Author Topic: Hay (Read 2853 times)

ThomasR · « **on:** August 11, 2014, 04:53:05 pm »

Hi
How much sould be paying for a big bale of hay, straw and silage, and how much for small bale? How much hay on average would you need to feed a ewe in lamb to twins over winter

? The winter would be an average scottish winter.
Thanks

Badger Nadgers · « **Reply #1 on:** August 11, 2014, 04:59:02 pm »

Small bale hay is £3 around here, slightly less if you can collect straight from field.
Large bale is £24 or so.
Obviously differs if you're buying per ton at auction.
Personally I wouldn't feed silage to sheep. Large bale might go off before your sheep have had chance to eat it.
Can you move large bales where you are?
Wouldn't worry too much about price, more about quality and it being in the right place when you need it.
Can't comment about quantity as it depends on your weather, breed etc.

Hellybee · « **Reply #2 on:** August 11, 2014, 06:17:54 pm »

Small bale hay we got for £3 quid ea delivered, small bale haylage £6, round wrapped haylage £30 delivered.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #3 on:** August 11, 2014, 06:51:10 pm »

Feeding over winter depends on breed/size and what else they have available.

We worked on one small bale of hay feeding 40 pregnant Swaledale ewes (for one day) when they had plenty of moorland to forage on. They'd start needing the hay after Christmas, and start to leave it as the grass came towards the end of March. They'd be getting cake as well from early February.

Commercial white sheep will need up to twice as much hay as the Swales.

If keeping indoors they'll need more, perhaps 50% more.

These numbers are based on good heavy bales, about 40 to the tonne.

When calculating your winter fodder requirements, don't forget your lambing requirements. Any sheep indoors to lamb and with lambs will need hay

ThomasR · « **Reply #4 on:** August 11, 2014, 07:20:53 pm »

Thanks for all the replys. Hellybee where are you based?

Hellybee · « **Reply #5 on:** August 11, 2014, 07:47:12 pm »

Pembrokeshire, near cardigan

shep53 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 11, 2014, 08:07:05 pm »

On paper the theory goes something like

your ewe lambs should eat about 0.5kg hay per day ( your field has a lot of rough grass to eat over the winter and peebles has reasonable winters cold but not severe and not seriously wet ) and a small bale of good quality hay is about 25kg maybe need hay dec to mar 120 days? starting small increasing jan /feb then tailing off again , but depending on feeding method maybe another 50% wasted and of course all weather dependant as to consumption . Hay will of course store for next year if unused

ThomasR · « **Reply #7 on:** August 11, 2014, 09:44:23 pm »

Thanks again for all the replys

Bramblecot · « **Reply #8 on:** August 12, 2014, 06:23:07 pm »

If you are feeding hay outside, IMO it is really worth investing in a metal hay rack to keep it off the ground and mainly dry. The waste is caught in the tray underneath and you can put that back in the rack. Any hard feed can go in the tray too

.

ThomasR · « **Reply #9 on:** August 13, 2014, 02:11:24 pm »

My grass in the field is too long and It needs topped, how much would it cost to top a 4-5 acre field?

Buttermilk · « **Reply #10 on:** August 13, 2014, 05:00:42 pm »

Quote from: zwartbles123 on August 13, 2014, 02:11:24 pm

My grass in the field is too long and It needs topped, how much would it cost to top a 4-5 acre field?

My old man charges £20/hr for small fields as often they are fiddlier than large fields.

ThomasR · « **Reply #11 on:** August 13, 2014, 09:32:11 pm »

Ok thanks that is considerably cheaper then I thought how much would you say for hay or is best just to top it so that I have good quality grass for next year.