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Post by samamber on Jan 3, 2008 15:08:30 GMT 1
I usually use normal long bales of hay for my lad, but just thinking about this bad weather we're due and considering getting a round bale to put in the field. That way, I'm hoping that it won't get as trod into the ground and will last longer than a couple of cuts will. I'm also hoping the lady who shares the field will go halves with me.
We can buy some round bales from the yard but I was wondering how many small bales would be roughly equivalent to a round bale? Anyone know? I've not used round bales before.
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KateD
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 1,066
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Post by KateD on Jan 3, 2008 15:32:41 GMT 1
Hi Sam,
Not much help I know, but I started at my new livery yard in mid-September and bought a round bale then, and needed a new one about two weeks ago. That was filling two haynets a night - nothing to go in the field. The bale cost me £18.
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Post by samamber on Jan 3, 2008 15:44:09 GMT 1
Thanks for that Kate, that sounds good. The bales I'm looking at are £18 too. I normally pay about £3 per bale for the small bales and find that I need to give my lad about 3 cuts a night (he's a big boy) so it might work out cheaper buying a couple of round bales.
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Post by jen1 on Jan 3, 2008 17:45:27 GMT 1
we make our own haylage round bales and small bales too, we have a super baler that packs about 20 bales of hay into one round bale, the normal size round bales,you would be looking at about 15,we sell our super bales at about £25 per bale
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Post by samamber on Jan 3, 2008 17:51:54 GMT 1
Thanks Jen, that makes it even better value as 15 normal size bales would cost me £45. It'll be ideal for the field and I can still get some smaller bales for the stable.
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big e
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 2,055
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Post by big e on Jan 3, 2008 19:56:05 GMT 1
my bales come very tightly packed in round bales and are probably 14-16 bales and cost £20 including delivery BUT unless you have a round hay feeder, alot of it gets wasted as they dig it out, wee on it and sleep on it and then don't eat it.
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Post by lizzypeg on Jan 3, 2008 22:04:25 GMT 1
id echo what big e said, unless you have a feeder ring then a lot gets wasted. we put a round bale in with 5 ponies(3 are 14hh and 2 are 12hh) and it only lasts them half a week.
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Post by dreamchaser on Jan 4, 2008 1:00:25 GMT 1
I put a big round bale in a field of 3 native neverending eating natives and it lasts a week. It works out way cheaper than putting slices of hay out each day. Yes they do make a mess and leave some when they have trashed it. Put I rake it up and put it on the poo pile for removal.
Are the round metal hay feeders safe? I wondered if they would do damage when the herd leader is chasing the others off and they have to escape quickly???
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Post by Diane with Sam & Jubilee on Jan 4, 2008 1:03:40 GMT 1
I put a round bale out with my 3, in a ring feeder, and it lasts 4-5 days. If you keep moving the feeder round the field, you'll find it reseeds itself too.
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