# Hay Storage and Pasture Maintainence



## catbelleman (Feb 16, 2015)

I'm looking at keeping two horses on about 2.5 acres of quality pasture 24/7 with access to a run-in and a lean to. However, I am having trouble figuring out where to store hay. In the winter months I anticipate going through about a bale a day if not more. When you don't have a barn where do you store your hay (we have fairly harsh winters if that effects answers)?

How do you recommend feeding 24 hour hay to reduce waste? In my experience when boarding I noticed most of the hay was soiled or the horses used it as bedding. My horse actually ended up getting a career ending injury when her leg was entwined in baler's twine from a round bale. 

Since the horses will be turned out all the time, should I be removing the manure or just dragging it and how often? What about in the winter, how often and with what do you remove/spread the manure?

I'll have one large pasture and a small secondary "pasture" that will mostly be used for riding. How can I keep the grass healthy? It's very luscious now as it has never had animals on it, I would like to keep the quality as much as I can. 

Thanks in advance.


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## Horseychick87 (Feb 5, 2014)

You'll definitely be going through a lot of hay in the winter with two horses.

The way you store it is affected by the size of the bales, the lay of your land, water run-off, and ease of access.

You could put a fairly large shed near the gate to the pasture and have the hay right there, that way if/ when it snows you'll have it on hand.

If it snows a lot in your area you could even keep a bale or two in your house/ garage, or car so you don't have to dig your way through the snow to get to it.

I'm big on completely removing the manure and since it'll be 2 horses on 2.5 acres it can pile up quickly if not removed. If it freezes to the ground a pick ax type tool is often used along with a good sharp shovel. I prefer daily, but can make due with weekly if I'm pressed for time.

To keep the grass healthy you'll have to stay on top of the weather and correct seeding/ fertilizing for your area. If the other area is for riding I'm guessing it's either grass or some kind of sand/ dirt footing. You could make it into a night time turnout if at all possible.

As for keeping the hay clean I'd use small hole hay nets in the run in or hay pillows which can be dropped on the ground.


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## Koolio (Apr 7, 2010)

Is there a reason you want to feed hay 24 hours a day? While horses are grazers and this is often recommend it isn't necessary. If you are set on feeding 24-7, I recommend feeding round bales using a tombstone feeder, but then you will need a tractor to move the bales.

I feed 60 lb square bales, about a half a bale a day per horse. I divide this into two feedings per day (one in the morning and one in the evening). If it gets really cold, I add a bed-time feeding. I feed on the ground with no issues and no waste. I purchased 2 12x20 tarp garages from Canadian Tire to store my hay in. With a tarp on the bottom and a layer of pallets over top, this works very well. I've haven't had a spoiled bale in 2 years.

As for manure, you will need to pick up or harrow in the summer. Keep your worm load down by picking up poop frequently and regular fecal testing / worming. On 2.5 acres, expect to lose your grass eventually unless you cross fence and create a smaller paddock to confine the horses to let the grass grow and prevent the horses from destroying the pasture with their feed when it is wet. At best, expect one month of full time grazing and the rest to have to feed some hay. Managing a small pasture and controlling weeds, fertilizing, etc is very time consuming. A portable electric fence will help rotate your grazing and extend the life of the pasture.

In winter, you will find it almost impossible to manage the manure, so plan to use a paddock/ sacrifice area. It is a good idea to have a run-in shelter and water in this space as well. (Home Hardware builds some decent and affordable shelters). I feed a salt block inside the shelter so it doesn't dissolve in the weather.

You will need to make sure the horses have water all the time, so a large tank with access to power for a heater in winter is a must. 

That is all I can think of for now. I hope it helps and good luck!


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## SueNH (Nov 7, 2011)

Round bales are the easiest and cheapest way to feed 24/7. When the snow gets too deep for me to move them out there with my truck I drop the bales in the driveway and peel off what I need and move via a big deep sled.

2.5 acres for 2 horses isn't much. They could eat it bald. I'd split the pasture in 2 so that one side can grow while the other is being grazed. Also have a small sacrifice pen for mud season. When all this melts it's going to be a mess. The grass is easily torn up when the ground is soaked and the grass is dormant.

I remove all the string from the bales when I put it out.

Remove the manure. Pasture is too small for dragging. Most horses won't eat grass that has manure on it. Mine roam almost 20 acres and they will not graze an area that was used as a toilet spot for a year. I suppose if they were hungry enough they would but with plenty of grass they don't touch it. Places where I've taken the manure and soil that builds up around the barn durning winter and spread it go untouched until the following year.

Manure removal in the winter is rough. I have a heck of a time keeping up with it. Plus with the normal snow pack it tends to sink down out of sight and freeze to the ground. When the snow melts I spend the first week going "OMG!!" until I can focus and not look up and just keep raking. The ground is soup those first few weeks. Still frozen down below so the water just hangs near the surface. Wheelbarrows bog down, trucks bog down. I still use the sled over the mud. Easier on my aching back. Plus who wants to try and pry up frozen piles of poo when it's -25 with the wind howling. I've had minor frostbite before it isn't pleasant.
A deep utility sled is indispensable. I have 2, a big one for moving hay and a smaller one I use to move manure. I tend to overload myself so the smaller sled keeps it somewhat easier.

They do make haynets for round bales but at $30 for 800lbs of hay I really don't mind if they waste some. Square bales of decent hay are around $6 here so the round bales are the better bargain by far.

If you have to store your winters hay you are going to need a shed big enough to hold it all. You also need pallets or a good floor to keep it from the ground. When the winter does it's nuts temps the average riding horse is going to eat a 50lb +/- bale a day. I lucked out and have a hay guy that wraps the clean, dry hay and stores them for me. When I need more I go pick up two and put them out. If you find a good hay guy he is golden. Keep him.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

I'm not suggesting building a barn bc they are expensive, BUT, my barn's loft can hold up to 500 bales. I've put that many up there, so I know.
A smaller building can hold a LOT of hay, but you need the bottom square bales to be on wooden pallets or on wood, or bottom bales will mold on you.
Here is a description of my loft to give you some perspective.
My loft has a steeply sloped roof and I can stack 11 bales high at the apex, then 10, then 10, then 9...YOU get the picture.
The dimensions on the floor are ~28' x 36' (reckoned, not precise,) and there is a hole in the floor, u-shaped accommodates the 11 steep steps and has a railing.

If you put up a building this size you will have an extra ~8' x 16'. 
I stacked 144 square bales on the side and you can see that I have to work using a roof. If you can stack 5-6 bales high you can see about ~300 more bales in those areas.

If you ran the numbers you could stack probably an extra 150-180 bales, which in my loft would be x2, therefore an extra 300-350 bales.
500 + 320 + 350 = ~2,000 bales that can be stored in a 26' x 36' building, just for perspective.
Hope this helps. =D


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

The horses will use the shelter only when the bugs are bad. After that the horses will prefer to bum up against an outside wall so they can watch for predators. There may not be any but they're certain there are. That is a good time to put your hay in the shelter and deny them access so they don't destroy it. I stuff small mesh hay nets at times and toss them out like pillows in clean snow. The nets need to be well spaced so one doesn't hog both. The nets slow down consumption and enables better digestion. No matter where you stack your hay be sure to place it on a double row of pallets on top of heavy plastic to keep ground moisture from being absorbed by the hay. Two rows allow air to move thro underneath. I learned that a single row isn't enough.


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