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Round Bale Vs. Square Bale

boboren
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Jan 21, 2006, 12:59 PM

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Round Bale Vs. Square Bale	Can't Post

I have read different articles about round bales vs. square bales for horses. Some say round bales are not good for horses, and others say they are fine. Do any of you feed round bales and if so, do you keep them covered so they don't get wet from rain and/or snow?

Also, my horses will be 2 years old in April. Should they have around the clock access to hay? I now feed one bale a day for the two of them, along with 2 and a half cups of grain. If I stay with square bales, does this seem to be enough hay for them?

I have about 8 days of hay left and I need to look for more pretty quick.

Bob Oren
Semper Fi

CJuneau
Bronze Member

Jan 22, 2006, 10:13 AM

Post #2 of 13 (1725 views)
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Re: [boboren] Round Bale Vs. Square Bale [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi Bob!
The round bale vs. square bale dilemma will probably never end and you will get many different opinions about which is better to use. The bottom line is hay quality and ease of use. I tried using timothy mix round bales once and it was a disaster.The hay looked great on the outside but was quite dusty inside. I much prefer the ease and convenience of square bales.(You can also monitor the hay quality much easier with sqaure bales as you can check the entire bale for spoilage...with round bales, they hay may look good on the outer layers and indeed be moldy inside without you knowing). Yet I know of many that feed round bales here in PA and they like them as they can put it in the field, offering 24 hour access to hay(which is a bonus, especially for young horses). Most of the people I know that use round bales do not cover them, thus they get rained on, snowed on etc. To me, the hay looks nasty and I wouldn't feed it. My horses would walk away from wet, rained on hay, leaving wet stuff for me to clean up in the field.
Depending on how big your square bales are, you may want to offer them as much hay as they will eat without wasting.(This is what I do with my horses in the winter as we don't have any grass here in PA right now) So, splitting a bale between the two of them may be enough if your bales weigh 60-70 pounds). 2 and a half cups of grain for growing horses doesn't sound like very much. Do you mean 2 1/2 quarts?
If the 2 year olds that you have look good and are growing at a healthy rate, you may not want to change a thing. Blush

Christina

boboren
Member

Jan 23, 2006, 8:09 PM

Post #3 of 13 (1704 views)
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Re: [CJuneau] Round Bale Vs. Square Bale [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks. Guess square bales are best in the long run.

As far as grain, I feed Omalene 200 and give each horse 2 and 1/2 cups in both the morning and night for a total of 5 cups a day. Do you think this is not enough? I had been feeding them about 8 cups a day and they started to look a little fat to me. When the vet came to give shots, I asked for advice and it was suggested to cut down to 2 cups a day. This was what I did until the cold weather came.

I am not that trained about horses but they don't look like what I would call skinny. Other than running in the pasture, that is all the exercise they get right now. When other pressing problems get taken care of, I will be working with them in the round pen when I can.

Bob Oren
Semper Fi

CJuneau
Bronze Member

Jan 24, 2006, 7:57 AM

Post #4 of 13 (1696 views)
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Re: [boboren] Round Bale Vs. Square Bale [In reply to]	Can't Post

Bob,
I think you made the right decision to use the square bales. If your horses indeed look good, I wouldn't change a thing. What breed are they? I ask this because you may have nice easy keepers. My QH cross mare is an easy keeper and only needs enough grain(about 2 cups a feeding, basically enough to mix her flax seed in and supplements). On the other hand, my TB's need more like 2 1.2 quarts per day to keep weight on them. Just watch them over the winter and continue to offer free choice hay. With a young horse, a good rule of thumb is it is OK to feel the ribs if you press firmly on the side of the horse, but you don't want to be able to see the ribs. This can be tricky to monitor in the winter with thick coats, so try it and see what you think. Smile

Christina

boboren
Member

Jan 24, 2006, 1:48 PM

Post #5 of 13 (1689 views)
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Re: [CJuneau] Round Bale Vs. Square Bale [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi Christina,

I am not completely sure of the breed for my two filly horses. They came from Kentucky thoroughbred farms and were the result of mares being bred only for their milk that could be given to expensive foals. It appears:

03-19-04 Ky.Mtn/Saddle Now between 850-900 pounds
04-05-04 QH/Ky.Mtn Now between 950-1,000 pounds (Has light color mane and tail and muscular like a Quarter-horse.)

Maybe as you say, they are "Easy keepers". I don't have enough hay right now to see what they would go through in a day if I give it to them on a "Free choice" basis. When I get more, it will be a good experiment.

Bob Oren
Semper Fi

CJuneau
Bronze Member

Jan 24, 2006, 4:22 PM

Post #6 of 13 (1683 views)
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Re: [boboren] Round Bale Vs. Square Bale [In reply to]	Can't Post

Bob,
How nice that you adopted two nurse mare foals! I think it is a shame that those babies are taken from their mothers prematurely.
My girls were all PMU foals and I place between 40-60 foals each year.
I'd love to see pictures of your horses as they sound lovely. You certainly have a handsome Shepard! Smile

Christina

Cowboydoc
Member / Moderator

Jan 30, 2006, 8:39 PM

Post #7 of 13 (1649 views)
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Re: [boboren] Round Bale Vs. Square Bale [In reply to]	Can't Post

We only feed square bales to the horses in the stalls. Horses in the pasture and for the turnout areas it's all roundbales. As long as you get good quality hay there is absolutely no downfall to it at all health wise. Horses are very smart and they don't gorge on hay. They will self-regulate themselves so it is no different than being on pasture. Most horses will do much better on free choice hay as this is how their bodies are designed. Roundbales are especially beneficial if you have multiple horses. Feeding squares there is always a fight no matter how far apart you spread the hay.

The downfall for the small owner is ease of use and weather. We are putting bales out every couple of days and at most once every couple weeks. As long as you put the bale on the side they protect themselves from the moisture pretty good. If you had to leave one out for longer than a couple weeks I might rethink it as it could start to get a little bad with alot of moisture. I have also seen several guys with only a couple horses just build a little shelter to put over the roundbale feeder.

Cost wise there is no comparison. In our area squares go for $2.50-$4.00/bale at a cost $100-150/ton. Rounds rarely go for more than $40/ton. Even if you have some waste you are still way ahead in the price department.

boboren
Member

Feb 4, 2006, 12:37 PM

Post #8 of 13 (1623 views)
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Re: [Cowboydoc] Round Bale Vs. Square Bale [In reply to]	Can't Post

I appreciate your comments. And, I am and have been a daily reader of TractorByNet and I have read and enjoyed your many helpful comments concerning your experience with tractors and other miscellaneous ranch/farm items.

As I only have two horses, it is impractical at this time for me to get round bales. However, when warm weather comes, I will probably build a place where I can put a round bale under some protection and then sparingly use square bales in the stable. As of right now, I haven't figured out how big it should be and how much it would cost to build a protected place for the hay.

Not only would using round bales be a plus financially, I like the idea of the horses having hay available as free choice.

Thanks again,

Bob Oren
Semper Fi

boboren
Member

Feb 4, 2006, 12:41 PM

Post #9 of 13 (1622 views)
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Re: [CJuneau] Round Bale Vs. Square Bale [In reply to]	Can't Post

Christine- I will have to get some help with my wife to get some pictures of the horses, Naja and Niabii, but I will do so. Thanks for the compliment on Joschy. He is an amazing German Shepherd in both looks, blood lines and physical capabilities.

Bob Oren
Semper Fi

CJuneau
Bronze Member

Feb 4, 2006, 3:50 PM

Post #10 of 13 (1618 views)
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Re: [boboren] Round Bale Vs. Square Bale [In reply to]	Can't Post

Bob,
I look forward to the pictures!
I think if you build a covered area for your round bales, they would be a good choice as you would not have to worry about spoilage. If you would like, I have a friend who uses them and can get some dimensions for you. She has a run in shed that is 12X24, no divider and she puts her rounds in there for her two geldings.
Thanks for your service to this wonderful country! Sly

Christina

boboren
Member

Feb 4, 2006, 7:02 PM

Post #11 of 13 (1614 views)
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Re: [CJuneau] Round Bale Vs. Square Bale [In reply to]	Can't Post

Christine,

Please do send me the dimensions and if available, the approximate cost to construct a covered area for round bales.

Also, I appreciate your kind remark.

Bob Oren
Semper Fi

CJuneau
Bronze Member

Feb 11, 2006, 6:44 PM

Post #12 of 13 (1578 views)
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Re: [boboren] Round Bale Vs. Square Bale [In reply to]	Can't Post

Bob,
My hay supplier has round bales that are about 4x4 and he said the sizes can range but that is probably a good place to start. He charges $25 each. As far as building a hay feeder, you may wish to put it on the back burner as you may not need one. If you have 2 horses, you can put out a round bale if the weeks forecast is fairly nice.That way the hay won't ger ruined by weather.
The round bale will probably last a week for 2 horses. If the weather isn't so nice, you can feed the squares. My friend who uses the rounds does tarp hers if the weather gets bad and she brings her horses in.She loves them in a drought as she just keeps putting them out. Like I said, they aren't for me, but if you are willing to cover them and can store them inside then I would try it. If you can buy one to start and just make sure the hay is good in the middle. You can also ask the Hay guy if he stores them undercover. I would imagine in VA where you are there are some good suppliers! Shocked

Christina

boboren
Member

Oct 29, 2006, 7:50 PM

Post #13 of 13 (1101 views)
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Re: [CJuneau] Round Bale Vs. Square Bale [In reply to]	Can't Post

My supplier of square bales does not have any this fall for me. However, he does have an abundance of round bales. So, I went back to this thread to re-read what everyone said earlier in the year. Since early this year, I have talked to a lot of people and read a lot about round vs. square bales. I found it was probably about 60/40 for square bales. I still don't want to use round bales so quess I will look elsewhere for hay.

If anyone has different thoughts, I would appreciate it.

This part is for Christina- When re-reading this post, I see where I promised you some pictures of my horses. I have some sent to me by e-mail from my wife. I don't know how to include them in this forum. If you can tell me how to do that, I will try it. Otherwise, my e-mail address is: boboren19@yahoo.com If you want to e-mail me, I will send them to you.

Thanks,

Bob Oren
Semper Fi

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