You couldn't make it up - blooming hay again

Jessey

Jessey

Well-Known Member
Dec 20, 2004
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Suffolk, UK
Honestly I am not the fussiest person! but getting decent hay is hell of a problem around here. I stocked the barn over the summer with hay for the boys, 13 rounds to last the winter. 1 lot from a guy new to making hay but conveniently close to home, not the best stuff as he'd baled it a bit damp, but OK for the most part. Next lot from a chap I have used for years, his hay is normally amazing, like crack to the horses. Guess which Hank and Niko won't eat? It looks good, it smell's good, but they want nothing to do with it (wet or dry) šŸ˜¢ What can I try to tempt them?
 
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Give them no choice? When humans are starving they will eat almost anything. What is to hand, like raw potatoes scrabbled up from the ground.
 
Skib said:
Give them no choice? When humans are starving they will eat almost anything. What is to hand, like raw potatoes scrabbled up from the ground.
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I have done, the same hay has been out since Friday, but as horses get ill when they don't eat often enough and can't stay warm without enough fiber, it's a bit of a thin line to walk for too long.

chunky monkey said:
Probably not for you but some people use molasses and pour on.
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I can try it, the 2 fatties are on a separate paddock and Niko is a nice weight but prone to dropping, and I'm actually a bit concerned about how much Hank has dropped in the last few weeks, another reason I can't afford for them to turn their noses up.
 
Jessey said:
Honestly I am not the fussiest person! but getting decent hay is hell of a problem around here. I stocked the barn over the summer with hay for the boys, 13 rounds to last the winter. 1 lot from a guy new to making hay but conveniently close to home, not the best stuff as he'd baled it a bit damp, but OK for the most part. Next lot from a chap I have used for years, his hay is normally amazing, like crack to the horses. Guess which Hank and Niko won't eat? It looks good, it smell's good, but they want nothing to do with it (wet or dry) šŸ˜¢ What can I try to tempt them?
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I really feel your pain on this. Do you remember that load I had - there was nothing wrong with it, it didn't smell off and wasn't mouldy but they wouldn't touch it. Not even Zi the hoover. I tried stuffing it in the Haygain and that did nothing to improve it. I had to ask him to take it back (which he did but has never forgiven me and charged me treble on the next load to makeup for it!) I tried leaving them with no choice but they all ignored it and it can get to the stage where colic is a risk through not eating as you know. Humph. I honestly don't know what to suggest. Could you get some Graze on and sprinkle it in with it / mix it to make it tempting? This is a long shot too, but if you have a large quantity of dried mint (I used to buy it in bulk) could you sprinkle that all over it?
 
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Trewsers said:
I really feel your pain on this. Do you remember that load I had - there was nothing wrong with it, it didn't smell off and wasn't mouldy but they wouldn't touch it. Not even Zi the hoover. I tried stuffing it in the Haygain and that did nothing to improve it. I had to ask him to take it back (which he did but has never forgiven me and charged me treble on the next load to makeup for it!) I tried leaving them with no choice but they all ignored it and it can get to the stage where colic is a risk through not eating as you know. Humph. I honestly don't know what to suggest. Could you get some Graze on and sprinkle it in with it / mix it to make it tempting? This is a long shot too, but if you have a large quantity of dried mint (I used to buy it in bulk) could you sprinkle that all over it?
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I do remember now you say about it, it's such a pain. It's just a farmers excess, he's not a hay producer or dealer or anything so I don't feel I could ask him to take it back.
I've only got the 4 rounds, I will see if I can tempt them to eat it but if not I'll just put the open bale out as extra or give it to them as a bed in the field somewhere and use it for mulching come spring and the other 3 bales I'll stick on facebook for someone to collect.
 
Jessey said:
I do remember now you say about it, it's such a pain. It's just a farmers excess, he's not a hay producer or dealer or anything so I don't feel I could ask him to take it back.
I've only got the 4 rounds, I will see if I can tempt them to eat it but if not I'll just put the open bale out as extra or give it to them as a bed in the field somewhere and use it for mulching come spring and the other 3 bales I'll stick on facebook for someone to collect.
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Yeah I suppose when all else fails it can come in handy as bedding. I ended up using some of the stuff ours wouldn't eat as bedding - I felt bad asking our supplier to take the whole lot back - so used some in Zi's apartment. I do find hay hard work atm. I still haven't sourced any. I tried the place where everyone I asked up here told me to go and they haven't even replied to my messages. ā˜¹ļø I'm facing the winter buying Horsehage in at Ā£13 a bale. I just hope they don't go off it, cos there's nowt else this time!
 
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Trewsers said:
Yeah I suppose when all else fails it can come in handy as bedding. I ended up using some of the stuff ours wouldn't eat as bedding - I felt bad asking our supplier to take the whole lot back - so used some in Zi's apartment. I do find hay hard work atm. I still haven't sourced any. I tried the place where everyone I asked up here told me to go and they haven't even replied to my messages. ā˜¹ļø I'm facing the winter buying Horsehage in at Ā£13 a bale. I just hope they don't go off it, cos there's nowt else this time!
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Could you ask one of the people that recommended you to have a word? maybe it's one of those local companies that won't call you if they haven't known you for your whole life unless someone physically introduces you šŸ¤·ā€ā™€ļø
 
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Jessey said:
Could you ask one of the people that recommended you to have a word? maybe it's one of those local companies that won't call you if they haven't known you for your whole life unless someone physically introduces you šŸ¤·ā€ā™€ļø
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nobody really wants to know, thatā€™s the trouble. Most horsey people are either on yards with their own supply or farmers and keeping their own hay. Iā€™ve exhausted all my contacts and I donā€™t think they want to get involved. Oddly enough the only feed place up here doesnā€™t deal with hay at all. They only have the Horsehage. They suggested a contact to me but it was the same one everyone else did. Plus I donā€™t have any way of collecting it, so Iā€™d need it delivered. Maybe thatā€™s put them off coming back to me? I told them in my message I was happy to pay delivery too. My new horsey neighbours get theirs shipped up but they have a business and an arrangement with a delivery company. I donā€™t really think they would want me chipping in as they have nine horses and Iā€™m guessing the van is pretty full already..
 
Trewsers said:
nobody really wants to know, thatā€™s the trouble. Most horsey people are either on yards with their own supply or farmers and keeping their own hay. Iā€™ve exhausted all my contacts and I donā€™t think they want to get involved. Oddly enough the only feed place up here doesnā€™t deal with hay at all. They only have the Horsehage. They suggested a contact to me but it was the same one everyone else did. Plus I donā€™t have any way of collecting it, so Iā€™d need it delivered. Maybe thatā€™s put them off coming back to me? I told them in my message I was happy to pay delivery too. My new horsey neighbours get theirs shipped up but they have a business and an arrangement with a delivery company. I donā€™t really think they would want me chipping in as they have nine horses and Iā€™m guessing the van is pretty full already..
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What a pain. Feed places here don't do feed, but where I lived before all feed places sold small bale hay, I found it very odd to start with. Could you see if you could buy haylage by the pallet? I've looked at a couple of companies which sell it that way myself, and it does make it more affordable (was going to be about 5 quid a bale inc. delivery for me here) you'd obviously need to see if they would ship to you though.
 
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Jessey said:
What a pain. Feed places here don't do feed, but where I lived before all feed places sold small bale hay, I found it very odd to start with. Could you see if you could buy haylage by the pallet? I've looked at a couple of companies which sell it that way myself, and it does make it more affordable (was going to be about 5 quid a bale inc. delivery for me here) you'd obviously need to see if they would ship to you though.
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I looked into buying per pallet and it isn't any cheaper. Where we used to live I contacted a company I'd used for years (local made hayledge baled) and they quoted me the same as I pay up here - plus the shipping, so wasn't worth it. To be fair, I don't mind having to pay a bit more for hayledge as they do have to get it shipped up here. However, it's Storm's teeth that don't cope so well with it, plus mr zi gets really bored of it. Chloe doesn't feature much with this as she's hardly any teeth left and what bits she has are worn, so she's fed bucket feeds of a night anyway. What I wouldn't give to be able to hop in the truck and go help myself like I used to...............but that's island life I suppose. It's one of the only small drawbacks. (Edited to add; most people don't want you turning up for say 20 bales either, which is about all I'd fit in the truck at a guess). It would mean two trips but even then, folk just seem really secretive and weird about hay up here. The first couple of winters I got lucky because my neighbour (who has now left the island) had a source we shared.
 
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Iā€™ve not read all the replies but if they wonā€™t eat it then I would be tempted to listen to them and somehow not use it.

I donā€™t agree that they will eat it if they are hungry enough. I have tried that and they would rather starve than eat what they donā€™t think is edible. Minto refused to eat soaked hay. He got lami and vet said soaked hay only. On the 4th day of literally not eating a thing vet said to give up as he needed to eat more than he needed to eat soaked hay. Soli equally refused to eat hay on 2 occasions. He dropped weight incredibly quickly and gave himself ulcers rather than eat hay he seemed not edible.
 
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Just some other thoughts.
What about sticking some of those hay brick things in the the middle of the net if yours like them or a few carrots or veggies.
How full are your hay nets. I find with the sheep if i cram the rack full of hay they dont eat it. They prefer having less so they can smell and pick through.
Are you still using the small holed nets.

Have you put it on the floor so they can pick through.
 
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I have switched from a net to loose in boxes, one inside dry and one outside getting rained on. And I mixed with the hay they like for a couple of days. But they're still not eating it, last nights was just turfed out of the boxes and kicked around.

I put them on a new paddock yesterday so at least they are getting plenty of grass during the day. I'm there tonight so going to try some peppermint spray, but then not there again until Saturday (someone else is doing them) so will mess about then and move the opened bale to get one of the other ones out for them.

At this rate I might give up and just put them all on haylage when I run out of the other stuff, I'm sick to the back teeth of hay issues, will just have to figure out how I can get enough as a friend picks it up for me currently once a month when he gets his, but no room on the trailer to double the order.
 
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Its a shame your way too far from me or you could have mine. My bales vary but someone said to me the other week my goats and horses are going mad on your hay.
It would probably cost a fair bit but could you hire a self drive to go collect some from elsewhere. What size could you drive.
 
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chunky monkey said:
Its a shame your way too far from me or you could have mine. My bales vary but someone said to me the other week my goats and horses are going mad on your hay.
It would probably cost a fair bit but could you hire a self drive to go collect some from elsewhere. What size could you drive.
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Sadly only 3.5t so it doesn't justify going too far as can't get enough to make it worthwhile, that and I have limited storage so can't fit enough in for a year sadly, though haven't tried with small bales. The stuff they won't eat is from an hour away.

One of the problems is that Newmarket is only 20 mins from us, so most people producing hay do high energy rye grass and sell it for top dollar there, closer to home - as we are surrounded by 58,000 acres of forest and soil not suitable for stock (sand here and fens/reclaimed sea bed only good for root veg nearby) there just aren't many farms/hay producers. Before the forest was planted in the first world war recovery effort, it was just sand dunes and the only thing raised here to eat was rabbits because it just doesn't grow anything well, which is also the reason local hay is crap.
 
We've been lucky this year, don't need to give hay yet, probably have about an acre and a half of grass still. It comes with problems though, as I have to put Hogan in the bare field (not really bare, just a bit scrubby), at night and he has a hissy fit every time. Thunders about in a tantrum for 5 minutes, then resigns himself. The hay we got seems ok, he's having it in a net when I'm tacking up, and is quite happy with it. I reckon we might get to end of the month before needing it.
 
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