As temperatures drop and pastures become less productive, providing adequate hay for your horse becomes crucial. Understanding How Much Hay Does A Horse Eat is essential for maintaining their health and well-being during the colder months. This guide breaks down the factors influencing hay consumption, helps you calculate your horse’s hay needs, and offers tips to minimize waste.
Horses require alternative energy sources to maintain body temperature when pasture grasses slow their growth due to freezing temperatures. Forage utilization produces a greater amount of heat because of the higher fiber content. Fiber is utilized through bacterial fermentation within the cecum and large intestine. Considerably more heat is generated during bacterial fiber fermentation than during the digestion and absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, where grains are broken down.
Calculating Hay Needs: Considering Waste
When figuring out how much hay does a horse eat, consider waste from storage and feeding. Surprisingly, up to 40% of hay can be lost depending on the forage type, storage method, environment, and storage duration.
Hay stored outdoors is a common practice, but waste ranges from 5-35% based on snow or rain exposure to the bottom and outer layers. Storing hay indoors can cut waste by about two-thirds.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota conducted studies on hay waste, estimated hay intake, herd body weight change, and payback using different bale feeders.
Hay Waste Based on Feeder Type
The study found these amounts of hay waste and intake when feeding small square bales:
| Feeder Type | Hay Waste, % | Hay Intake, %BW |
|---|---|---|
| Basket | 3 | 2.4 |
| Hayrack | 5 | 2.4 |
| Slat | 1 | 2.2 |
| No Feeder | 13 | 2.2 |
When using a round-bale feeder or no-feeder, they found these amounts of hay waste and intake:
| Feeder Type | Hay Waste, % | Hay Intake, %BW |
|---|---|---|
| Restricted Access Feeders | 5-11 | 2.3-2.4 |
| Circular, Free Choice Feeders | 13-33 | 2.0-2.2 |
| No Feeder | 57 | 1.3 |
You can see the full results of “Selecting a small square-bale feeder” at https://extension.umn.edu/horse-nutrition/selecting-small-square-bale-feeder
You can see the full results of “Feeding Horses with a round-bale feeder” at https://extension.umn.edu/horse-nutrition/feeding-horses-round-bale-feeder
Calculating Daily Hay Consumption
Now that hay waste has been addressed, you can calculate how much hay does a horse eat this winter. Horses should consume 2% of their body weight in hay daily. A 1,000-pound horse should eat 20 pounds of hay daily. Some horses need more energy and require additional grain during colder months. Monitor their body condition closely, and “feel” your horse, as winter hair or blankets can be deceiving.
Horse eating from hay rack feeder.
Here’s a quick calculation, assuming a 1,000-pound horse fed hay from December 1 to March 31 (121 days):
1 horse at 1000 pounds x 2% BW = 20 lbs hay per day
20 lbs x 121 days = 2,420 lbs hay per horse
Account for hay waste. Let’s assume 5% storage waste because bales are stored inside and 5% waste from feeding small square bales in a hayrack feeder.
2,420 lbs x 1.05 (storage waste) x 1.05 (ground waste) = 2,668 lbs hay per horse
If hay is bought by the bale and each bale weighs 40 lbs, then 2,668/40 = 67 bales per horse for 121 days.
Key Takeaways
Understanding how much hay does a horse eat involves calculating daily needs and accounting for potential waste. Simple calculations help you save money and be prepared for winter. Paying attention to storage methods and feeder types are crucial. Remember to adjust the calculations based on individual needs and circumstances. For more information or advice, contact your local extension agent.
