When horse owners have issues finding hay in their areas, sometimes they have to explore alternative options for forage.

Whether you are going into winter in your part of the globe, or whether you are considering a change for next winter, there are several key points you should consider.

Remember to change slowly between batches of forage. You sometimes must do this even between large bales depending on the variation within the field and how sensitive to change an individual animal is.

The quality of the hay will affect its price. Harvesting methods, storage, and moisture will affect hay quality. You should not use either bale size if the DM is greater than 85% due to the risk of mold.

Botulism (forage poisoning) can occur when horses eat spoiled forage, according to the University of Kentucky. Dead animals accidentally baled in forage during harvest can cause botulism in horses. Hay baled with high moisture content is prone to Spoilage.

In cases associated with hay, horses eating round bales of hay are at higher risk of developing botulism. Horses consuming hay that is spilled on the ground and contaminated with soil and feces are at increased risk for botulism.

Small Bales

Generally, it is easier to store small hay bales out of the weather than it is to store larger square or round bales. Protect hay from the elements by covering it. Wet hay more easily molds.

Pros of using small bales include the following:

  • They aren’t as heavy as large bales. It’s easier to handle small bales. They usually don’t require equipment if moving one bale at a time.
  • Small bales often are fed to horses. Therefore, there are often fewer issues with chemical or weed contamination.
  • You can find a variety of forages available in small bales.

Cons of using small bales include the following:

  • Bales can weight 70 pounds (about 32 kg) or more, especially if they contain alfalfa.
  • Small bales are usually sold as a price per bale.
  • The hay costs more per ton with small bales because of the intensive handling required for harvesting, transportation, and storage.
  • Rain or snow can soak through small bales.
  • In some areas, it is harder to find small hay bales versus large square or round bales.

Large Bales

Large bales of hay often are harvested for cattle feeding. They come in multiple sizes and weights. Each bale can weigh over 1,000 pounds or 454 kb. They might weight more if they are alfalfa, which can weight 1,800 pounds or 817 kg for a large square bale. You usually will buy this type of hay by the ton rather than by the bale.

Pros of large bales include:

  • Large bales usually are cheaper by the ton compared to small bales, especially for round bales.
  • Large square hay bales come in several sizes to fit your needs. These range from 3’x3’x8′ to 4’x4’x 8′.
  • If you have equipment, you can move a lot of hay at one time for feeding with just one bale.
  • You can ‘flake’ hay off of the large square bales just like you do small bales.

Cons of large bales include:

  • Need for equipment to move the large bales.
  • Difficulty ‘stacking’ round bales.
  • Occasional contamination with weeds or mold that you can’t see on the outside of the large bale.
  • Need to cover the bales to protect them from weather (often with hay tarps).
  • There seems to be more issues with botulism in large round bales of hay fed to horses.

Handling Large Round Bales

As said above, the weight and size of large hay bales can cause difficulty in handling. You have to do some math to determine your hay needs. You must calculate the hay you need. Start with how much hay you currently buy at a time.

If a large bale weighs 1,000 pounds, then it equals 20 of the 50-pound small square bales. If the large round bale weighs 1,200 pounds and the small square bales weigh 40 pounds, then one large round hay bale would be equal to 30 small square bales. 

You can keep the large round bale outside the field. Stand the bale on its end and peel the hay off you want for each feeding and take it to the horses in the field. This will avoid horses wasting forage. Tie the remaining hay onto the bale or it will ‘unwind’ itself onto the ground. Dry areas work best for this type of feeding.

Storage and wastage losses for round hay bales are usually higher compared to small square bales. This is especially true if the round hay bales are stored outside and are fed without a feeder.

You can get a horse-style round bale feeder. The openings are different from cattle feeders to keep the horses from rubbing their manes off while eating.

Types of Hay

Many of the large square bales of hay are pure alfalfa or a mix of alfalfa and grass. The hay’s grass portion depends on where the hay is grown. Often it is a type of fescue or orchard grass.

The large bales of bright green alfalfa hay you see on tractor trailers going down the highway often are headed to dairy farms. Small bales of alfalfa often are going to feed racehorses or horses at breeding farms.

Again, you can get any hay in any size bale, you just might have to pay more depending on the market and the growing season that year. Drought and excessive rain can cause issues with harvesting and forage quality.

Final Words

Your budget, area, horse herd size and type, and equipment will determine whether you consider feeding large or small hay bales.

Don’t buy ‘old’ hay because of the price. Cut forage loses nutrients quickly. Vitamins (especially A and E) are the most quickly lost after harvest. Protein, energy, and mineral contents in hay usually are stable for one to three years depending on the initial quality of the hay and how the hay is stored.

Further Reading