# How long does a small hay bale last you?



## lottiepony (27 November 2012)

I usually have big round bales but ran out early so used small bales just to tie me over. One bale lasts me 2 days! That does include hay for the field and I like to see that she hasn't eaten out but def works out better for me to use big bales!


----------



## jumpingjasper (27 November 2012)

4/5 days but not haying in feild. and he had 24/7 turnout so jus gets small haynet in shelter overnight.


----------



## Box_Of_Frogs (28 November 2012)

I use small bale haylage for my 6 shetlands...2 standards and 4 miniatures. They are in the field with poor grazing overnight and come in during the day for about 6 hours. They have 4 loose haynets tied up around their single huge stable. Currently, a small bale lasts me an unbelievable 5 or 6 days but I expect it to start dropping as the winter progresses.


----------



## xxRachelxx (28 November 2012)

2 days sounds about right. Horses should have minimum 1.5% but ideally 2% of bodyweight in forage per day. Obviously some of this will come from grass but as grass isn't very good quality at this time of year most will come from hay. So say 1.5% of bodyweight is being fed as hay. For a 500kg horse that is 7.5kg of hay per day. A small bale of hay weighs roughly 15kg (although this is extremly variable) so that works out as 2 days supply for a 500kg horse


----------



## Enfys (28 November 2012)

It would be lovely to use just one  

I put out 5 in 1 pasture every day.

My bales weigh 55 - 60lbs 

My horses weigh on average 1000lbs

I work on 1/2 bale per 15h (average size) horse and that is whilst there is still a bit of grass to browse, they also have a round bale of straw out too.


----------



## lottiepony (28 November 2012)

I've just done the maths and a round bale last me at the worst 3 weeks and I pay £25 for one of those. Small bales cost me £4.50 last year and for 3 weeks would end up costing me just over £47!! That has actually made me feel a bit better about my hay costs


----------



## tilly49 (28 November 2012)

Mine usually last 2-3 days depending how tightly packed it is. I generally get 5 x 12lb haynets out of one bale and my big girl has 2 of these at night.


----------



## posie_honey (28 November 2012)

my mare choffs her way through 3/4 of a small bale a day....
plus 4 feeds of conditioning cubes, conditioing chaff, sugarbeet and linseed.

but we have had no grass since about september due to the bad summer so that is all she is getting although she lives out.

she is also still in quite hard work - we did 10.5 miles yesterday at a fair pace

lots of peeps up here struggling with horses weights this year as they've not naturally put on a bit over summer


----------



## Tuffles 23 (28 November 2012)

1  day = 3 ponies 13.3hh 14.3hh and 15hh 
We got our hay from the field at £2.50 per bale but are running short so will need to get more soon


----------



## posie_honey (28 November 2012)

mine is £4.20/bale  
but she's worth it


----------



## Pinkvboots (28 November 2012)

I use 1 small bale a day for two horses one 15.1 and one 16.3, I sometimes buy the large round bales of haylege they last me nearly 3 weeks some are £25 or sometimes £30, but can get small bales for £3.50 a bale nice hay too they love it, and prefer hay as one of mine can get too fat on haylege and not worth buying it for one.


----------



## FairyLights (28 November 2012)

I also use 1 bale of hay a day , or rather my 2 horses eat 1 small between them when they are stabled over night.


----------



## Potato! (28 November 2012)

My horse has 1 and a half wedges per night and still has a little left in the morning, so i guess i get throught 1 small bale every 5/6 days. However he is turned out in a 3acre field with lots of grass during the day and and has a straw bed.


----------



## katia (28 November 2012)

1-1.5 bales per day for my 2 TB's Which is one of the reasons  why I tend to use big round baled hayalge!!


----------



## Littlelish (28 November 2012)

I have a 540kg thoroughbred who is kept in at night and a small bale is lasting me 4 medium Haynes and he has 2 a night so 2 days per bale, pretty expensive way of doing it but he isnt good on haylage!


----------



## pottamus (29 November 2012)

I have a 15hh Welsh who is stabled at night. He has a third of a bale per night and nothing in the field during the day as I strip graze him each day. So a small bale lasts me 3 days.


----------



## Honey08 (29 November 2012)

I have two ISH, middleweights and 16/17h.  They eat 3/4 bale each too - they are on hardcore turnout with nets during the day, and in at night, so all their food is haylage (they get balancer and hifi lite too).  In summer they come in during the day and I use half a bale a day between them.  In winter we change onto dry haylage to keep the costs down.

We paid £5 for a small haybale, delivered and stacked, which isn't cheap, but the suppliers are always reliable and the hay is always wonderful quality.  There is cheaper costing hay around but its cheaper quality too..


----------



## Angua2 (29 November 2012)

another who's mare chomps though 3/4 of a small bale a day!


----------



## CBFan (29 November 2012)

Last winter I was getting through 20 bales a month at £5 a bale - so one bale would do me under two days (he's a big lad). This year I am on big round bales at £25 a bale and they are lasting me 3 weeks each so thats only £50 every 6 weeks as opposed to £150 last year!!


----------



## Posie (29 November 2012)

1 small bale wouldn't even last an hour! But then I do have 10 horses so you can understand!


----------



## Lissa (29 November 2012)

Around 6 days for a 14.2 but he's only in on a night and gets two medium sized nets. They are slightly bigger than a normal small bale though, maybe equivalent of a bale and a half up to as much as 2 normal bales as some are bigger than others. 

Only cost £3.75 each as well, where as at old yard was paying £3.50 per normal small bale and going through 3-4 a week at times. As they were in at night all year and we weren't allowed to turn out a lot because of weather.


----------



## CrazyCarly (30 November 2012)

My 16.3 shire x eats 3/4 of a bale a night,11hh dartmoor/shetland gets 1-2 slices - so roughly 1 bale a day. Both are out on grass during day,and in at night. 

When grass is poor,i shall put my big boy back on haylage - 1 small bale of that lasts 2-4 days for him,and then the pony shall have all the hay to herself...greedy little mite! 

Have had large bales of haylage before,but went off before we could eat away half of it. I suppose this wouldnt be an issue for hay? I may have a peak at how much a big'un would be!


----------



## Polos Mum (30 November 2012)

You guys must have good grass, my 17hh light work gets a bale a day and 14hh companion gets 2/3 - Or mine are really greedy!  I feed ad lib and don't throw much away


----------

