How to maximize feeding hay in pastures

Typically, throwing hay on the ground creates a lot of waste as horses walk all over it, or the wind blows loose hay away. When you think about the cost of the hay and the addition of the labor it takes to haul it, stack it, and store it, the amount of money lost by wasted hay can be significant. Confining hay within a horse-safe feeder can help you eliminate the amount of hay that gets wasted.

Investing in a pasture hay feeder can be worthwhile to recoup some of your wasted hay costs. Outdoor hay feeders allow you to take advantage of providing your horses with free-choice hay while minimizing the hay that gets wasted. Besides just conserving hay, there are other advantages to using a hay feeder vs feeding directly on the ground.

Some of these advantages include:

> Cuts down on the breeding grounds for insects provided by the collection of wasted hay on the ground in damp & wet conditions.

> Ground feeding can also significantly increase a horse’s intestinal parasite load

> If your feeder is covered, it provides shelter to your hay from dampness(mold) and direct sunlight(bleaching).

> Eating a feeder instead of directly off the ground reduces that ingestion of dirt or sand. This greatly reduces chances of colic due to debris in the GI tract.

Cashman’s has created a well-designed, and sturdy all-weather pasture hay feeder. They had the consumer and your horse’s safety in mind when they designed their feeder. There are no sharp edges, no harsh corners, or any metal that sticks out that may cause injury. The roof of the feeder is one large piece, allowing the rain or snow to actually run off the roof instead of on the hay. The large, rounded windows are large enough to easily slide a square bale through, instead of having to lift up the entire feeder. This alone gives you flexibility. This allows you to feed round bales if you desire, or square bales if you need to limit hay intake.

Overall, round bale feeders are a cost effective, valuable source of feeding, and more efficient than simply placing hay bales in the field. When hay feeders are used, they can be a great asset and can reduce the amount of work needed to feed horses adequately. While also reducing the amount of wasted hay, less time can be spent worrying and more time enjoying your horses.