How Much Hay Can I Save?

Horses and cattle are notorious for wasting hay. With hay prices at record highs and bales in short supply in some areas, horse and livestock owners are looking for ways to save hay and make their dollar go farther. When it comes to big bales, hay rings and huts can only do so much in the battle against hay waste. With these products, animals can still leave many pounds of hay on the ground to use as a bed or bathroom. In addition, these types of feeders can be very expensive and require heavy equipment to move/load them. A Texas Haynet can be a game changer. Not only can it eliminate waste, but it can also help extend the life of your bale and nearly cut your hay bill in half.

Hay Savings

With a Texas Haynet, many owners get an extra 3-5 days out of a round or large square bale. That means if you typically go through 1 bale a week, you can expect that same bale to last 1.5-2 weeks when using our round bale hay net. Therefore decreasing the total number of bales you need each year. This rings true especially for horse owners. On average, horses will waste 60% of a round bale, but with a Texas Haynet they waste less than 10%. When you eliminate waste, you’re putting every penny into your animal instead of leaving dollars on the ground.

Initial Investment

In addition to a lifetime of savings, the initial investment in a Texas Haynet can be cost effective as well. Metal and plastic feeders like hay rings cost 2-3 times more than our round bale hay net. Meaning that the time it takes for a hay net to pay for itself (less than 1 mth) is four times faster than a hay ring (2 months).  You can recoup your cost and start saving more hay faster by using a round bale hay net (also fits large squares).

User Friendly

Another advantage to our nets is the ease of use. Metal and plastic feeders can be extremely heavy and aren’t user friendly if you don’t have a tractor/skid steer. Our heaviest net is 13lbs making it light weight enough to easily toss over a bale by hand.  Customers that don’t have a tractor can simply toss the net over the bale and cinch it up at ground level. On the other hand, if you do have a tractor the net is durable enough to withstand a tractor spear so that you can cinch the net up underneath the bale to get maximum coverage.

Intake

Many owners are concerned about their horse’s ability to get enough hay from a slow feed hay net. The recommended daily minimum hay requirement for horses is 1.5-3% of their body weight. A hay net still allows them to get up to 2.4% of the body weight in hay. Well within the minimum. Healthy horses with no underlying issues are able to maintain a healthy body weight while using a round bale hay net. In addition, animals learn to use a net fairly quickly and the self-regulation process can occur as fast as 2 weeks. 

Key Takeaways

There are many different feeders on the market. Hay nets are just one of the most economical ways to save hay. Here are the main takeaways in a nutshell:

• Most owners get an extra 3-5 days out of a bale.
• On average, horses will waste 60% of a big bale. With a Texas Haynet, they waste less than 10%.
• Pays for itself in less than 1 month.
• Light weight and easy to use. No heavy equipment or feeder required.