ad-lib hay or not?

[julz]

Just want to get others veiws.

senario... one cob type 15.2hh shares feild with two shetlands.. normally in the winter the shets only get a handful of nuts and a slice of hay each a day.. cob gets 2 slices hay a day plus a bigger handful.. though if he's in regular work gets more nuts.

Since it started snowing, they havent had any more. they have the run of two decent sized feilds but grass is long gone, and with the covering of snow (about 4-5 maybe more) inches... Owner of shetties still say no more feed and maybe a bit more hay but on no account must they have ad lib... Reason.. she had a shetty before and was overfed, took colic and died. She's had these two for ten yrs and are in good fettle, but this is worse winter for 20yrs... there is NO grazing/pickings. after they've had the two haynets they get between them, one largish, one middle size, they would be standing for maybe 22hrs at most with nothing.

This screams bad feeding to me.

anyone else?

BTW the supply of feed and hay is kept in a hay barn at shets owners place...miles away, she controls it. only puts leaves enough for me to feed on the days im there... so i cant give more even if i felt they needed it.

[Mellymoo]

Ours are all ad-lib at the moment because of the snow, even the fatties. They are not getting any bigger, they are slimming off if anything! Hard feed has been upped this week.

[julz]

see.. i think even one big round bale of hay would do them til the snow goes..... i mean how fast could a 15.1hh cob and two shets get through it?? the horses in the opposite feild have three bales of haylage between.. 6 big horses, a pony and two shets.. and lasts them roughly a week

[lilaclomax]

Not a good situation to be in.. Shadow has 4 biscuits between 2 haynets of cheaper hay and 4 sections of this year's hay in his manger every night, he is in from 4pm until 8am (ish). The remaining hay from one of the haynets then gets put out into the field for the day, works out about 2 biscuits of hay per horse as each owner puts out the same. The hay in the fields lasts for around 4-5 hours leaving 3-4 hours for them to wander around and pick at whatever they can. He is now his ideal weight and I have upped his feeds to 2 a day to ensure that he keeps condition on.. the hay is only replacing the grass they would be eating.

Could you not ask to fence off a small area for the day and give him more hay before turning him back out at night with the shetlands and the current amount of hay?

[julz]

not really as she wont bring enough hay up. I think it's a bit mean as cob's owner pays her share of the hay/nuts too

[julz]

yep, i know what you think, and i think the same....

[julz]

Dec 31, 2009 20:54:35 GMT 1 asbo said:

it lasts us 4 days max at the moment , thats 7 big horses, a sec a and 2 shetties.

you know what i think, they should be ad lib, i passed them today looking down right miserable, poor souls where covered in snow and unhappy

who did i miss out?? I included.. R, J, M, D, T, S, F, G, Toff that's 9 beasties...

[lindaandrascal]

I think i would give half they hay in the morning and half at night so they dont go so long without. Our shetland used (hes out on loan now) to get add lib hay when it was snowing like this and there was no grass, he never got fat. They need fibre to keep warm. I would give them at least half to a full bale between them. Our welsh b gets nearly half a bale in really bad weather.

[lindaandrascal]

In that case they need it more than ever.

[julz]

no, they arent young... she's had them 10yrs, but not sure how old they were when she got themm....


asbo - i forgot Minty!

[julz]

either homer or mack

Minty Moo....