Round bale feeding, does this sound like a good plan?

dianneS

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I'm considering getting some round bales this winter. We don't have any means of moving a round bale so I'll have to have it delivered and placed where I want it.

I only have one full-sized horse and one mini. It will take them a long time to go through a round bale. We don't have a covered round bale feeder either.

I was thinking of putting the round bale underneath the overhang of our barn, in our barnyard where our horses already go in and out of the barnyard as well as their stalls.

They could have access to the bale 24/7, but I still have the option of limiting their access by closing the pasture gate or putting them in their stalls, so it would be a controlled situation.

What do you think? Any problems with that scenario? Does it sound like a good plan? :hu
 

lupinfarm

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:D We don't have a tractor, if you get 4x4's they range from 400-600lbs and if you have a pick up truck you can get the farmer to load them up for you, take your tailgate off when you get home, and roll it off and believe it or not they're really easy to roll around. We are storing ours on skids outside just behind the fenceline for easy access with a tarp over them, but we can take 2 or 3 at a time because our dealer has storage for them at his place.

to keep them from wasting the hay, wrap a bit of plastic snow fence around the bale and zip tie it up, they cant hurt themselves on it and you just keep "shrinking" it as they eat the hay. Also, if you put it on something, make sure you raise it up a few inches and maybe a small round deck would be a good idea, you want gap between your boards to ensure there is air flow so it doesn't mold.

If your horses are out 24/7 its a good option, but if you're bringing them in overnight, its not really because they'll mold if no one is eating them. It works for us because Luna is pastured and doesnt come in.
 

dianneS

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That's good to know! I wasn't sure how hard they would be to move. We've got plenty of skids, I could elevate the bale on one of those. I like the idea about the snow fence!
 

appytaz

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I have one full size and one mini also - they go thru a roll in about 4-5 weeks!
 

dianneS

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appytaz said:
I have one full size and one mini also - they go thru a roll in about 4-5 weeks!
That's good to know. We would only need about four to get us through the season. I might give it a try. We're actually getting a truckload of square bales this week though.
 

PonyGal

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Round bales are fine, but the quality of the hay isn't as good. The hay is more stalky. That's my experience with round bales.
 

LauraM

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Make sure your supplier has baled them specifically for horses. Round bales baled for cattle tend to be stalkier, baled tighter, and are often baled damp (for example, baled early in the morning) because moldy hay does not bother cattle. Round bales for horses needs to be baled dry and slightly looser so it does not mold as easily. You should also try to get second cutting round bales so you know it won't be too stalky (mature).

We have three full size horses and they go through a 600 lb round bale, baled for horses and sitting in a round bale holder so they don't sleep in it :rolleyes: , in about a week to 10 days, depending on the weather and how much snow is on the ground.

And yes, they are very easy to roll around by hand. My husband and I routinely move them around ourselves.

One last thing.....you should have your horses inoculated for botulism if you are going to be using round bales. Mice, rats, snakes, and other small critters often get caught up and baled in with the hay and as they decompose, they can contaminate the surrounding hay.
 

dianneS

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Haven't gotten any round bales yet. My horses are vaccinated for botulizm, that's the shot that burns! Doesn't affect my mare, but my gelding hates that one!

I would like to get a round bale for my goats, but I just know they will climb on it, lay in it and then they won't eat it!

Glad to know that they are easy to roll around, that is helpful.
 
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