How much hay?

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Ashley

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I am trying to figure how much hay I need to buy for this winter. I have my minis figured out but not sure on the big horse. How much should I figure for her?

She is 15.2 and extreamly easy keeper. Right now she only gets grass, half a day and she looks way beyond preggers.

Of coarse in the winter there will be grain and beat pulp.
 
What type of activity will the horse do in winter? How much did you feed her this last winter. Generally it should be 1.5% of their body weight everyday. So if the horse is 1000, its 15 lbs. a day, less if feeding beet pulp and grain.

1000 X 1.5
 
if i'm doing small square bales i usually figure 1 bale per horse per day. Usually most of my horses dont' need that much but it at least gives me a little leeway to play with and makes it easier to figure out if you estimate how many days of winter.
 
She wont be doing much of anything over the winter. I didnt have her last year so dont know. I know when we got her this spring she was getting half a bale a day.

I was guessing about a bale a day to be safe.
 
For my daughters 14.3hh easy keeper mare, we planned on about 4 flakes per day so it ended up with a bale lasting for a day and a half. With my daughters current 15.1hh mare who seems to be a bit of a harder keeper, we will plan on half a bale per day (she also will get a gallon of pellet, and a cup of fat supplement). My 15.1hh senior (26 years old) gelding isn't a big hay eater and only eats about a flake morning and a flake pm so a bale will last him 4-5 days. He is also given a senior complete feed.

It is so hard to know for sure. I'm hoping prices won't be too bad this year. Two years ago was horrible because of the drought in our area and we had to pay $7.50 per bale. My current hay has been $3.50 per bale.

Julie
 
I would start out with getting her weight, and figuring out where her ideal weight should be and then take that times 1.5. That will give you a good average for a days worth.
 
I usually figure a bale a day minimum and add some so I am sure I don't run out. I try to have 500 bales in the barn to last a year. I am feeding 7. I feed free choice hay so I probably feed more than some others do.

At the end of last hay season I had 300 bales in the barn and I have been buying hay since January.
 
For my full-size horses, (I have three in addition to my 7 minis); I figure about 20# per day hay (I have easy keepers, so they get mostly hay plus a ration balancer). If its really cold (I live in MT), its pretty easy to double that when wind chill has us at 20 below or colder. But 20# per day is a good place to figure (its 2% of 1000#); this is where I figured when I was boarding my horses and had to provide my own hay (came to about 3 ton per head per year, drylot boarding, so fed yearround). I would calculate with 20# per day in mind, then if you feed beet pulp, hay cubes or whatever else, so that you feed less hay; you will have some hay left at the end of the winter.
 
So much depends on how heavy your bales are and how big each flake is........

Our big horses during the summer when they aren't on pasture get on average 2 flakes each twice a day. And the flakes average about 4 lbs each. During winter we up that as much as 4 flakes each feeding!

From there you need to figure out how many flakes you have in each bale. Our own home-grown bales are "lady bales".....weighing about 50 lbs. Other bales we've purchased have weighed between 75 to 80.
 
Our hay bales range in weight alot. And since I buy everything Its hard to say how heavy they will be. MOst of the time I would say they are around 50 pounds as I dont have a problem lifting them.

I was told she was about 1300 pounds. I know the neighbors have two horses, both older 25-27 and they get 1 bay a day between the two. ONe is the same size, the other a bit smaller.

My minis last winter last a bale for about 3 feedings and that was with 6 horses.This winter if my foals dont sell I will have 9 for sure maybe 10 if I have moms here. then one big horse

I was figure on getting 600 bales, as I feed grain and plenty of beet pulp as well.
 
Sonny will eat nearly a bale a day easy during the dead of winter. I also would go out right before midnite when I know its going to be extra freezing and give extra hay then too. Better be safe than sorry; get more than you think you'll need.
 

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