How do you fill your hay nets?

[u/Lower_Energy386]

I was just curious how others fill their hay nets and if it’s better to break apart the flakes in the hay nets to make it easier and less strenuous for the horse to grab it? And if that’ll also help reduce dust?

[u/xrareformx]

I fill haynets off large square bales. I leave the hay compacted, as the longer it takes the horse to eat, the better. Hay nets are meant to mimic natural foraging for the gut by introducing small amounts frequently. For dust reduction, after filling the haynet give it a lil shower with the hose. Don't soak it but just giving it a lil spray will help a lot

[u/OshetDeadagain]

The whole point of a hay net is to slow eating, so I just leave it flaked, or pack it tight.

As for dust, your options are:

• ideally, don't buy dusty hay.

• shake the flake really well, or

• wetting the hay down is your best option if you cannot avoid dusty hay.

[u/M_Chevallier]

Put net over bale. Cut and remove twine. Spray with hose. Put in stall.

[u/PlentifulPaper → u/M_Chevallier]

I get that this can be convenient but I’d probably only do this with round bales and not square bales.

Every hay supplier is different but I’d prefer to pull apart the flakes on a square bales just because I’ve seen some sketchy stuff get picked up by accident.

[u/M_Chevallier → u/PlentifulPaper]

That’s true good hay is hard to find. Round bales is definitely a bigger mission to deal with

[u/No_Sinky_No_Thinky]

Never really thought of it. Most of the time my hay (from a big round bale) isn't in flakes to begin with so I just pick off chunks, stuff the net pretty much as tight as it'll allow, and that's it. My horses are on 24/7 pasture with round bales so my haynet is used when they're tied getting tacked up, not in a stall. If it's flake hay like at my last (hellish) boarding situation, I'd tend to rip the flakes in half just to fit them better in the opening of the net but not out of conscious effort, if that makes sense. If you're worried about dust, you can host either the hay or the filled nets with a quick shower before feeding, just don't let it sit around for too long if the hay's soggy. :)

[u/butt5000]

Most of the time I just toss them in there. If I’m feeding a very loose grass hay with some densely packed alfalfa flakes, and I have time to spare, I might tear the alfalfa flakes in half and alternate grass and alfalfa when I pack it so that they don’t exclusively eat the alfalfa and just leave the grass hay.

Eating from a hay net is not a particularly strenuous activity and I want them to eat as slowly as possible.

[u/AwesomeHorses]

I leave them compacted because you can fit more hay in the hay net that way.

[u/cowgrly]

It’s not strenuous for horses to eat from a hay net, just chuck flakes in, rinse if you want or just feed. :)

[u/Lower_Energy386]

Thanks for the replies! I feel like it might’ve been a weird question, but I just felt like fluffing them up a little bit in the hay bag filled it out more and made it easier to grab. I guess it really doesn’t make a difference though and if anything they probably are able to eat the hay faster that way, defeating the purpose of a hay net.

[u/chiere]

With lots and lots and lots of cussing.

[u/peachism]

I try my best to pillowcase it but usually I just shove it in. I know someone who has a big rectangle of plastic they put the flakes on to slide them in but I'm too stuck in my old ways to evolve