Can One Horse Eat A Round Bale?

Published by Clayton Newton on

In general, a standard 40 lb. square bale of hay lasts one horse for about 3.5 days. But many factors, such as age, workload, type of hay, and access to pasture grass, affect how much they eat.

Can you feed a horse a round bale?

But it’s a myth that horses should never be fed round hay bales. In truth, properly stored and handled round bales are perfectly safe for horses and may actually be a smart addition in many feed management situations.

What is the best round bale for horses?

Best Horse Round Bale Feeder – Comparison Table

Product Name Features Star Rating
1) Texas Haynet Round Bale Hay Net Waste-free Keeps Bale Fresh Better Digestion 4.4 out of 5
2) Texas Haynet Heavy Gauge Round Bale Hay Net Heavy duty Keeps Bale Fresh Better Digestion 4.5 out of 5

How much hay should a 1000 pound horse eat a day?

fifteen to twenty pounds
The average thousand-pound horse who relies on hay for all their forage typically eats fifteen to twenty pounds of hay per day. Most hay is dispensed in flakes; however, the amount of hay in a flake can vary greatly, depending on the size of the flake and the kind of hay.

How much hay is in a 4×5 round bale?

How Much Does a Round Bale of Hay Weigh? A 4’x4′ round bale of legumes like alfalfa weighs about 600 lbs (272 kg). A 4’x5′ bale weighs 950 lbs (430 kg). A 5’x5′ bale weighs 1,200 lbs (540 kg) and a 5’x6′ bale weighs 1,500 lbs (680 kg).

How long will a round bale last 1 horse?

One round bale lasts about 8-10 days using our regular round bale hay net with 1.75″ holes. Without a net, a bale lasts approximately 5-6 days and half of it is wasted. Once the hay hits the ground, it gets urinated and defecated on or they use it as a bed and refuse to eat it.

How long does it take a horse to eat round bale?

In general, a standard 40 lb. square bale of hay lasts one horse for about 3.5 days. But many factors such as age, workload, type of hay, and access to pasture grass affect how much they eat. I find most horses eat between 10-15 pounds of hay each day.

How many horses will a round bale feed?

Because of the inevitable losses of nutrients, round bales exposed to the elements should be consumed in four to seven days. Depending a bit on the size of the bale (they can vary greatly in weight), four horses can usually consume a bale in this time frame.

How many round bales does a horse eat in a winter?

A horse can eat anywhere from 15-25 pounds of hay a day, which generally equates to a half of a 45/50-pound square bale of hay per day (~15-30 bales per month).

What hay is bad for horses?

Hoffman said there are a few grasses to avoid in hay or forage if you are feeding horses. They include: Perennial ryegrass and rye. This quick-growing grass is popular in dairy pastures.

Will a horse overeat on hay?

Horses can overeat grass, especially if the pasture is lush, but it is also easy to let a horse get too fat from eating hay. And, sometimes too little hay can mean a horse will lose weight. So, what is the right amount of hay for your horse? Just how much your horse will need will depend on its weight.

Can you overfeed hay to a horse?

However, keep in mind that the bulk of your horse’s diet should be made up of grass or hay. Underfeeding hay or pasture, and overfeeding grains and concentrates can lead to colic.

What happens if you feed horses too much hay?

But it’s easy to go overboard when feeding them with the wrong hard feeds or hay that is too high in sugar or protein. Overfeeding leads to problems like obesity, laminitis, and colic. Healthy horses need a very simple diet of good pasture or hay.

How much HP do you need to round bale?

PTO horsepower requirements for round balers start at 30 hp and can run up to 120 hp. There are a couple of different options when it comes to bale size in balers. Balers can be fixed chambered, variable chambered, or a combination thereof.

How much horsepower do you need to run a 4×5 round baler?

Now you can bale on your schedule when crop and weather conditions are right

450 Utility
Tractor Requirements
PTO HP, minimum 40 hp
PTO Speed 540 rpm
Hydraulic Remotes 1 (2 w/hyd. pickup lift)

How many bales of hay do you need for one horse?

If you buy your hay by the ton, this would be 3915/2000 = almost 2 tons of hay per horse. If you buy your hay by the bale, you will need to find out the approximate weight of each bale. Assuming a 40 lb bale, 3915/40 = 98 bales per horse.

Are round bales or square bales better for horses?

As the round bale hay gets wet or soiled with manure and urine, horses tend to not eat that soiled forage. This waste of forage is greater with round bales compared to feeding small quantities of square bales.

How many times do you wrap a round bale?

Plastic wrap thickness
At least 6 mils – and preferably 8 mils – of plastic wrap will cover the bale. To achieve this thickness, wrap the bale six times with 1 mil plastic or four times with 1.5 mils plastic.

Is it OK for round bales to get wet?

However, if hay bales are too wet, mold can grow and give off heat, creating a fire hazard. You can reduce this risk by not stacking the bales. “That’s why some people make bales and let them sit out individually until they have “cured”.

Should horses have constant access to hay?

Because we like to think our horses follow the same schedule that we do, many people think that horses need less hay at night because they’re asleep (and therefore, not eating). However, that’s a myth. Horses need access to forage at all times of the day.

Why do you stack round bales on the end?

Round bales should be stacked in rows, end-to-end to minimize the exposure of the open bale face to the elements. Stack bales with three feet of spacing between rows. The rows should be oriented in a north-to-south direction. That allows faster drying after a rain with good sunlight and air flow.

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Categories: Horse