Re: Hay -- Large Squares


"Joyleen E. Seymour" <joyleenseymour@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:xo17i.14704$Ut6.2190@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Tamara in TN wrote:
On May 29, 3:04 pm, Ben Turner <btur...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

That's pretty much the same price difference I found. However, the
hay broker indicated that he was getting a lot of resistance from
local buyers, particularly horse operations on the smaller side --

shrug....let them complain and go without then <g> winter will
come soon
enough


But there is no way I could use these bales. We have an old post and beam
barn from the 1800s, the hay goes in the loft on the second floor. We just
bought a hay elevator to get it up there, but bales that big wouldn't fit
on my elevator, nor through my door. I spoke to someone local about hay
and she said all she's doing is round bales. I said I can't use those,
she said tough. I can't put round bales in my hayloft either.


I'm not equipped to handle them either. But if my hay dealer insisted, and
would completely replace any moldy bales, I would consider it. I most
certainly wouldn't entertain buying equipment to move them or stack them, my
dealer would have to do that. It would be a major hassle taking hay to the
field at that point though, unless the flakes were very distinct and easy to
transport. I like my small bales for the size operation I have (5 horses).
I don't like round bales due to the amount wasted and spoiled before
consumed. With the small bales, nearly every bit is eaten. With rounds, I
average about 30% left in the field after a rain, moldy middles, or due to
just pickiness. Rounds just haven't worked for me and if I got big squares
I would be breaking them at the hay barn and trucking them out to the
pastures by hand and trying to divide between all 5 horses. Not fun.

Joyleen, you might have to consider building another hay barn/shed that is
ground level accessible if all you can get is big bales. You can still
store baled shavings, feed or tack or any number of things in your current
loft. Hay is going to be scarce down south this year if it doesn't start
raining soon. Gas prices will figure in as well for transported hay. We may
all be beggars who can't be choosers in that case!

Fran
Not really worried since my hay dealer just bought a new baler (small) last
year and isn't likely to stop using it any time soon! But whether he has
anything to bale is anther question!




.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Round Bales, Botulism, Increased Colic Risk?
    ... Saving money on hay ceases to be a good idea when it ends in colic. ... One bale lasted a long time and there was a lot of waste. ... This was primarily due to the fact that she still had good grass late in the summer so the horses ate the grass first, then picked at the hay second. ... They use the same sized round bales, one per paddock where there are varying numbers of horses. ...
    (rec.equestrian)
  • Re: Round Bales, Botulism, Increased Colic Risk?
    ... increased colic risk. ... Saving money on hay ceases to be a good idea when it ends in colic. ... Some of the round bales we got were pretty nice. ... The horses would rip off the weatherized outer layer and slowly ...
    (rec.equestrian)
  • Re: Dog rips hay bales apart
    ... know about horses, but I imagine they can get sick from it as well. ... I found the dog was fine around his horses ... I have quite a few horses to feed, and feed 8 to 11 hay bales ...
    (misc.rural)
  • Re: Round Bales, Botulism, Increased Colic Risk?
    ... My thoughts are that the biggest problem you have with your current feeding system is an excessive hay waste problem, and this will only get worse if you go with round bales. ... Surrounding this is a manger, so the horses that pull a mouthful and then stand there chewing have the loose leaves fall into the manger instead of to the ground. ...
    (rec.equestrian)
  • Re: Round Bales, Botulism, Increased Colic Risk?
    ... Saving money on hay ceases to be a good idea when it ends in colic. ... Botulism can and does happen, but it is rare, and it can happen even using small square bales if a rodent or snake gets baled up by accident. ... Avoid getting round bales that contain a lot of alfalfa and make sure the farmer who bales it knows that you need grass hay that was baled dry. ... If your horses have any pecking order issues put two bales out at once and rig a cover system of some sort to keep the rain off of them. ...
    (rec.equestrian)