This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below:
HorseAdvice.com » Horse Care » Equine Nutrition, Horse Feeds, Feeding » Equine Nutrition an Overview of Feeding Horses »
  Discussion on Rocks in the hay
Author Message
Member:
Sunny66

Posted on Sunday, Nov 20, 2005 - 3:32 pm:

new batch of orchard hay...nice hay... has rocks all through it. If they were all large ones I wouldn't post, but some of them are TINY.

Do I need to go through each flake and shake out all the rocks? Or will the rocks just go through his system if he accidently eats the tiny ones?

Do I need to worry about anything intestinal here?

Common sense tells me no since they are forever shifting things and picking and choosing what they eat in the pasture...but I just wanted to make sure...I don't need another issue if I'm wrong here :-)
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Nov 21, 2005 - 7:34 am:

I think you are right they will fall out as the horse eats the hay. But if they don't they may accumulate in the large bowel.
DrO
Member:
Sunny66

Posted on Monday, Nov 21, 2005 - 10:26 am:

Thanks Dr. O!
Member:
Frances

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 22, 2005 - 6:28 am:

Aileen, I would be a tiny bit worried about the possibility of enteroliths. Don't they tend to form around something hard, much as pearls form around grit in oysters?

Lynn
Member:
Sunny66

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 22, 2005 - 11:00 am:

Not to worry Lynn, I'm a shakin' that hay :-)
Member:
Suzeb

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 22, 2005 - 1:05 pm:

You might want to have a chat with the "Hay Producer or Supplier" and voice your concerns.
Are these round or square bales?
Perhaps the machinery that picks up the swaths was set too close to the ground.
If it were me and I was paying by the pound or tonne, I don't think I would find this acceptable.
As you know my horse has COPD issues and if there are little rocks and gravel in the hay, there is certainly going to be dust.
Member:
Sunny66

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 22, 2005 - 1:30 pm:

That's what is odd, Susan...the hay is great! Green and soft, no dust or mold...weird that it has so many rocks. I'll call them today, but unfortunately the quality of hay has already deteriorated around here! So I think I'm stuck. Hopefully the other 14 bales (square) won't be so bad.
Home Page | Top of Page | Join Us!
Horseadvice.com is a BBB Accredited Business. Click for the BBB Business Review of this Horse Training in Stokesdale NC