|
| Author |
Message |
RoperAB
Rancher
Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Posts: 1435
Location: Alberta
|
 Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 7:58 am Post subject: Round Bale feeders for horses |
 |
|
Do they cut back on the dust say compares to feeding loose hay into large tractor tire feed bunks?
I have to do something different. Another one of my horses is starting to get a little cough.
If I go to cubes its going to be expensive!
|
|
| Back to top |
|
kolanuraven
Rancher
Joined: 27 Jul 2005
Posts: 7865
Location: planet earth
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 9:15 am Post subject: |
|
|
We found out that the cough/snotty nose cause for my old horse was polyp in his nasal cavity. It seems they're pretty common.
But, he's sooooooo old and in otherwise good shape and I'll keep him anyway till the day he dies I decided to just let it be for now.
But, Vet told me it's a pretty simple thing to diagnose and treat on a younger horse....could that be cause of yor horses cough?
|
|
| Back to top |
|
Faster horses
Rancher
Joined: 11 Feb 2005
Posts: 9495
Location: MT/SD
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 9:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
We sure don't like feeding horses in a bale feeder. It seems to us that they start eating and eat down deep into the bale, inhaling any dust that
is in the bale. We really try to feed dust-free hay, but don't always manage to do that.
The best way to feed hay is on the ground so the dust falls out of it as the horse goes through it, or at least the horses aren't directly inhaling the dust. Bale processors get rid of a lot of dust. But I doubt if you would want to do that. If you water the hay, you need to do it 24 hours prior to
feeding to get rid of the spores. (I didn't know this for 55 years.) We
can't do that in the winter time here, of course.
When our horse training friend called from Texas yesterday, he
mentioned that all the horses there seem to be coughing just from
all the dust in the air, on the hay, etc. It's tough to escape dust
this year.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
the_jersey_lilly_2000
Rancher
Joined: 16 Feb 2005
Posts: 7388
Location: South East Texas
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 9:35 am Post subject: |
|
|
| We feed round bales to the horses in ring feeders and have never had a problem, but maybe it's the level of humidity we have ???? keeps down on the dust. I've never noticed ours eatin a hole like you mentioned faster horses. Course most of the time they are sharin it with the cows. ??? dunno, never had any problem feedin round bales to em.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
Faster horses
Rancher
Joined: 11 Feb 2005
Posts: 9495
Location: MT/SD
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 9:40 am Post subject: |
|
|
Horses have such delicate lungs, it is easy to have a problem with them.
Maybe your humidity helps, I don't know.
I know big horse outfits don't feed hay in round bale feeders
because there is too many problems associated with them.
We have a bale feeder in a corral and let the horses in there for
a short time everyday, since everything is so dried up around here.
But it's only for a short time every day. And we don't have any
coughing horses, or we wouldn't do that even.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
the_jersey_lilly_2000
Rancher
Joined: 16 Feb 2005
Posts: 7388
Location: South East Texas
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 9:50 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Maybe too it has to do with them gettin to graze green grass durin the winter along with the hay??? Never gave it much thought. Ya know, that's one more thing, difference in area may have a whole lot to do with this. Always learning new stuff huh
|
|
| Back to top |
|
Broke Cowboy
Member
Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 366
Location: With The Herd
|
|
| Back to top |
|
OldDog/NewTricks
Rancher
Joined: 24 May 2005
Posts: 2035
Location: The Dam End of Silicon Valley
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 1:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Faster horses wrote: |
| If you water the hay, you need to do it 24 hours prior to feeding to get rid of the spores. (I didn't know this for 55 years.) |
Thats a New One Me! Tell me more!
I'm careful to just water (with a water can) what the horse will eat at this meal. (I add Molasses to the water) (Helps the horse clean-up the Hay) (Molasses helps make the dust stick to the dirt floor) (also helps with Sand Colic)
If you water the hay, 24 hours prior to feeding that will let the spores Develop.
Made sure you take any left over damp or wet hay out of your feeder before Mold Spores Develop.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
RoperAB
Rancher
Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Posts: 1435
Location: Alberta
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 4:08 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| kolanuraven wrote: |
We found out that the cough/snotty nose cause for my old horse was polyp in his nasal cavity. It seems they're pretty common.
But, he's sooooooo old and in otherwise good shape and I'll keep him anyway till the day he dies I decided to just let it be for now.
But, Vet told me it's a pretty simple thing to diagnose and treat on a younger horse....could that be cause of yor horses cough? |
What is polyp?
Remember the other colt that had the problem? I put him on pasture for a few days and then he got better. Then I put him in the corral and he started coughing again. Then I put him on pasture and sold him.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
RoperAB
Rancher
Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Posts: 1435
Location: Alberta
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 4:16 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Faster horses wrote: |
We sure don't like feeding horses in a bale feeder. It seems to us that they start eating and eat down deep into the bale, inhaling any dust that
is in the bale. We really try to feed dust-free hay, but don't always manage to do that.
The best way to feed hay is on the ground so the dust falls out of it as the horse goes through it, or at least the horses aren't directly inhaling the dust. Bale processors get rid of a lot of dust. But I doubt if you would want to do that. If you water the hay, you need to do it 24 hours prior to
feeding to get rid of the spores. (I didn't know this for 55 years.) We
can't do that in the winter time here, of course.
When our horse training friend called from Texas yesterday, he
mentioned that all the horses there seem to be coughing just from
all the dust in the air, on the hay, etc. It's tough to escape dust
this year. |
Well this hay im useing is pretty much as good as can be bought in the big bales. Really its not dusty. But there is a certain amount of dust because they burry their heads into it to eat the fines first.
I have been feeding on the ground like you descibe for the last couple of days and that Mare did not cough when I rode her today.
The problem with feeding on the ground is the ground in the corral is very fine and dusty. The horses want the fines so im sure they are eating a certain amount of dirt as well as alfalfa fines. Im worried about sand colic. Plus they waste so much when I feed it this way.
Watering the hay is just not an option for me.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
RoperAB
Rancher
Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Posts: 1435
Location: Alberta
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 4:25 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Well I borrowed a ring feeder for round bales lunch time today.
Hard to describe it. I didnt like the ones for bulls. They were opened at the top like a tombstone for horses but the openings for the head and neck looked to wide. The ones for cattle were all different. Probable most of these feeders were ancient that I was looking at.
Anyway I grabbed one for cows that looked the safest to use with my colts.
I think this is going to be the answer for dust but im kind of concerned about accidents with my horses. The bars are at an angle so if they raise their heads quick they will get a warning before they hit that top bar. This one is sort of shaped like an hour glass so they will probable hit their necks instead of their heads if something scares them.
Anyway time will tell if this works or not.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
kolanuraven
Rancher
Joined: 27 Jul 2005
Posts: 7865
Location: planet earth
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 4:31 pm Post subject: |
|
|
A polyp is like a little extra growth of tissue. The are ususally round-ish, bump like or can even have a stalk that anchors them into the membranes.
It occurs in mucous membranes and will irratate the area. L ike with my horse....it's what keeps his nose snotty cause the polyp irratates the membranes in his nose.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
I wish!