Round bail for only one horse?

Question

i want to get a horse and i am trying to think of ways that could be cheaper so if i got only one horse would it be ok if i just got a round bale for it to eat instead of a square bail?

Answer 1

Remember, you get what you pay for.  Round bales are cheaper per weight because they usually aren't as good of quality as square bales.  They are weedier and often contain inferior types of grass.

As for leaving them out there in the corral/pasture for your horse to munch on, that's fine as they are usually some sort of grass hay, not alfalfa, so colic isn't an issue, but if your horse is just eating hay all day and not being worked hard, it will get fat quickly.

You also have to have some sort of tractor to move the round bales with, and a proper feeder.

If it gets rained on, the top layer may mold, but also if it's not eaten within a few days, it will start to mold from the inside out.  There is moisture in the hay when it is baled, and when it is wrapped tightly it becomes insulated and the moisture is trapped in there so it molds.  One horse cannot eat a round bale within a few days all by itself.

So...my suggestion is stick with the small square bales.  They may be a bit more expensive but you'll be better off in the long run.

Answer 2

I agree with Rachel...the round bales are SO much more economical, and they do not rot that soon...if left for a few months untouched and uncovered, they might spoil, but when your horse is eating one from a round bale feeder, or if you are pitching hay to him each day, you shouldn't have much trouble with the hay spoiling.

I have found that a bale fed free-choice is easiest, but not as economical as pitching hay to the horse daily.  Because the horse will eat a lot more than he actually needs, and the bale will be filtered through, a lot of hay stepped on, and wasted.  I feed my horses from a round bale using a pitch fork, and making sure to give each of them separate piles so they get equal amounts.  If all the hay is gone in a few hours, you aren't feeding enough.  If there is still hay left there the next day, you are feeding too much.

I disagree with those who say free-choice hay causes colic...I think free choice feeding is much safer than only feeding once a day.  If the horse has other free-choice grazing, then that's better.  But horses are designed to eat continually throughout the day, it is better for their digestive systems.  So free choice is actually better than feeding once daily...they need food more often than that.  He may get too fat by over-eating, but that's about it.

Good luck, I think round bales are the way to go.

Answer 3

Round bails are the way to go! I have round bails and they are bound tightly with the baler twine, If it were to rain it would only rot about an ich or 2 from the top of the bale. Don't worry about the others and what they say. Round bales are definatly the way to go. But make sure you have a HORSE feeder to put round. Not a cow feeder as horse's head can get stuck in those.  

Hope this helps!!

Answer 4

Round bails are often poorer quality hay (my brother is a hay farmer and he only round bails the bad stuff) because it is mostly used for cows. Also you would have to store it in a pasture + keep a tarp over it. You couldn't feed it in the stall, which is where your horses need it in the first place. Also if you travel with your horse it's not like you can carry a round bale. Have you ever thought of pelleted roughage (Example alfalfa hay cubes)? It would be much easier. Make sure to shop around every hay place (prices can range amazingly).  

Answer 5

You could but the square bail is better for a horse becuase its a better portion if u accidently give the horse too much it will get sick and maybe even colic. Good luck with your new horse if you have any more questions or you want to make sure this is correct just call you're vet it wont cost money and you'll get what you'll need to know.

Hope this Helps!!

Answer 6

If its one horse i would suggest square bales. For one round bales can get moldy and rotten more quickly then square bales. This is because if you leave a round bale out in the rain and its wet it will get moldy while drying. Last, you want your horse to have the right amount of hay and with square bales you can give that to your horse but, with round bales they what they want when ever they want.

Answer 7

Yes you can feed round bales to horses and not have issues.

I have done this for any years.We feed grass hay in rounds.

We have a run in shed that the hay feeder is in so nothing gets wet.

The horses have access to hay 24/7 and in all the years I have feed that way I have never had a colic issue. Not once, never.

Horses are designed to munch all day long and eat grass.

As long as you buy good high quality grass hay you will be fine. Make sure it is horse quality hay.

Here in the midwest most of us feed with rounds if we are able to move them.

Answer 8

Only if you feed it in a covered shelter, and make sure it has never been left out in the weather.  If you can keep it out of the weather and remove what you need each day to feed it could work out. Never feed from a round bale that has been outside for over three days, or the risk of mold is too high.

The posters telling you it is ok t leave them outside have not been through the experience I have, with 7 colics and 2 deaths resulting from round bale mold, with a law suit against the owner of the boarding facility which the owner lost.

Answer 9

Yeah you could get one round bail of hay, but you will need a tarp or barn to cover it because one horse doesn't need that much hay at a time, and if it rains the hay will mold and be ruined of course.

Answer 10

yes you can give it a round bale but it needs to be were you can take it from the hrse or cover it up because if it eats to much it can collic

Answer 11

I would definitely not feed round bales because they do NOT have the same amount of nutrition value. They also can get rained on and start molding, and then you have a real problem because your horse can colic. You also need heavy machinery to move the round bales, so they are over all more of a hassle.

Answer 12

If you feed round bales to a horse make sure you have the horse vaccinated for botulism, unless you want a deathly ill horse on your hands.  

If you have the horse vaccinated though round bales are not usually a problem...that's what the farm did where I boarded my first horse, was vaccinate for botulism and feed round bales.   Just make sure the hay is decent quality.

Answer 13

yh

they dont care wat hay it is as long as its there

plus you are likely to put it in a  haynet 2

so it swont really make any difference

but just to let you know

if your horse will be living completly on its itso wn it will be sad  if it doesnt have a companion ( THIS DOESNT HAVE TO BE A HORSE, IT COULD BE A DONKEY , SHETLAND, GOAT,SHEEP )  

Answer 14

The round bail will probably go all moldy before your horse has the chance to eat it all. If you have lots of grass, you should be fine with just a bit of grain. you shouldn't need hay except in the winter. It depends on your horse to actually like if he has trouble keeping weight on.