Kentucky Performance Products Nutritional Minute

• Feeding round bales without a feeder (placing them directly the field) results in 60% of the hay being wasted.
• Placing round bales in a feeder reduces losses to between 5% and 30% depending on the design of the feeder.
• Horses fed from feeders tend to consume more hay. Feeder-fed horses ate 2% to 2.4 % of their body weight in hay, while non-feeder-fed horses only ate 1.3% of their body weight.

This study shows that horses eating round bales not placed in a feeder may have trouble meeting their energy requirements even when hay is present.

Reference:

Round-bale feeder design affects hay waste and economics during horse feeding.

Martinson K1, Wilson J, Cleary K, Lazarus W, Thomas W, Hathaway M.

J Anim Sci. 2012 Mar;90(3):1047-55. doi: 10.2527/jas.2011-4087. Epub 2011 Oct 7.

Article written by KPP staff.

Copyright (C) 2015 Kentucky Performance Products, LLC.   All rights reserved.

Article sponsored by Micro-Phase, which provides essential vitamins and trace minerals missing from forages and unfortified diets in an easy-to-digest form.

When health issues arise, always seek the advice of a licensed veterinarian who can help you choose the correct course of action for your horse. Supplements are intended to maintain healthy systems and support recovery and healing. They are not intended to treat or cure illness or injury.

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