WINTER FEEDING HOW TO CUT DOWN ON HAY COSTS

The question that most folks ask me is how our ranch feeds over 70 head of horses every year and keep the feed costs to a minimum? 

Up until the winter of 2016, the only way we found was to hand feed daily and document the weight of hay being fed.  This is still an option for most folks.  Now I must be clear that with a herd with our numbers, we do not feed many small square bales.  Although convenient, purchasing small square bales simply costs more than purchasing round bales when determined on a per ton basis.

In 2016 we tested the feasibility of continuing to offer free choice but with hay nets on our big round bales.  Hay nets are available in sizes from 1”-2.5” openings in for small squares and rounds up to 1800lbs in most major brands. We use tried both Econet and Nagbag brands but decided to stay wit the Nag Bag as they are made with slightly heavier netting and have a larger draw string.  Our estimate is that we cut down our hay bill by a whopping 30-35%.  2016 hay cost many of us upwards of $250 per ton in the province of Alberta so saving 30% is a big chunk of change.

Here are some benefits of hay nets that we found regardless whether or not you use them on big rounds, or small squares.

1.       Horses do not overeat.  As we all know horses will often continue to eat even when they are not really hungry.  You know what I am talking about……..when you go out to see your horses after a couple of weeks on free choice hay without a net, you have to take a second look to identify them because they all of a sudden are overweight and looking soggy in the midsection.  The secret to the net is that it requires the horse to pick away at the hay which simulates more of a natural grazing pattern.  When they are full, they usually will stop eating and go to the corner of the pen or pasture and relax.

2.       Hay stays out of major crevices.   We still have the V-rack feeders for small squares.  The health problem with the V-Rack is that hay falls into their eyes and tear ducts in front of their eyes (one crevice you do not want obstructions in).  Is there health issues when using a round bale in a round bale feeder with free choice hay without a net?  Well, the horse often gets their entire head down into the bale.  This leads to the same problem mentioned above as well as any dust will more than likely be inhaled by your horse (another major crevice that you do not want obstructed).  In other words if the hay is a little dusty, which is sometimes the case even after close inspection, it can cause respiratory problems like EDIS (heaves).  Nets do not allow the horse to get their head right into the bale but rather work at it from the outside inwards.

3.       Wind not welcome here.  If you live in Southern Alberta you know what I am speaking of.  It is not out of the ordinary to have a 100-120 km/hr. wind during the winter months.  Two weeks ago, the wind close to Waterton Lakes National Park (Which is right where Rocking Heart Ranch is located) reached 132 km/hr.  Physics dictates that free choice hay in a standard round bale feeder ends up elsewhere other than the horse’s belly.  We used to joke about Medicine Hat getting most of our hay via the wind (our primary strong winds come out of the SW).  The wind simply cannot blow the hay away when you have a net with 1.5” openings on it. 

4.       Waste in general.  Even with some of the best feeders on the market the horses end up standing in hay or wasting it in some way.  We use our bull feeders with round bales and hay nets to combat this.  You never see a horse standing in hay.

5.       Horse health.  So “Does your horse get enough to eat”.  The answer is yes.   The average adult AQHA horse of 1100 lbs does not need much more than 30lbs of hay per day if they are also on mineral which all of our horses are.  Most of our horses are actually healthier as they are not carrying extra unnecessary weight.  This is particularly noticeable when we take our riding horses out for the day after an extended break.  Before using hay nets the back cinch needed to be done up tighter several times during the day and the horses seemed lethargic for the first few hours.  This is now not the case.  Tightening that back cinch once per day usually does the trick and the horses seem ready to go and stay the course all day long.

Like most new ideas there are a few things that you must watch for when using hay nets.  Make sure that if you have shod horses that the netted hay is in some kind of feeder so that the horse cannot get their shoes caught in it.   Always make sure that when you insert a new bale, round or small square, that the end gets tied tight and small with the tightening rope that comes with the net.  We always take the extra tightening rope and insert it inside the net (between the net and the bale) so that horses do not get caught in it.  When introducing horses to the new hay with a net, regardless of age, a days’ worth of free choice hay should be supplied.  This gives them a chance to figure out how to use their lips rather than their teeth to extract the hay through the net.  After a day or so they will figure it out and you are on your way. 

One other thing to consider is when spring comes around to evaluate how fast your horse or horses will eat a round bale that is netted.  Colder days with rain and wet snow followed by warmer days often accompany spring conditions which can cause hay to mold if it is not eaten within a few weeks.  When the ground gets wet your hay can also start to spoil from the ground up, so you may want to consider finding an old tractor tire to put your netted round bale on.  This keeps it off of the ground and dry.

Lastly there is the cost of the nets to consider.  A large 7’ * 7’ net averages around $290-$330 per net before GST.   For us it was a ‘no-brainer’ to spend the money on 10-12 nets given the substantial savings in hay and healthier horses to boot.

Marc Garner

Rocking Heart Ranch Operations