You might pay $4 to $18 for a 50- to 130-pound bale of alfalfa or timothy hay or hay mixed with grass or clover. Hay tends to be cheaper in rural areas where it's abundant. Supplemental, prepackaged feeds can cost $10 to $30 per month per horse.
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Secondly, how much hay does a horse need per day?
Measure feed accurately and feed consistently 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.
In every case, how long will a bale of hay last a horse? You can store hay indefinitely if the stack is managed correctly; although, in humid climates, using hay within three years of harvest is ideal. Hay growers need to bale it at correct moisture levels because if it's baled too damp the hay will generate heat, which leads to molding.
All the same, how many bales of hay does a horse eat per month?
For example, a 1000 pound horse will eat 15 to 20 pounds of hay daily. That's the equivalent of roughly one small square bale of 40-60 pounds every few days. The exact number of bales needed for winter feeding will depend on the weight of the bale.
Can you give a horse too much hay?
Horses can over-eat on grass, especially if the pasture is lush, but it is also easy to let a horse get too fat eating hay. And, sometimes too little hay can mean a horse will lose weight. ... Ponies will require considerably less, while large draft breeds can eat 30 pounds (13.6 kg) a day or more.
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To give you an idea of the costs of upkeep – farriery every 6-8 weeks = $50-$80 per month, feeding costs (when not on grass alone)= $200-$400 per month, worming every 6-8 weeks =$15 per month, veterinary care (vaccines / wound care etc) =$100 per month, annual dentistry= $10 per month, adjistment fees =$120-300 per ...
Which equates to about 112–140 pounds per week. That means about 5824–7280 pounds per year. Most bales of hay weigh around 50 pounds. That is about 117-146 bales of hay per horse per year.
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Generally, hay belly is caused by poor nutrition. 1 More specifically, it is typically seen when a horse is fed poor-quality forage, such as very stemmy, old hay, and not enough protein. ... It also causes the horse to lose muscle tone over his topline, particularly if he's not being exercised regularly.
Storing bales reduces the number of exposed surfaces and can reduce losses, especially if shelter can be provided. Once the bales have cooled, the bales can be taken to the feed yard and stacked. Unless the bales are used for bale grazing, leaving that hay out in the fields until freeze-up can prove expensive.
Because of the limited capacity of its stomach, a horse should be fed small amounts of feed often. Unfortunately, domesticated horses are fed once or twice a day and if stabled, spend much of the day not eating.
What to do with extra hay:
Bedding & Nesting material for nesting boxes, coops, hutches, and run-ins.Filler for the pool the pigs built. ... Seeding. ... Mulch for yard, around trees, or in pumpkin patches.Entertainment – chickens and pigs LOVE to scratch, roll and play in fresh hay.
Moldy or Dusty Hay If good pasture is not available, good-quality hay is the next-best choice. However, never feed your horse dusty or moldy hay. 4 To do so could damage its lungs. Learn why it's not okay to feed hay that's only a bit dusty or has a bit of mold in it.
Eating and Exercise You do not want to feed your horse immediately before or immediately after he is ridden and worked. ... Horses are unable to throw up; they lack the physical ability to regurgitate food, so they have no choice but to attempt to digest whatever they have in their stomachs.
Six Hay Alternatives for Horses
Bagged chopped forage. It can replace all of your horse's hay, if necessary.Hay cubes. Chopped cubed hay (usually alfalfa or timothy or a combination) is another 100-percent replacement. ... Hay pellets. ... "Complete" feed. ... Beet pulp. ... Soybean hulls.
Some hay types are particularly prone to high nitrate levels and should be avoided if there are options. These include: Sorghum, Sudan, Johnsongrass and Pearl Millet. High levels of simple carbohydrate (sugars, starch) are an issue for horses with insulin resistance and can occur in virtually any type of hay.
Impaction colic can happen more commonly during the winter months when horses or ponies are fed hay and have only frigid water to drink. ... A horse that eats its bedding or accidentally gorges on grain can suffer from impaction colic. (Overeating grain or fruit can also cause laminitis or founder.)