Hay

[CTChin]

:run: Hello, I was wondering what was the most economical way to feed hay to a herd of over 10 chins? If packaged hay is recommended, where to you purchase?
Thanks,
Brenda

[MistyMeanor]

I buy my hay from http://www.oxbowhay.com I get 9lbs of loose timothy hay and then I buy my alfalfa cubes at a local feed store for $9.00 for 50lbs! the timothy hay lasts me a while and the hay cubes last me forever!!! I have 19 chins.

[~Leah]

The most economical way is to buy it by the bale from a local farmer or feed store. I pay $4-5 per bale for timothy hay. I also buy alfalfa cubes in 50 lb. bags from the feed store for around $10. When I can't find hay from a farmer I order from oxbow, but it costs me about 10x as much as buying locally.

[KK]

I too buy my hay from a local farmer, pay 1.00 bale for timmy/birds foot mixed bales, and 1.50 for pure timmy. I get alfalfa cubes at the feed mill for 9.50 a 50lb. bag and that lasts me awhile if used only for the chins :)

[Chrisanne]

Dang... I wish there were a local farmer here. I pay $15 for a bald of alfalfa from the feed store. :redface:

[KK]

HOLY CRUD !!!! GEEEEZ that's outrageous !

I can buy the HUGE round bales, yanno, like 1,000 pound bales for 15.00 !!! Only problem is where to keep it and of course it's not quite as nice as the smaller bales.

[Chrisanne]

LOL, I agree. That is outrageous. Until today I thought I was getting a great deal. ROFL

I don't even use the whole bale I buy, cause it isn't as fresh as I'd like to keep it. Soooooo... I give at least half the bale away.

[AudieV]

Don't feel bad Chrisanne,

I pay that for a bale of alfalfa too. The problem is, is that down here in the hot southern states where we don't get much of a winter freeze, it doesn't kill off the blister beetles. They infest alfalfa. Timothy is not grown here either so it is all shipped it. I can't even find a feed store that ships timothy, so I don't have much of a choice but to buy the $15.00 alfalfa that is shiped in.