Hay

[ladawna]

Another question.. How far in advance do you buy your hay and how do you store it to keep it from getting ruined? Currently we have been boarding our horses so have not had to worry about it. When I owned horses on my land before we had plenty of hay and didnt have to worry about buying in quantity. Hay is at a premium here and I would like to start getting some now.

Thanks,

[Starlight Ranch]

Starlight Ranch, we buy ours from a hay farmer we trust each summer. Normally get first or second cutting. We have a barn just for the hay so it's high and dry, it stays green year round, so not a problem if you have good storage and the hay is not sitting on the ground.

Suggest on a concrete, wood floor or can use pallets to keep it off the ground.

[ladawna]

I imagine it is getting late in the year to get any really good hay. But we are building the barn first and the tack room before the house.. (got the priorities right). Need to have it ready for the first cuttings in the spring.

[Starlight Ranch]

You might find some but would look for warn stored if you can. Depend on the area you are at, hard to find in our area this time of year.

[imromeo]

i live in north mississippi and hay is so hard to find this year and when you do find it its anywhere from 30.00 to 50.00 bucks a roll but i was lucky and had a friend that had just enough to let me have 7 rolls . the mini donkeys dont eat that much one roll will just about do them 30 days with the other feed i give them and i get the hay from him a lot cheeper,, good luck.

[ladawna]

does the round bales have to be covered in the field (like a run in shed). Since we only have 2 horses I am concerned that more will go to waste than they can eat before it molds.. etc?

[imromeo]

it would be best to have it under something but most of the horsemen here just puts it in the pasture and they eat when and how much they wont.