feeding round bales
This message is from: Debby Stai [EMAIL PROTECTED] I have several reasons why I don't like to feed round balesespecially if they just sit out in the weather and are not under coverthey get wet, they get nastyI also have two that would just stand there and eat and eat and eatand get hay belliesI've never used the muzzels, they just worry me as I never turn out with a halter onHow do you stop them from getting sores on the sides of the nose?? Its tough when you board, having done that for the past year. I finally have them with me and have total control...nothing like total control over your horses. We did board at one facility and she wanted to put round bales in my guys turnouts and I said noprimarily she did it as she wanted to save the square bales for in the stallsI was paying ALOT of money, she was trying to figure out how to get more money for less quality care. My guys didn't stay. Debby in Tx The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
Re: free feeding/round bales
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I use round bales year round out in the pastures for our guys. I haven't had any problems with them at all. Robyn in MD
Re: free feeding/round bales
This message is from: Jean Ernest [EMAIL PROTECTED] Free feeding a fjord? One fjord here, before he was bought by my friend, was kept with several appaloosa types where they free fed round bales. He became terribly obese, lost any hint of waistline, looked like a huge sausage, and waddled. I had seen him when he arrived in Fairbanks, slim trim, etc. Maybe if a fjord was being worked a lot, was nursing a foal, etc. free feeding would work, but even in periods of extreme cold here in Fairbanks, (like a week of -50) when I essentially free feed hay, my fjords will come out of the cold spell having gained weight! Jean in Fairbanks, Alaska, 0 degrees this morning, hoping for +20 Speaking of keeping Fjords at home, I know there was a discussion a while back about the use of round bales of hay. I wonder how many of you use these, or another method, or free feeding your horses? Jean Ernest Fairbanks, Alaska mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
free feeding/round bales
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi Everyone- Speaking of keeping Fjords at home, I know there was a discussion a while back about the use of round bales of hay. I wonder how many of you use these, or another method, or free feeding your horses?
Re: Feeding Round Bales; Don't Do It
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want to damage your horses' lungs, then go ahead and feed round bales. I used to think round bales were great because they could nibble at them all day like they were grazing pasture. The problem is, though, they stick there heads in them and breath in all the allergens. I've seen many a horse develop COPD from round bales. If you peel off a little at a time and feed it to them like you would a flake of hay, then that is not so bad. But I would never allow them to eat on a whole round bale. I know some of you will say I've been feeding round bales for years with no problems. Well I know some people that never worm their horses and never have problems either, but I wouldn't recommend it. My professional opinion is do not feed round bales! Steve White Waterloo, Nebraska
Re: Feeding round bales
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I don't feed round bales of hay, but I do feed round bales of cornstalks -- the horses eat the leafy parts and bed down in the stalks. I do check the stalk bales for mold and would not feed them if they were moldy. I read recently -- in one of my horse magazines I think -- of a pony who foundered from eating the veins of alfalfa in a round bale of mixed alfalfa grass hay. My Fjords and Annie, the bubble-butt Brabant, would be way too plump if I fed free-choice hay. They live a pretty leisurely life. DeeAnna
Re: Feeding Round Bales
This message is from: Jean Gayle [EMAIL PROTECTED] Problems of mold and dust. My 22 year old has developed a cough from the dust and from the light blue mold that forms on damp bales of hay. There probably is also mold in the stalls from our usual wet winters. Due to eyesight problems I was not aware of the blue mold. Usually I would just hose off the mold when I did see it. Now I wet all of his hay during his three feedings a day. The cough has improved, but it does lead to the heaves. Gunnar, my fjord let out a mighty cough the other day so I am watering his down also. Time for the new hay to start soon. Jean Jean Walters Gayle [Authoress of The Colonel's Daughter Occupied Germany 1946 To 1949 ] http://users.techline.com/jgayle Send $20 Three Horses Press PO Box 104 Montesano, WA 98563
RE: Feeding Round Bales
This message is from: Skeels, Mark A (MED) [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mary and all,,,here's a book about my hay experience: I have had the same experience as you here in Wisconsin. Expecially with the first cutting, I usually have to leave the hay out on the field a couple weeks, otherwise there is always a strip through the middle that never gets dry. Rake it a million times. A breeze helps. Usually no problem with second or third cutting. I can't understand how some farmers can bail hay 2 or 3 days after its cut on the first crop, they do, I have felt the hay and it is wet as ever, my bail kicker would brake the bails as they don't slide through the bailer properly and when the conveyer shoots them out the strings brake, even with 7,500/roll string. I have been having a custom bailer come in on the first cutting and doing large square bales, he sometimes uses a little chemical to keep it from molding, his bailer has a moisture gauge and automatically knows if chemical is needed. The chemical is ok for the horses, its the same type of chemical used in making cheese. This works well as I can get 50 tons of hay off the field and in the barn in 1 after noon. Usually rains every couple days here so that is important. I cut it and rake it, then call him when its ready to bale. $7 per 800 pound bale. About $9 if he uses chemical. I use my front end loader with a spear when feeding and drop a bail next to the fence, I then cut the strings and feed a flake at a time. 2nd and 3rd cuttings I do small square bales. I asked the vet about mold in hay being a problem for horses. He said he hasn't really seen a problem, he said the bad mold is seen more in corn or corn silage as far as horses go. Cows it doesn't seem to bother as much. The dust you see when you break some bales open I'm not sure what it is. My mother in law calls it tabacco dust or tabaccoing. They feed about 600 head of cattle and she doesn't consider it the same as mold. As far as mold goes, here in my part of Wisconsin, I can lay a board on the ground and 2 days later there will be mold growing on underside. Same with bales of hay. I try to cover the unused bales with a tarp if its going to be out in weather over a week. It just needs to rain a day on the hay and the bails get wet enough they start molding. That's what humidity does. My in-laws in Montana don't have a problem with mold. I feed first cutting hay as it has less alfalfa, mostly timothy. It is even a little over dry, the horses still get fat. I could never leave a whole bale out, the horses would look like ballons and the extra hay they eat comes out of the pocket. Of course my horses are ballons anyhow, I've seen them worse though. Also to note, I have heard it is well to not have the mares too fat before delivery, the extra fat tends to make for harder deliveries as the birth canal is smaller, unless that's a old wives tail, or husbands tail I read somewhere. If you are considering leaving a bail out for a weekend while you go somewhere it should be fine, that way the neighbors just have to check on the horse and not feed. That's my little more than 2 cents worth. By the way, I joined the group the first part of the week and am enjoying the chit chat. A cool/balmy 30ish here near Oconomowoc Wisconsin Greetings in the Lord Jesus : Mark and Sandra Skeels Lord's Farm - Fjords 1 Stallion, 3 mares, 3 geldings, 1 grey stud colt for sale, 2 or 3 fillies, we hope, due in May. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, April 04, 2002 8:19 AM To: fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com Subject: Re: Feeding Round Bales This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi Anne Since we here on our farm make round bales, I would like to tell you my experience with them. I don't know all the illnesses that can occur when a horse injests dusty or mouldy hay or how to protect against this, so I will leave that for others that are better versed on the subject. However, I do remember while growing up in Indiana on a cattle farm that my father told me never to feed mouldy hay to even the cows and that has been imprinted there forever. When we make our hay here is no earthly way to COMPLETELY scatter the hay evenly for perfect drying and we have some sides of the hay field that gets, because of trees, more sun. If we waited till we were SURE all the hay was completely dry, we would have most of the hay over cured. Hence, when we roll it we sometimes, because some wetter hay was rolled up inside the roll, get some dusty spots or sometimes even a mouldy spot or two. I have fed these rolls to our horses by peeling it off and can attest to this. Now maybe other farmers can somehow prevent this from happening, but so far even with a hay tedder to scatter the hay more evenly for drying, we still see this happening to ours. I do feed these rolls to our cows, but never to our horses. Many horse owners, very knowledgable ones, do feed round
Re: Feeding Round Bales
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi Anne Since we here on our farm make round bales, I would like to tell you my experience with them. I don't know all the illnesses that can occur when a horse injests dusty or mouldy hay or how to protect against this, so I will leave that for others that are better versed on the subject. However, I do remember while growing up in Indiana on a cattle farm that my father told me never to feed mouldy hay to even the cows and that has been imprinted there forever. When we make our hay here is no earthly way to COMPLETELY scatter the hay evenly for perfect drying and we have some sides of the hay field that gets, because of trees, more sun. If we waited till we were SURE all the hay was completely dry, we would have most of the hay over cured. Hence, when we roll it we sometimes, because some wetter hay was rolled up inside the roll, get some dusty spots or sometimes even a mouldy spot or two. I have fed these rolls to our horses by peeling it off and can attest to this. Now maybe other farmers can somehow prevent this from happening, but so far even with a hay tedder to scatter the hay more evenly for drying, we still see this happening to ours. I do feed these rolls to our cows, but never to our horses. Many horse owners, very knowledgable ones, do feed round rolls free choice here in Virginia and the number seems to be growing. I can't honestly say I have heard of any tradegies from this feeding practice in our area. Good luck on your decision. Mary Harvey In the mountains of Virginia
Re: Feeding Round Bales
This message is from: Vivian Creigh [EMAIL PROTECTED] When I was in Aiken training with Larry Poulin for 5 weeks the farm where he was located fed round bales, in fact round bales were fed at nearly every farm I went to. I had misgivings about putting round bales in with my three Fjord mares because of the threat of botulism as well as the image of Fjords looking like engorged ticks. I originally was buying small square bales from local feed store but that only lasted 3 days as the price comparison made feeding round bales much more attractive. The bales were kept under cover on pallets and once you peeled the outer layer the hay was green and sweet smelling. The vet down there ssaid that most people did not vaccinate for botulism as it apparently wasn't a problem. I'm relieved that I didn't make her a liar. I really think that because of the sandy soil having free access to hay at all times helped keep them from ingesting too much sand while browsing. I did feed them pysillium(sp). to prevent sand colic. It was really rather amusing to see the threee of them standing around a small mountain of hay like three Norwegian girls at an all you can eat buffet, but they didn't eat all day and they were all being worked quite hard. So I came back home with sleek well muscled ponies who I'm sure are wondering why the buffet is closed. I have to say that it worked really well for me and the mares have never looked better. My vet was totally impressed yesterday when she came out to do spring shots on the remaining horses. I'm not sure this would have been the case with ponies that weren't in hard work. Vivian Creigh Springfield, VT 26 degrees and sunny
Re: Feeding Round Bales
This message is from: Anneli Sundkvist [EMAIL PROTECTED] I board my fjord. Most of his diet consists of round bale haylage (the horses have been given shots to avoid the most common form of botulism) that comes from the same farm where the barn is. Cider has actually spent some months whith free access to haylage, but that was in my previous barn and I moved and took the horse with me during the winter. I suspect that otherwise we've had one FAT fjord and a bunch of SWB:s and arabs looking just right by spring;o) Each round bale is brought into an open space inside the barn and opened by the barn-owner who checks for dead animals, mould etc. Once that is done, the haylage is fed to the horses. It takes them about 3 days to consume a round bale (14 horses: 10 SWB:s and other warmbloods, 1 shetland pony, 1 gotland pony, 1 pony of unknown, English origin, 1 fjord). They also eat haylage out in the field twice a day. Anneli ** Anneli Sundkvist Dept. of Archaeology Ancient History St Eriks Torg 5 753 10 Uppsala +46-18-4712082
Re: Feeding Round Bales
This message is from: Jean Gayle [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anne you will hear some horror stories about round bales here but I will let others tell it. Jean Jean Walters Gayle [Authoress of The Colonel's Daughter Occupied Germany 1946 To 1949 ] http://users.techline.com/jgayle Send $20 Three Horses Press PO Box 104 Montesano, WA 98563
Re: Feeding Round Bales
This message is from: Jean Ernest [EMAIL PROTECTED] Free choice hay for my FJORDS? Good heavens, no! I'd wind up with four fat sausage shaped tubs! They would stand there and eat it, bed down in it and stay there until it was gone. Even here in the cold Alaska winters I don't give them free choice hay, unless it is -40 or so..and they usually comes out of those cold spells fat! One winter all I could get was round bales (Timothy/brome), and I had to peel it off and portion it out. No I wouldn't free feed my fjords round bales...or square bales! One family here had a fjord with their other horses and free fed round bales..The Fjord got grossly fat while the appaloosas and quarter horses were just about right. Jean in Fairbanks, Alaska sunny and +33 today do any of you feed round bales to your Fjords, free choice? Some horse owners absolutely pale at the suggestion; others are very nonchalant about it! Would appreciate input. Jean Ernest Fairbanks, Alaska mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Feeding Round Bales
This message is from: Joyce Concklin [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- Anne Weyker [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: This message is from: Anne Weyker [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hello, Fjord Folks! Here's a first-time communication from a recent subscriber to the Digest: do any of you feed round bales to your Fjords, free choice? Some horse owners absolutely pale at the suggestion; others are very nonchalant about it! Would appreciate input. Thanks. Anne Weyker Clay Ridge Farm, southeastern Wisconsin, where we're still experiencing winter weather! [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi Anne, I feed round bales of a quality grass hay (Coastal)since most of our area is on sand.WE also grain our Fjords.Idealy if we had pasture the rolls would not be necessary.I never have had a problem with the roll bales and my Fjords .We have been feeding this way for the past 12 years. Joyce Concklin,Clover Oaks Farm Fjords,Brooksville Fl.just North of Tampa where it is warm 80+ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax http://taxes.yahoo.com/
Feeding Round Bales
This message is from: Anne Weyker [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hello, Fjord Folks! Here's a first-time communication from a recent subscriber to the Digest: do any of you feed round bales to your Fjords, free choice? Some horse owners absolutely pale at the suggestion; others are very nonchalant about it! Would appreciate input. Thanks. Anne Weyker Clay Ridge Farm, southeastern Wisconsin, where we're still experiencing winter weather! [EMAIL PROTECTED]
