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We've been free-feeding with large bales for a couple of decades, first with the large squares (because that was what was available where we were) and the past few years with the large rounds.

 

We don't use feeders--they are just one more point of injury for horses, and totally unnecessary anyway, IMO.  In years past, I dealt with too many neck and jaw injuries when a boss horse would pick on another horse who had his head in the feeder.  We have less waste from the big bales directly on the ground than we did when we meal fed and had horses grind it into the snow or mud in individual piles.

 

Karen brings up a point of herd dynamics, and that is important.  We find that 6-8 horses per round bale is usually the upper limit, and so put out more bales at a time for larger groups.  But we have also found that the "underdog" horses stay in much better shape with the free feeding, and also that the "boss" horses get less fat--when the hay is there all the time, it cuts out a lot of the "feeding frenzy" that happens at feeding time when we meal feed, where the underdogs get pushed aside (even with ample piles well spread out) and the boss horses hoover up the hay quickly to keep others from getting it.  With the free feeding, the boss horses feel less protective (after all, it isn't "special" when it's always there) and besides, they can't guard it 24/7.

 

I absolutely recommend free feeding in cold weather (you don't get the sub-zero temps in TX that we do here in ID, but depending where you are, you probably still get the occasional cold snap and ice storm)--the horses can adjust their intake to their need, and they do it very well.  We can really see the difference in consumption between 20F and -20F!

 

Heidi

 

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [RC] Feeding round bales
From: "Amber Roberts" <Amber@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, December 25, 2008 3:31 pm
To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

We live in Texas and have always fed small square bales of Coastal Bermuda.  We have the opportunity from one of our boarders to start feeding round bales but we have no knowledge about how to do this.  The square bales have always been stored inside our barn, but round bales would have to be outside, in the weather.  Do they have to be stored up off the ground?  If so, how?  To feed hay this way, do the round bales have to be inside feeders?  We have 5 horses.  Do we need more than one feeder?  When a bale gets eaten down enough to be replaced, do you have to move the feeder?  Do you have to clean up left over hay on the ground?  We don't know if we'd be better off sticking with square bales or trying round bales.  It would save us some work at feeding but perhaps the cleanup would negate that advantage?  Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

Amber

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