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RE: [RC] Feeding round bales - heidi

I'm not Karen E, but all of the ranchers here store the round bales outside with no cover (granted we are not as wet as some places).  The big bales shed the water far better than small bales do, because they are so densely packed and are such a large volume, and even if there is a bit of waste on the outside, when there is plenty there to eat, the horses just leave it.
 
We don't have a place to store large quantities of round bales--the elk up here will devastate it in no time if it isn't in an elk-proof stackyard.  (We regularly have 100-160 head come in here in the winter.)  The larger groups of horses will protect what they are actually eating at the time, but storing it outside the pasture and outside a stack yard is not an option.  We pick it up as we use it from our producer, who stores it outside and then lays down 10 or so bales at a time for us to come and get.  When we have small bales in our little stack yard, we only have room for four or so extra round bales.
 
Handling is an issue, unless you have a producer who will deliver.  Because we have large numbers of horses as well, we bought a geriatric hydrabed truck that will haul two round bales at a time.  Unlike a tractor with forks, the bales do have to be down in a position where we can "grab" them to lift them.  But our producer leaves them out in a row for us to pick up, and we "row" them the same way if we put a few ahead in our stack yard.  This probably isn't an option for the person with just a few horses, unless you just like to play with equipment and want to get some kind of a rig to handle the bales.
 
We have also picked them up in the backs of pickup trucks--you can "unload" them by backing up smartly and putting on the breaks, whereupon they roll out the back.  (Obviously you can't "aim" at a feeder this way--you need to be feeding in an area with some space!  And you also have to have a rope, board or tailgate behind them in the pickup to keep them from coming out as you drive down the highway with them....)
 
Heidi
 
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [RC] Feeding round bales
From: "Karen Sullivan" <greymare56@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, December 26, 2008 9:52 am
To: "Karen Everhart" <rainbowmeadowsranch@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc: AERC <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Wow!!!

The cost is amazing, with our local, even grass hay going for as much
as $18 to 20 per 120 lb bale in some places of California.

What I am wondering, though, is how you can store the hay outside?
what happens to it when it rains?

With that many horses, it sure sounds like the way to go.....but how
to you move the bales?
Karen

On 12/26/08, Karen Everhart <rainbowmeadowsranch@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> We use round bales all the time and have done so for nearly 30 years. The
> major consideration is that all horses have access to the hay, so your
> evaluation of the herd dynamics is critical, ensuring that one or more
> horses is not pushed away from the hay. Our limit is 6 horses per ring.
>
> We have a winter sacrifice area in which we place the round bales in their
> feeders (5 at all times). This is surrounded on the north and west by huge,
> dense cedar trees, to cut the winter winds. We do move the rings/bales
> each time we resupply. While feeding 35-40 + horses at any given time, the
> 5 bales are consumed within 5-7 days so exposure to the elements/spoilage is
> not an issue.
>
> For storage, we leave the bales in the hay meadow where they were produced,
> in another sacrifice area, one bale deep, lined touching each other so that
> only the bottom molds and is wasted. We do move them out of fire danger
> over a few months just in case some id%^t drops a cigarette on the highway a
> mile away, catching the tall grass prairie pastures on fire, burning us off.
> Should our hay supply burn, we would be in a grave situation.
>
> We still have to feed squares to the various horses which are confined due
> to physical limitations or are in quarantine. The round bales make life
> much simpler.
>
> Cost - we feed prairie hay exclusively. We produce the hay ourselves, but
> when we sell a few bales, we charge $40.00 per 1000 pound bale, so $80.00
> per ton.
>
>
>
> Karen Everhart MEd
> Co-founder and Executive Director
> Rainbow Meadows Rescue and Retirement, Inc.
> Serving the equine companions who have so loyally served us...
> www.rainbowmeadowsranch.com
> 620-725-3402
>
>
> Owner/Operator Horse Calls - Equine Management Solutions
> Centered Riding Instructor
> Distance Horse Conditioning and Training
> www.horsecalls.com
> 316-648-5082
>

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