# Round bales VS. square bales



## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Here are several recent threads about exactly what you are asking....
You might get a better feeling for is it worth it...
How much waste is there...
How do you clean up after a round bale...
How long do rounds last....
Is it any savings to do rounds over squares....
_http://www.horseforum.com/horse-nutrition/round-bales-vs-square-bales-go-691273/
http://www.horseforum.com/horse-health/round-bale-feeder-686826/
http://www.horseforum.com/horse-health/round-bale-one-horse-654009/_

I currently have 2 horses, down from 4....
After speaking with those who feed rounds, watching and figuring out the cost and waste amounts... _I do squares._
When you figure up to 1/3 of a round is waste,...that pretty much = the price of squares which I can control portion size, can dispense in slow feed nets with less waste and assure myself of exactly how much hay is being consumed.

It is a individual preference what to feed and use...
I have the tractor needed to move the things and clean up afterward....
I still see so much waste that to me it is a waste of money and a lot more work for me afterward to right the mess the horses make.
My pasture is now in & growing so I also feed only about 1/2 a bale a day between my horses.

Decisions, decisions, decisions....
:runninghorse2:....


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## BarrelracingArabian (Mar 31, 2010)

I use square bales but have a hay net so I feed morning and night about 3-4 flakes each time. I go through a small square bale depending on how tight it's packed about every 4-5 days. She eating more now so I've bumped her up a bit as I want to keep hay in front of her as much as possible but have no place for a round bale.


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

I use round bales. But my horses are not on free choice hay. I feed off the round bale. I do this for a couple reasons. My one gelding has heaves. And also to prevent waste. So I don't have a round bale feeder, etc. They just get hay chucked over the fence for them. I used to buy squares, but I'm not really set up to store square bales, plus they were getting far too expensive to buy. 

We have a flatdeck trailer, so we are able to pick up our own round bales. And stored on their side, they keep better outside. The first couple layers are usually garbage, but i still find them more economical than buying a bunch of squares.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

The problem with feeding a round bale to just two horses is that it would take so long for them to eat it all that a lot of it would go to waste. You are also risking mouldy hay if it rains on it. I've also been told that round bales can hold more moisture and heat in the centre, being so big. It might be more work to haul out a new bale of hay every day, but at least you can keep your hay dry and just take out what you need on a daily basis. 

I drove by a farm yesterday where they had stuck a big round bale in a small paddock with two horses in it. They had pretty well torn it all apart within a few days, spread it all over the muddy paddock and yesterday, one was rolling in it and the other was passed out, sleeping on its side on a thick bed of hay, LOL. Makes a nice bed, but not the best way to keep your hay clean and dust-free! I'd think the only way to efficiently feed round bales is if you're feeding a lot of horses or if you have them under some kind of roof.

Editing to add I just read cbar's post and this would work. One barn I know of feeds this way. The round bales are stored indoors though, and they just use a pitchfork and unroll hay which they put in stalls or paddocks for the horses. That way, they can still portion them out and keep the rest of the bale from going to waste.


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## Uze (Feb 23, 2013)

Don't they make different sized round bales, too? I mean I know some are like 900 pounds are more, but my neighbor who owns a bunch of cows said they make smaller ones too? I personally use 2-string square bales. I live on my farm alone, so all the work that has to be done, has to be done by me. I simply don't have the ability to handle large round bales and until I get my strength up, I'm not sure I can handle 3-string square bales either. The 40+ lb 2-string are enough for me. I buy 12 at a time, and I'm feeding 1 full size horse and 2 miniature ponies. (But the miniature ponies are eating different hay that I'm trying to get rid of.)

Also I barely waste any hay because my minis will eat literally anything and all the hay that gets dropped on the floor of my shed, I gather it into a hay net and leave it in the minis where they eat is slowly.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

We wasted a lot of hay this year because our round bales got rained on. If they are in a good, safe feeder and under shelter, it would be really economical. 

I will use the round bales next year anyway due to the labor saving issue.

You just have to realize that when the bale is not fresh, you have to put out a new one.


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## david in md (Jun 13, 2013)

I feed round bales to 4 horses but I have a haysaver feeder with a hay net which is undercover. I also have a tractor to move bales and load the feeder. Waste is almost zero. If you have to feed a round bale outside on a pallet or in a box or low feeder that you can load from a pickup truck you're going to have a lot of waste even with a haynet.


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## JRoyalimage (Aug 21, 2015)

cbar said:


> I use round bales. But my horses are not on free choice hay. I feed off the round bale. I do this for a couple reasons. My one gelding has heaves. And also to prevent waste. So I don't have a round bale feeder, etc. They just get hay chucked over the fence for them. I used to buy squares, but I'm not really set up to store square bales, plus they were getting far too expensive to buy.
> 
> We have a flatdeck trailer, so we are able to pick up our own round bales. And stored on their side, they keep better outside. The first couple layers are usually garbage, but i still find them more economical than buying a bunch of squares.


That's actually a good idea. I can just pull from the round bale and use their hay nets. 

My gelding always chases off the mare when she comes to eat (although she is the fatter of the two) so I always end up having to take hay and give it to her in a separate area.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

cbar said:


> I use round bales. But my horses are not on free choice hay. I feed off the round bale. I do this for a couple reasons. My one gelding has heaves. And also to prevent waste. So I don't have a round bale feeder, etc. They just get hay chucked over the fence for them. I used to buy squares, but I'm not really set up to store square bales, plus they were getting far too expensive to buy.
> 
> We have a flatdeck trailer, so we are able to pick up our own round bales. And stored on their side, they keep better outside. The first couple layers are usually garbage, but i still find them more economical than buying a bunch of squares.


That is what I do at two places. At a third place, we keep older horses and the staff there feeds small squares because they can handle those better. They tell me pitchforks do not fit in their hands. :icon_rolleyes: They are good gals. 

At one place we feed eleven full-size horses and keep 7 minis for a woman. At the other where we use rounds, we are feeding anywhere from 5 to 15 horses, depending on what work is being done. Usually five horses, though.

There is a guy who wants to sell me all squares. I dunno. What am I going to do with all that orange twine? I've already braided enough door mats for every door years ago and they wear very well!


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