Hay here this year is going to be $235 a ton, about 17 bales per ton. That’s $14 per bale for alfalfa hay. Grass hay is a good bit more per bale. An average bale will last an average horse 4-5 days. To buy enough hay to get the horses we have through until next hay season will be $10,000. We can not afford that, period. And that doesn’t include the cost of the additional grain that they get.
Prez has not been able to have hay or alfalfa cubes for several years due to his choke. He is fed senior feed, alfalfa pellets and beet pulp twice a day. Health wise, weight and looks - he looks as good or better than any of the other horses.
The other horses get grain and hay, hay twice a day and grain once or twice, depending on who it is. Those working hard and babies and mares lacating get it twice a day. Their hay ration at each feeding lasts about 1 hour. Essentially, then, they have 2 hours per day that they spend eating. We have only dry lot here - no grass or pasture at all (we’re in the high desert.)
So - we are considering switching everyone to a complete feed, with additional alfalfa pellets and beet pulp, until we can sell or give away most of the horses. Either that, or declare bankruptcy right now :) We are feeding eleven horses right now. We plan on keeping only two of them.
Anyway, I know Becky feeds only complete feed with great success. I’d appreciate any opinions, pro or con - or any suggestions - or anyone else’s experience feeding only complete feed. And, thanks everyone.
Hay will be very expensive here also. Not only the price of fuel, but it has been raining almost every day for the last week or so. No one has been baling. We have enough for a week :(
Its funny that the grass hay would be more than the alfalfa. Opposite in these parts.
Our grass hay is about $15 a bale now, but we aren’t feeding as many. Right now I’m only feeding hay one meal a day and I might be able to get away with none, I just like to draw them in to the paddock at night. I think it’s gas prices coming from Eastern Wa, I think our crop should be good.
But on your main question, I think Becky’s your gal... it’s been working for her for some time now. I think she likes them to have a little forage, but you might be able to get away with far less hay, if you can’t eliminate it altogether.
Wow Duchess! That is pricey. Maybe you should just move. Alfalfa hay is much more expensive here, around $14 a bale grass hay runs from $3 to $6 for square bales depending on the quality. Big round bales are $35-$50 down here, I think they are a little more up by Frog. We ran out of hay last winter and fed a complete food plus the co-op had a dehydrated alfalfa that was $14.50 for a 50# compressed bag. I have an old mare that chokes also and we just soaked it for her. She cannot even eat the alfalfa pellets. She gets a senior diet that is a softer pelleted food that she does not choke on. If you got the alfalfa cubes, they are cheaper here $10 for 50#) you could soak those also for Prez and he would not choke. To bad you don't have any firends or family that are truck drivers and they could snatch some hay up for you from an area that is doing well in the hay dept.