Using Hay Nets Correctly-Not Always Easy
Despite the risks, hay nets ensure continuous and well-distributed food intake, which makes sense for horses who are former grassland residents. At the same time, it is important to remember that in principle, no horse will immediately cause damage to the throat or teeth due to dense hay nets. This is a gradual process when the horse’s posture is wrong and the hay net is in a disadvantaged position.
If you observe horses and their behavior and regularly move and optimize hay nets, you should reduce the risk of permanent damage. Because, of course, horses don’t always have easy access to fodder in the wild, so you may have to take an unfavourable feeding position. This is not a permanent condition at all.
Round net or hay rack with hay net
Round bales with hay nets are especially suitable for horses in open-air stables. If you want to keep hay racks in open-air stalls, or you usually refuse to feed from hay racks, you can use a large hay net to bundle a bale of grass. This reduces the feeding speed and gives several horses the opportunity to consume hay at an appropriate speed.
Even horses in a single box usually don’t feed loose hay, but instead have separate hay racks, which put hay several times a day. Hay poles may prevent accelerated picking up of hay, but this is not enough for some horses, so it is recommended to cover the hay rack with a net.
How much hay does my horse actually need?
Hay is essential when feeding horses, roughage is used to meet nutritional needs, and hay is eaten by hay for a longer period of time. Hay is also essential for the digestion of concentrates. Depending on the workload of the horse, hay should account for 55% to 100% of the daily feed requirement (the greater the workload of the horse, the more feed is required).
As a maintenance requirement, there should be 1.5 kg of hay for every 100 kg of weight. In other words, a 600 kg horse needs about 9 kg of hay per day.
Provide various forms of hay
It makes sense to replace loose hay and hay online. For very hungry horses, it will be helpful to sprinkle a small amount of hay before feeding the rest of the feed into the net. Then the first hunger was satisfied, and the horse ate the rest of the hay with less haste and hunger, so it could chew and digest normally.
Fill the hay net properly
This is an annoying topic: how can I fill hay nets as quickly and efficiently as possible, especially without causing a lot of confusion? The easiest way to get hay net filler. There are several options for hay net fillers: they can be fixed to the wall, and in most cases they can actually fold to the side. It is recommended to use a large, strong screw to secure the bracket so that it can withstand filling pressure. In addition, free-standing hay net packing or hay net packing with a hook device can also be used, and these packings can be quickly and easily installed in different positions.
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