elevan
Critter Addict ♥
Which do you prefer and why?
Hay - Round Bale or "square" flakes
- Thread starter elevan
- Start date
Renegade
Overrun with beasties
We feed horse quality round bales to our brood does. We have a large shed to put them under cover so they stay dry. For our show goats we use square bales so we can limit the amount they get.
Donna Finley
Finley Boers
Donna Finley
Finley Boers
ksalvagno
Alpaca Master
We use square bales because we have nowhere to store round bales and no way of moving them.
- Thread starter
- #5
elevan
Critter Addict ♥
I don't have anywhere to store an abundance of round bales but I am thinking of getting a couple... just wanted to know what people think of them versus the squares.
Beekissed
Herd Master
Square bales are easier for me to haul, store and feed.
Roll farms
Spot Master
I've read of 2 people losing goats to tipped over bales (on other forums).
One lady thought her goat had been stolen....found it under the bale a while later.
Of course, if you make sure it's flat, and if it was wrapped w/ cattle panel or the like (or put in a bale feeder) that wouldn't happen.
I can handle an 80# bale by myself, and 8 mos of the year I don't get any help....moving round bales in and out of gates w/out the goats escaping would be a bit of a challenge.
It would also help prevent so much waste, which is another reason why we don't use round bales...They worked fine here for horses / steers...not so well for goats. We always ended up w/ a big pile of uneaten / poop / pee-filled waste hay.
One lady thought her goat had been stolen....found it under the bale a while later.
Of course, if you make sure it's flat, and if it was wrapped w/ cattle panel or the like (or put in a bale feeder) that wouldn't happen.
I can handle an 80# bale by myself, and 8 mos of the year I don't get any help....moving round bales in and out of gates w/out the goats escaping would be a bit of a challenge.
It would also help prevent so much waste, which is another reason why we don't use round bales...They worked fine here for horses / steers...not so well for goats. We always ended up w/ a big pile of uneaten / poop / pee-filled waste hay.
- Thread starter
- #9
elevan
Critter Addict ♥
Wow...I hadn't even thought of the danger that a round bale could pose to the goats...
I had hoped that a round bale would result in less waste and not more from goats. But I guess it makes sense that I would be wrong in that assumption.
Thanks for the input Roll Farms.
I had hoped that a round bale would result in less waste and not more from goats. But I guess it makes sense that I would be wrong in that assumption.
Thanks for the input Roll Farms.
Roll farms
Spot Master
I have heard of people having success w/ it, by pulling the hay out and filling feeders by hand. I have a friend in MI who does that.
I don't have a dry place to store a round bale close to my feeders...and watching her, it looks like a lot more work than flipping a flake or two out of a square bale and spreading it out.
Some folks don't mind a pile of leftover hay when the goats are done w/ it....I just see $ lying there. If you grew your own, it might be easier to tolerate.
BUT...as always....do what works for you / your farm.
I don't have a dry place to store a round bale close to my feeders...and watching her, it looks like a lot more work than flipping a flake or two out of a square bale and spreading it out.
Some folks don't mind a pile of leftover hay when the goats are done w/ it....I just see $ lying there. If you grew your own, it might be easier to tolerate.
BUT...as always....do what works for you / your farm.
