Finding and storying hay can be a real challenge when weather
patterns affect yields. Here are some helpful hints on estimating
how much hay you may need, finding it and storing it.

For information on dangers associate with hay and forage grasses,
check out our article "Dangerous Pasture Grasses and Hay Crops."
Hay Resources SW/Central USAnew

HOW MUCH YOU NEED

    1) Figure our how much hay, in pounds, each horse consumes in one day. a 1000 lb. horse normally eats 20 lbs of good quality hay each day. Add extra pounds for colder weather, hard keepers, bigger horses, lower quality hay.

    # of lbs each horse eats x # of horses = daily pounds needed

    2) Multiply total pounds by number of days you need to feed. (Like from Nov. until May when the grass begins to grow) If you need over 2000 pounds of hay, convert to tons (total pounds/2000 = # of tons).

    Figure what you need like this:

# of lbs per day x # of days to feed = total lbs / 2000 = # of tons you need

    3) Subtract the amount of hay you have on hand. To figure it out weigh yourself holding a bale and then not holding a bale. Subtract the lower number from the higher. That is how much your bale weighs. Do that with a few bales then average the weight. That is the figure you use to find how many pounds or tons of hay you have on hand.

# of bales x bale weight in lbs = total lbs / 2000 = total tons on hand

# of tons you need - # of tons on hand = amount you need to buy

Places to Look:

• newspapers
• feed stores
• bulletin boards
• fliers
• road signs
• word of mouth
• County Extension Agent
• State Dept. of Agriculture
• Internet
• search engines [enter: Agriculture Hay Brokers]
• Leslie Neal National Hay Hotline
        Phone: 409.361.0067 E-Mail: leslie@maroon.com
• SE North Carolina Hay Directory
• Wyoming Hay Hotline Phone: 800.932.6336
• Internet Hay Exchange

STORING YOUR HAY

It is vital that you store your hay properly! Improper storage leads to mold, which can cause colic and even death in horses and ponies. Also, if it is hay cutting season, don't feed fresh cut alfalfa, it must cure for at least 90 days. Another alfalfa warning: crimped alfalfa that contains blister beetles can be deadly to equines. Have you alfalfa checked for blister beetles before you buy! The crushed beetles crystallize forming a chemical that causes horses terrible pain and even death.

Other hays to avoid: Johnson Grass - can have extremely high levels of nitrogen that can kill horses. Sudan and Improved Sudan - suitable for cows, not horses. Any hay grown specifically for cattle may have higher quantities of some nutrients that are not good for horses.

How to properly stack hay to
keep it from molding,
combusting and to help it dry
and cure properly.Your hay
must be OFF THE GROUND,
even if you have a floor in
your hay storage area. Use
pallets, old tires, plastic tarps
or some other moisture barrier
to keep you hay off the ground.
Ideal would be a plastic tarp on
the ground with pallets on top,
then hay. You can find pallets
for free in the newspaper and
in industrial areas. Be sure the
pallets don't have toxic chemicals
on them.

For fresh cut hay, stack it with
the cut sides up. This allows
moisture to evaporate more
easily. Leave a few inches in between bales for air circulation and stack your bales in alternating layers with bottom bales going one direction and successive layers alternating.

Stack the top layers in a roof or pyramid shape so when you cover your hay with plastic the rain will run off. Cover with plastic tarps and secure them against the wind. It is a good idea to cover the sides if you store it outside.

Rodents are also a concern. When using poisons keep them away from the hay itself - you don't want your horses to ingest contaminated hay. Traps are good, as long as pets can't get caught in them. Dogs and cats are good choices for keeping rodents and other unwanted visitors out.

Following the guidelines above should help you find and keep your hay fresh and nutritious for your equine friends.

Hay Questions and Answers

Dear Bonnie,

You wrote: I just read your article on storing hay. Coule you please tell me why the 90 day waiting period before feeding alfalfa ? My farmer friend does not believe me when I tell him it should cure for 4-6 weeks when feeding to alapcas, similar to llamas.

Fresh cut alfalfa is too rich for horses to eat without curing. The 60 to 90 days was a recommendation from our farmer who has years of experience. He said it is ok to feed it to cows, but NOT horses as they will colic or founder. As far as feeding to alpacas, I don't know, they chew cud like a cow, but, they may be sensitive to the richness of the hay. If you must feed the hay uncured, perhaps you could just feed a little at a time instead of, say, a whole leaf. Hope this helps. - Pam Hunter

Her reply:

Dear Pam

Thank you so much for responding. My farmer friend laughs at me no matter what I say about feeding my alpacas. I have tried to explain that if he bought a cow for the $20,000 that I pay for my females, that he would want to feed them properly also.

My hay that I just bought is beautiful, 1/2 alfalfa and 1/2 brome but alpacas should only have 10% alfalfa. We here in Ontario Canada are having a real problem even getting hay so I took it when I could so I will just feed less of this hay. I never thought I would see the day when I was calling grass beautiful :))

Thanks again for your help.

Have a great week !

Sincerely

Bonnie

This article may be reprinted on your web site if you include this entire paragraph when copying it to your site. Copyright 2004 - 2012, Pam Hunter, Hunter's Pony Farm http://www.huntersponyfarm.com

Hay, Hay, Hay!