ok NOW the real fun beginns

[TotalControl]

well we sold the house found a farm with 11 1/2 acreas and now r getting ready to get things to bring horses home....

1) how much hay will i need for each horse
2) were is there a good place to buy hay
3) what is the safest way to store hay
4) how do i tell if it is good hay or not

hay seems to be my real only problem i pretty much now how to deal with the other stuff...but any and all suggestions would be appreciated......

 

[Wait4It..boom]

congrats on the new house with land! we're looking for something similar in the Calvert area. hopefully will find something soon. just trying to be patient and keep telling myself that i will find what i'm looking for....eventually. :O)

 

[DQ2B]

How much hay will depend on how much pasture, if any you have in any given year. This year, I was able to keep mine 24/7 on pasture for nearly 6 months with no hay at all. Last year because of the draught, I fed hay all year. Generally, I figure 100 bales per horse per year. Lots of places to get hay, it all depends on what kind you want, if you need delivery and how much you are willing to pay. It should ideally, be stored in a separate building from your barn but some, like me, do not have that luxury. In any case, it needs to have air circulation so up off the ground on pallets or such is a good idea.

 

[TotalControl]

congrats on the new house with land! we're looking for something similar in the Calvert area.

my realtor had a bunch in calvert but we wanted to stay here i can give you her info she put up with us (me my mom and my husband ) for a year before we sold and found a place..she is great to work with ..

we had to sell two houses and find one big enough for all of us and the horses..

 

[happyappygirl]

How much hay will depend on how much pasture, if any you have in any given year. This year, I was able to keep mine 24/7 on pasture for nearly 6 months with no hay at all. Last year because of the draught, I fed hay all year. Generally, I figure 100 bales per horse per year. Lots of places to get hay, it all depends on what kind you want, if you need delivery and how much you are willing to pay. It should ideally, be stored in a separate building from your barn but some, like me, do not have that luxury. In any case, it needs to have air circulation so up off the ground on pallets or such is a good idea.

Where did your number of hay bales per horse per year come from?
Healthy horses should have more hay/less grain. They require lots of roughage either pasture or hay. Figure one bale per day per horse of decent quality orchard grass hay if fed strictly hay with some grain, less if there is some pasture, guage it accordingly.

If it's on all hay, no pasture ~365 bales per year per horse but that number depends on the size of the bale and mixture in it. Large 75 lb bales can go further (say 3/4 a bale per day) than the lighter 40-50 lb bales. Too much is better than too little.

If you don't give enough hay or grazing time, and they have nothing to do (they are grazers remember they need to graze and keep themselves busy) they will become destructive to each other and the fields. So you should (ideally) either have free choice lower quality hay, or put the high quality hay out 2 or 3 times a day so they clean up every scrap and don't waste it, plus have something to do with their mouths - graze.

 

[TotalControl]

How much hay will depend on how much pasture, if any you have in any given year.

there doen't seem like there is a lot of pasture .. good and bad areas there is a hay loft but should the hay still be stacked on pallets ? what r the differences to the kinds of hay like steak to hamburge ?

 

[happyappygirl]

there doen't seem like there is a lot of pasture .. good and bad areas there is a hay loft but should the hay still be stacked on pallets ? what r the differences to the kinds of hay like steak to hamburge ?

The local hay tends to be low in selenium, because the area soil is deficient in it. Finding and recognizing good hay is an art form.

The hay auction would be a good place for you to learn a lot, and they often have hay brought in from different areas.

Smell it, and look at it. You will learn to recognize nice hay, that has low dust and few mold spores fairly quickly.

 

[DQ2B]

Where did your number of hay bales per horse per year come from?
Healthy horses should have more hay/less grain. They require lots of roughage. Figure one bale per day per horse of decent quality orchard grass hay. Hence ~365 bales per year per horse but that also depends on the size of the bale and mixture in it. Large 75 lb bales can go further than the lighter 40-50 lb bales. Too much is better than too little.

Generally, horses require between 1-2 % of their weight in hay per day. So, for the average 1000 lb horse that is 20 lbs of hay on the high side. I don't have any horses that would eat an entire bale of hay per day on a regular basis but as I said, they are on pasture 24/7 so this year because the weather was so cooperative I did not feed any hay for nearly 6 months. They get roughage all day and all night free choice. They get grain only as a treat and let me tell you they are so fat, I've had to limit grass intake with muzzles this year.

 

[happyappygirl]

Generally, horses require between 1-2 % of their weight in hay per day. So, for the average 1000 lb horse that is 20 lbs of hay on the high side. I don't have any horses that would eat an entire bale of hay per day on a regular basis but as I said, they are on pasture 24/7 so this year because the weather was so cooperative I did not feed any hay for nearly 6 months. They get roughage all day and all night free choice. They get grain only as a treat and let me tell you they are so fat, I've had to limit grass intake with muzzles this year.

some of the local bales of hay don't weigh as much as 20 solid lbs. Speaking from years of personal experience, and no colics, all of mine who are on free choice hay with no pasture (except falling leaves from the trees does that count? ) will eat one full bale throughout a 24 hour period, plus a limited amount of grain in the evening just for the vitamins (and selenium). Their weight is great, no chubbies and fit as fiddles.

I'm jealous, i wish i had such great pastures as yours are! The brood mare/stallion acreage has enough grazing for them through the summer...i wish i had that for all the horses.

 

[Wait4It..boom]

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one that has spent quite some time looking. We've been looking for about 7 months now (thankfully my realtor is a good friend and is putting up with me). I go through spells of aggravation feeling like I should have already found something by now (my current house was bought the day it went on the market- how times have changed!). Suppose I'll just keep trudging along.

a year before we sold and found a place...

 

[TotalControl]

Suppose I'll just keep trudging along.

we found a bunch of places but it was my other half that found something wrong with everyone i brought him to see .. see I went out with the realtor and my mom and we picked out places with what he and she wanted..( so I had to make 2 other people happy before my self ( well it turned out i got the one i really wanted anyway) well my hubby wanted the needle in the haystack for him and my mom wanted to have an in -law apartment already built , with a living room, dinnng room , full bath, kitchen and 2 bedrooms.. he wanted land , a barn and pastures. i wanted everything but did not care about the apartment (A room is all i worried about) that can be built but a barn with my husband would not be up for at least a year or two if not longer.. it woulld never come down but i would not have my horses home and would still be paying board..

 

[Wait4It..boom]

You sound like us. We're looking for something in-law capable (I'd prefer it to be a little farther away in the house than just a spare room) but we primarily need the land with a barn existing (that's not in bad shape). Would prefer not to have to do an extreme amount of clearing either. It doesn't help that prices are all over the place either and it's hard to gauge. I'm very happy for you! I can't wait to know what it feels like to get "the" house and land!

 

[TotalControl]

You sound like us.

well other part of buying a house don't buy from a couple getting divorced they suck my realtor was trying to get the home inspection setup well guess what THE husband who said he would sign the papers only said it because he thought she wouldn't so now he did not sign the papers i guess were still looking also...this royally sucks

 

[Wait4It..boom]

Oh no!! You gotta be kiddin me?? That house you looked at by chance wasn't in Charlotte Hall was it? PM me