Horses not eating hay

[Elite Silkies]

I sprinkled the chopped alfalfa hay in it and worked it in and they ate it.

 

[seminolewind]

That alfalfa idea sounds real good. I think I'll go and get some. Two days ago I took the mound of hay they didn't eat and piled it somewhere else. Well, what do you think I see them eating?

Since this is going on, they are now nibbling on the wood posts and stuff. Will it ever end?

 

[davidb]

If they wont eat it and there's nothing else in the pasture, Please don't force it on them it might not look bad to you but a horse wont eat bad feed unless there's no other choice, Get them some more hat of feed them somthing else until you get that hay tested, Your horses will die if that's bad hay its not worth it

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Third or fourth cutting hay should be superior to first cutting, not "bland" like you put it. First cutting hay is typically much stemmier and has more seed heads, which are not as nutritious and actually less prefered by horses. Many people think seed heads in hay are a good thing, but they're actually not. The more seed heads the more mature the grass is, and the more stemmy and less nutrititious. Second cutting is good hay, because it is more leafy and doesn't contain as many stems, which horses like because leafy hay is much softer. It's usually also higher in nutritional value. Third or fourth cutting hay should be much like second cutting- less stemmy, softer, and more palatable.

You didn't say what type of hay it was though. Is it orchardgrass? Fescue? That could have a lot to do with why your horses aren't crazy about it.

 

[paulpig]

All your horses not eating it???? Not just one horse???? I would get different hay.......Mother Nature is very good at taking care of things. New hay is cheaper than colic surgery in my opinion. Advice from a man wearing a "Manure Movers Of America" sweatshirt this morning!!!!! Paul

 

[seminolewind]

The hay is either tifton or coastal. I'm thinking tifton. They ate it yesterday morning, last night, and this morning. Yesterday's got rained on. Maybe I should wet tonight's and see if that makes a difference

I don't want them to colic. If I thought there was anything wrong with it, I wouldn't feed it. I know what you mean about more than one horse not eating it. But it's my mare and her mule-daughter. If they leave too much tonight or tomorrow morning, I'll take some up to where we bought it, and talk to them about it, and bring another bale back with me and see.

I wouldn't even think "spoiled" horses, but my last horse did this for 19 years, every year at the same time. He was a real picky eater, caused me alot of grief-he was hard to keep weight on.

Aggie, I'll keep that in mind when the "new" hay comes out. Hmmm.