Estimating Winter Hay Needs

As cooler weather settles in across Central Texas, it's a good time to take stock of your hay supply. Underestimating winter forage needs is a common--and costly--mistake for horse owners. So, to help you plan with confidence, we'd like to share some guidelines for estimating how much hay your horses will need as pasture growth stalls or goes dormant.

Calculating Daily Intake

An adult horse at maintenance will consume between 2.0-2.5% of its body weight in total feed (hay and grain) each day. For example, a 1,000-pound horse fed a 100% hay diet would consume 25 pounds of hay each day.

Let's assume about four months of limited or no pasture--a common occurrence in Texas winters and a good starting point to avoid over- or under-planning. For those 120 days, a 1,000-lb horse eating a full hay ration would require 3,000 lbs (1.5 tons) of hay. That's the equivalent of approximately 60 square bales (approximately 50 lbs each) or 3.3 large round bales (approximately 900 lbs each).

Obviously, the higher the overall weight of each horse, and the higher the number of horses, and the greater the number of months without pasture availability, the higher your hay requirements will climb.

Grain supplementation helps, of course. If the same horse receives 5 pounds of grain each day, its hay needs would be reduced to about 20 pounds daily. So, over the same 120-day period, you would only need 2,400 lbs of hay (1.2 tons) -- the equivalent of 48 square bales or 2.7 round bales.

Other Considerations

Of course, these estimates assume good-quality hay that is fed in a feed so as to reduce hay waste. According to one estimate, hay fed straight on the ground rather than in a feeder can lead to increased waste. Consider these numbers:

• Square bales fed on the ground - approximately 13% waste
• Square bales fed in a feeder - 1-5% waste
• Round bales fed on the ground - approximately 57% waste
• Round bales fed in a feeder - 5-33% waste

Making sure you account for anticipated hay waste ensures you don't under-supply. Likewise, you'll want to keep in mind that hay requirements may increase suddenly with cold snaps during the harshest winter months, depending on access to shelter. When in doubt, it's always better to be prepared with more than you need.

Of course, our stores are well-stocked with only the best-quality, locally sourced hay, and our team is standing by this winter to make sure your animals are well-taken-care-of. Stop by today and we'll be more than happy to serve you!

NOTE: This post is adapted (with permission) from content proudly brought to you by our partners at Nutrena and Cargill Animal Nutrition. The original article appears here.