How much hay do you feed in the winter

[MyMiniGal]

We are going by body weight and have been using a 2.5% but that doesn't seem like what she needs, still. I am going by how she is acting more than anything else. I'm finding that method gives a base, but isn't really working right now. We also weigh her hay, everytime. As hay can be light or heavy, so you can't always eyeball it. So we will up it again. By that time, we will have it tripled of what she was getting in summer.

 

[MyMiniGal]

I am curious about the Hay Bag. I can't hang a slow feeder, but was curious about the bag, but, if she would toss it around enough, trying to get the hay, she could accidentally shove it under into the other paddocks. Does it being tossed around happen? Could I add a brick or rock to it, to keep it in place, on the ground?

 

[eagles ring farm]

Our mares and stallions each get about a flake (normal size) of grass hay 2x's a day and grain morning and evening

when they are finished the hay otside in the am they are happy to poke around at the grass left in the pasture for the rest of the day

at night they are in their stalls

we feed about twice that on bitter cold days

 

[Jenny]

Breaker hasn't tossed his over a fence yet, but I'm sure some horses do. Yes, you can put a rock in it, but I find one of the features is that he likes to push it around his paddock while eating, so I'd only put a rock in it if he was tossing it over the fence. I think for amount of hay, i'd judge that more on body condition than how she is acting, as they can be really good at acting hungry, but are really just being greedy. If she is at a good weight right now, your probably feeding the right amount

 

[MyMiniGal]

She didn't act this way until we went really cold, and she is eating her hay really fast, which to me says she isn't getting enough, she doesn't have any grass to graze on, so she is only on hay and the feed. Plus, trying to work with a mini, who is super cold and hungry, doesn't make for a very pleasant time, for either one of us. She also doesn't have a barn to go into at night...just a covered shelter, with no walls. I think I need to take all of that into account. I would rather have her a tiny bit chunky and content, than skinny, and cranky.

I just want to go back to summer. LOL

Also, for the hay bag, I worry more of her pushing it under the fence, and into another horses paddock, more than tossing it over the fence. She doesn't fling things like that. Not that high. There is the shelter post, and I am wondering, if I made a very short strap, if I could make it super tight, on one end, to go around the post, so the bag is still on the ground, but can't move out from under her shelter and go under the fence. But that may be a hoof hazzard. I would think adding weight to the bag itself would be better.

 

[AnnaC]

In my opinion hay should be fed ad lib to horses living out in low winter temperatures, especially where there is no grazing (I class Halo as 'living out' as although she has a great shelter from any diect rain or snow, she has no protection from the cold winds). I would not be too concerned about the weight of a horse at this time of year, indeed I would not want to be able to feel any ribs on my minis going into the winter months - mine all live out - there will be plenty of time next Spring to sort out any weight problems. Just remember that hay offered to minis should be leafy and reasonably soft, not stalky, and you will be fine.

As far as your hay bag is concerned, if you could fix it really tightly to a post - no gaps in the fixing - then I would think it worth a try. Otherwise I think you will just have to continue to feed it loose.

 

[izmepeggy]

I wish I could, but I board, and that makes it hard to make sure there is hay in there at all times. I would love to just put a whole bale int here and let her eat off of it.

I board my minis also..I have a slow feeder hay net ( horse size) that I keep full during the winter.Where I board it's self service ..lol..I take care of them myself..

 

[MyMiniGal]

We take care of her totally ourselves too...but when I was putting up the slow feeder, the hanging kind, the lady didn't want it up. So I have it in my garage. What a waste. But the hay pillow, may work out much better. Like someone said, if I could get it totally tight, with no gaps, it may work. I would put out loose hay too. I would just have the pillow as what she could work on after, she finishes her loose hay. Having my husband really up the hay this morning...frost and ice everywhere, and cold...wow, is it cold. She is just usually a sweet mare, that yes, can get moody at times, but hasn't lately, so when this started a couple days ago, it was right exactly when it went this cold, so I put two and two together. On top of her just scarfing it down, when we put the hay out. I had thought her hay was lasting longer, but it is only lasting around 3-4 hrs. for her. That isn't enough, especially on these cold nights.

 

[Marty]

My horses can have pretty much all they can eat. As long as they are drinking very good and moving around, she should not colic. Why not get her a round bale? All to herself. She'll eat what she wants off of it and then leave it, and then go back to it when she wants more. .

Can you put sides up on her shelter?

 

[MyMiniGal]

I gave her triple what we usually give and she had a bunch left over. Could of probably doubled instead of tripled it and it would of been ok, for her. The posts of her shelter are round an have been chewed up by bigger horses, and we can't just do what we want, I would have to ask permission, but I would love to put sides up. She was fine today. Seemed very content and warm. So we will just keep giving her extra. It would be neat to have her have a round bale, but I don't know if one would fit under her shelter plus give her room to lay too. The round bales I have seen, around here, are massive.LOL

 

[AnnaC]

It sounds as though the extra hay has helped! As long as she has some left over everytime you visit, then she is getting enough to cope with your weather right now.

 

[MyMiniGal]

Thank you, yes, she seemed very content, instead of cranky. Which was very nice. LOL She even was feeling so good, she rolled in the dirt, while I was there.

We're suppose to get some snow tomorrow, so I'm having my husband give the same amount, that he did this morning, so hopefully, if I get delayed there, due to snow, she will still have some, until we can get there later. Yes, a round bale, would sure help with that, right now.

 

[MyMiniGal]

Wow, she had lots of hay left over last night, and it snowed. LOL She is eating less, now that she is given more and isn't acting cranky anymore. So I have learned something over all of this. LOL

 

[Max's Mom]

Lisa, one thing you might consider is building a wooden feeder box with a slow feeder nylon mess for the top. You could put a whole bale in it if you wanted to, which I image would last several days. Nibblenet now makes the material for it. Their website has some pictures. I've thought about building one some day. Max has a hanging Nibblenet that holds a few flakes at a time. We also have a hay pillow, which he really likes, but the barn owner doesn't let me use now (because she doesn't like to bother with all the straps in the winter- I don't blame her).

 

[MyMiniGal]

I want to make one of those, and have been looking at plans, but I want to use a metal grate and not netting, for safety. I just need to find the right grate and have my husband make her one. We will really work on that, once the weather gets better, as my husband has saws and such, but has to set up outside, in the weather. The BO here, doesn't like anything with netting. Which I don't blame her...Halo has such small hooves, I worry about her getting caught in it too.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Try looking for a fire guard at a yard sale- they break down into really useful pieces- I have one that I use as a temporary barrier for the dogs in the sitting room and another piece I use as a dog gate!!!

 

[ohmt]

Free choice for everyone here! But right now it is -30 outside so the horses really need those calories in the winter.

 

[MyMiniGal]

Thank you, I will watch and look at sales. I bet I have something here...I have dog pens and shelving around here. I did find a 2 ft. by 4 ft. grate on the web last night, but I think that size box would be a bit big for a mini? We could make it low, but how low is too low? She isn't a big mini...only 31.5", But would 14" be a good height?

My husband, is such a good man...since I got Halo, my husband has really moved at the top rung of the personality ladder. LOL He put chains on his car, and is trecking over there to check on Halo this morning. He came home last night, and said the chains really helped, so grabbed a bite to eat and went and checked on her then too. He gave her warm feed to her and made sure she had massive amounts of hay. I have chains for my car, but I need him to show me how to put them on. Never had to need them before now. We got 6", and there were accidents all over the place. I was a nervous wreck yesterday, worrying about him being out in it, doing his deliveries, and then coming home, then I had to worry about how I was going to have Halo fed. Thank goodness, I had thought ahead and had put the helpers numbers, in my phone, just a few days ago, so I was able to call one and have her throw some more hay in. Her dad takes her, and he has a truck. And they live really close to the place. Someday, Halo and another mini will be with us. That is our goal. I don't like this boarding, especially, when it snows like this. But a feeder like this, we could put a lot in it, and make sure she would have extra, just incase something like this happens again.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

What is your BO's objection to nets hanging up?

 

[MyMiniGal]

There really is no place to hang up a net. The fencing is pvc, and has hot wire on it. She also told me she doesn't want to be worrying about Halo getting a hoof caught in it. But with a metal grate of some sort, and a box, I don't think she will object. And if I find a grate with openings small enough, which I have, just not sure we can cut down the length on it. I need to show my husband and see what he says. He's the expert on things like that. LOL