept horses get square bales from select farms on contract, along with bagged feeds and/or hay cubes, pulp, etc. Several mills still make custom blends. Most of the fellas who would store round bales and sell one or two at a time, and maybe deliver, are gone or out of that business. So many people downsized because of drought and hay prices, they have gone to the larger sales rather than small folks like us. Farriers are the same. I stand a better chance of someone showing up with 7 horses than with 2. Might be on a waiting list for months until someone has a moment to stop by if there aren't the $$$.