Colic from hay

[flaboy+]

I sold a round bale of hay to a lady the other day fore her horses. I wouldn't normally do this but she has 8 on an acre and a half so I felt sorry for the horses. I bale pretty clean, not dusty Bahia grass and keep it in a barn. I also supply my niece with hay from the same fields and cuttings. She feeds this to three horses. Now, I get a call from this lady that my hay gave her horses colic. I went and took a look and one may have had some minor colic but the others seemed fine. She was told that if the grass was heavily fertilized it will cause colic. I personally have never heard this but... I sure don't want to sell anymore if it will cause folks problems but like I said my niece feeds it to her horses and her horses and they do just fine. Her horses would not eat the feed store hay so I gave it to my cattle.

I gave the lady her money back but am curious as to what you folks think.

 

[Crowderfarms]

I sold a round bale of hay to a lady the other day fore her horses. I wouldn't normally do this but she has 8 on an acre and a half so I felt sorry for the horses. I bale pretty clean, not dusty Bahia grass and keep it in a barn. I also supply my niece with hay from the same fields and cuttings. She feeds this to three horses. Now, I get a call from this lady that my hay gave her horses colic. I went and took a look and one may have had some minor colic but the others seemed fine. She was told that if the grass was heavily fertilized it will cause colic. I personally have never heard this but... I sure don't want to sell anymore if it will cause folks problems but like I said my niece feeds it to her horses and her horses and they do just fine. Her horses would not eat the feed store hay so I gave it to my cattle.

I gave the lady her money back but am curious as to what you folks think.

I'd say a more likely scenario, would be for her to get her head examined for having that many head on that size lot. They probably are eating rocks. You're a lot nicer than I am. The fertilizer has nothing to do with it. All our Horse Quality hay comes off highly fertilized fields.

 

[flaboy]

'd say a more likely scenario, would be for her to get her head examined for having that many head on that size lot. They probably are eating rocks. You're a lot nicer than I am. The fertilizer has nothing to do with it. All our Horse Quality hay comes off highly fertilized fields.

Well, at least I am not loosing my mind. I had never heard this before so I didn't say anything about the fertilizer as I had heavily fertilized it. I didn't want to sell it to her but she said her horses wouldn't eat the feed store hay and I knew she had 8 on the 1 1/2A. I did tell her when she can't get any this winter don't bother to come to my place. In the mean time my nieces horses are tearing it up with no problems. Thanks for the reality check Crowder.

 

[J]

'd say a more likely scenario, would be for her to get her head examined for having that many head on that size lot. They probably are eating rocks. You're a lot nicer than I am. The fertilizer has nothing to do with it. All our Horse Quality hay comes off highly fertilized fields.

Well, at least I am not loosing my mind. I had never heard this before so I didn't say anything about the fertilizer as I had heavily fertilized it. I didn't want to sell it to her but she said her horses wouldn't eat the feed store hay and I knew she had 8 on the 1 1/2A. I did tell her when she can't get any this winter don't bother to come to my place. In the mean time my nieces horses are tearing it up with no problems. Thanks for the reality check Crowder.

Going for the Guru after all?

 

[Alan]

I agree with what crowder basicly said, it's more likely the horse (s) coliced from the change of diet not your hay. We also get all of our horse hay from highly fertilized fields. I would say it wasn't the store bought hay the horses wouldn't eat as much as the price of store bought hay and with round bales she didn't have to feed as often. I hate people that over load their small patch of land with horses they don't have the room for and usally the money for.

Back to the subject, horses will have mild colic pretty often, we just don't usally see it. Just simple need to "release" gas will make them bite and kick at their stomach until they "pass gas"

Some of this is JMO
Alan

 

[Crowderfarms]

I agree with what crowder basicly said, it's more likely the horse (s) coliced from the change of diet not your hay. We also get all of our horse hay from highly fertilized fields. I would say it wasn't the store bought hay the horses wouldn't eat as much as the price of store bought hay and with round bales she didn't have to feed as often. I hate people that over load their small patch of land with horses they don't have the room for and usally the money for.

Back to the subject, horses will have mild colic pretty often, we just don't usally see it. Just simple need to "release" gas will make them bite and kick at their stomach until they "pass gas"

Some of this is JMO
Alan

If it were'nt for highly fertilized, quality hay, our square bale sales would amount to zero.Anyone who has the stupidity to pack that many horses on so little land, aint right to start with., and cant give a darn about their well being.

 

[Beefy]

i agree with Alan. its probably more change of diet related. they probably werent used to bahia hay inthe first place. sounds like they are in a situation where the "pasture" is overgrazed so they could easily sand colic out there trying to eat too. Or they may have gorged themselves on the roundbale. Most horse owners frown upon putting round bales out for horses. Colic cases tend to go up this time of year, they think maybe b/c horses drink less water. but fertilizer didnt have an iota to do with it.

 

[maneside]

Well, I have to agree with all your comments. I have fed round bales of bahia hay for years, (as a supplement to my pasture) I feel that the buyer of your hay is NUTS :lol2: That round bale of hay was probably more roughage than those horses have had for a long time. They probably didn't have colic, but just stuffed there selfs at the buffet.... QUESTION: By chance?? was the bale of hay still accesible to the "COLICING horses" After you refunded the money, or is the bale still there????

INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW???

 

[flaboy+]

Well, I have to agree with all your comments. I have fed round bales of bahia hay for years, (as a supplement to my pasture) I feel that the buyer of your hay is NUTS :lol2: That round bale of hay was probably more roughage than those horses have had for a long time. They probably didn't have colic, but just stuffed there selfs at the buffet.... QUESTION: By chance?? was the bale of hay still accesible to the "COLICING horses" After you refunded the money, or is the bale still there????

INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW???

I had someone drive by later after I took the tractor over and moved it out of the way for them. I didn't bring it home because it was all messed up. The bale was gone when the guy drove by the next day. They had no way to move it. I suspect they sold it.
I think the reason they wouldn't eat the feed store bales is because they leave them outside in the rain and we have had a ton of rain down here. The feed store bales are 4x4 and mine a 5x6. Oh well, they won't get anymore for sure or the lady (yankee) that told her my caused the colic.

 

[flaboy+]

Going for the Guru after all?

I just signed on a diffeent computer that had "login auto set". I will probably screw up and sign on wrong enough times to guru up eventually!

 

[J]

Going for the Guru after all?

I just signed on a diffeent computer that had "login auto set". I will probably screw up and sign on wrong enough times to guru up eventually!

I sure hope so! :lol:

 

[Wilson_Cattle_Company]

I sold a round bale of hay to a lady the other day fore her horses. I wouldn't normally do this but she has 8 on an acre and a half so I felt sorry for the horses. I bale pretty clean, not dusty Bahia grass and keep it in a barn. I also supply my niece with hay from the same fields and cuttings. She feeds this to three horses. Now, I get a call from this lady that my hay gave her horses colic. I went and took a look and one may have had some minor colic but the others seemed fine. She was told that if the grass was heavily fertilized it will cause colic. I personally have never heard this but... I sure don't want to sell anymore if it will cause folks problems but like I said my niece feeds it to her horses and her horses and they do just fine. Her horses would not eat the feed store hay so I gave it to my cattle.

I gave the lady her money back but am curious as to what you folks think.

I'd say a more likely scenario, would be for her to get her head examined for having that many head on that size lot. They probably are eating rocks. You're a lot nicer than I am. The fertilizer has nothing to do with it. All our Horse Quality hay comes off highly fertilized fields.

I would have to agree with Crowder. They prolly' got Sand Colic from trying to get grass if any is there!

 

[bootsie]

Any feed changes need to be done slowly over at least a week. In my opinion it was not your hay. Just bad horsekeeping.

 

[flaboy+]

I suspected as much but I have not owned a horse in over 20 years and thought maybe I missed the boat somewhere on new things. I used to feed my horses the same hay cut from the same fields but I would square bale some just to make it easier to put out for them and less waste.

I think these horses were without any forage and only got some grain for some time before she came begging for hay. She got some from me last year and said the horses just loved it. Oh course so did the lady that told her my hay caused it. Now both are on my list of do not sell to. Like I said before, I don't need to sell it, my pigs will eat all I can put in front of them so I don't end up with surplus.

 

[Kelly]

I would say it is alot like us if we eat small meals all the time and then go stuff ourselves with a huge Thanksgiving dinner & pie for desert. I don't know about you but my stomach doesn't feel the greatest after that. Common sense should tell the lady that any hay not limited could affect a horse if they haven't had much roughage available to them and then can eat all they want and stuff themselves.

 

[Anonymous]

I sold a round bale of hay to a lady the other day fore her horses. I wouldn't normally do this but she has 8 on an acre and a half so I felt sorry for the horses. I bale pretty clean, not dusty Bahia grass and keep it in a barn. I also supply my niece with hay from the same fields and cuttings. She feeds this to three horses. Now, I get a call from this lady that my hay gave her horses colic. I went and took a look and one may have had some minor colic but the others seemed fine. She was told that if the grass was heavily fertilized it will cause colic. I personally have never heard this but... I sure don't want to sell anymore if it will cause folks problems but like I said my niece feeds it to her horses and her horses and they do just fine. Her horses would not eat the feed store hay so I gave it to my cattle.

I gave the lady her money back but am curious as to what you folks think.

Wish you were my neighbour - I would buy from you - complain and then after feeding get the cash back! :lol:

Kidding aside - we run a few head of horses here. They get what the cows get - and at the same time.

Round bales dumped on end for them. They stand over the bale and eat their way down into the centre. They live outside year round and are treated to no extras unless it hits minus 35 or 40 - then they get a bit of what ever grain I have on hand - usually corn but occaisionally oats.

Maybe we are foolish doing this, but they are the healthiest animals you can imagine. Local boarding outfit drops by once in a while and she shakes her head. But, it works for us and a pile of other folks on the land.

Bet those animals got too much sand in their guts.

Bez'

 

[flaboy+]

Bez' I think you are right. Years ago when I had horses they got what I gave the cows. I did feed the horses everynight because I used them to hunt cattle and to hunt deer off of.

Yeah well, I gave her money back because I wanted her to feed those horses not let them starve because she spent her money on my hay. I really didn't want or need to sell it. My cattle will eat every bale I put in front of them so I don't need to sell the excess.

Funny, the lady that told her my hay caused it used to buy several round bales from me every year for her horses. She told me that her horses went to my bales and ignored the feed store bale sitting 20 feet away. Well, she is on my list now also. :lol: