Have you ever seen a bale of hay with only one or two flakes? Or even worse, a pile of loose hay that looks like it could be easily picked up and carried away? This is called a flake-less bale!
Sadly, this happens quite frequently. A few companies will produce low quality hay to make money off of your hungry horses. They may not use good quality forage or enough to satisfy their nutritional needs which can cause health problems for your horse.
This article will talk about what causes such poor quality hay and how to recognize if your horse is eating it. It also talks about some easy ways to improve the quality of the hay you give your horse.
What are flakes and why are they important to feed your horse?
A bale of hay has several layers or “flakes” within it. The inner layer is usually chopped grasses or clovers that have been dried and packed together into a solid mass.
The next layer is often referred to as straw. This is due to its resemblance in color and texture to wheat straw which we commonly call hay.
Finally, the topmost layer is most likely finished fat or dried manure which helps keep the hay fresh and protected from the air.
When buying hay, try to buy a bale that has a sturdy cardboard wrapper around it. Also, look for shorter pieces of hay rather than large chunks.
History of hay
Historically, grass has been an integral part of human survival and growth. Before farming existed, most people lived as hunter-gatherers and ate mostly plants.
Grass is one of the most common crops grown by farmers around the world. It can be stored for many years without spoiling and is relatively inexpensive to buy.
Hay is the dried vegetative matter left over after harvesting grain or vegetables. There are two main types of hay – sweet (or soft) hay and dry hay. Sweet hay is made from cut down trees or bushes that grow very quickly. This usually happens during spring or summer when the plant grows at its fastest.
Dry hay is made from mature or dead vegetation and is much thinner than sweet hay. Both types of hay are typically dried using heat or natural convection currents, either mechanically or through the action of air.
When buying bales of hay, make sure they have not been watered before storage and that the plastic wrapping used to protect it from moisture has melted away. Also, look for small cracks and chips in the bale to ensure it does not contain any dry pieces that could spoil later.
How many flakes in a bale of hay
There are several types of people who throw away leftover food. The most common ones are students, working professionals, and food-loving individuals who have busy schedules and do not have time to cook or invest in extra equipment needed for cooking at home.
Another type is someone with a very tight budget that cannot afford to buy fresh ingredients to make new foods so they waste leftovers.
A third one is someone who does not like to eat meat and therefore has no use for all those bones and fat that come along with it. These individuals can often times leave their meal unfinished because there is nothing more to put into the empty space.
All these reasons are perfect examples of why throwing away your old food is totally unnecessary and wasteful.
Calculating how many flakes in a bale of hay
In this article, we will be looking at how to calculate the number of flake pieces you get from breaking up a bale of hay into smaller chunks.
If you are having trouble finding enough small bits of hay to feed your animal, there may be something going wrong with the way it is stored before it is broken down for consumption.
A bale of hay comes in very rigid plastic wrappers that contain all the needed components for growth. When it is time to start feeding, these wrappings need to be opened up and separated out so that they can be fed to your animals.
The process of opening up a bale of hay and getting started on eating requires large amounts of hay, which can sometimes be hard to come by. If you notice that your horse or cow is not responding well when trying to eat their normal amount of food, check to see if they are running low on either nutrition or energy!
This could indicate that they are suffering from lack of sleep, stress, or hunger. They might also just want to try and eat more than usual due to boredom.
Can I recycle my hay flakes
Recycling hay is not limited to only feeding it to your horses or composting it, you can actually sell it! There are many companies that buy bales of hay all across America, and even some that advertise how much money you make off of what looks like trash.
Hay is a natural product, so there are no regulations set in place that say you have to throw away the leftover pieces. You can either cut them into smaller pieces and re-sell them as “bale dust” or keep them intact and try to market them as “hay flake” products.
Some of these companies will take enough of the old hay for free, but most ask for at least one bale per person. This way they know that their business is not stolen by people trying to get rid of their waste.
What is a good quality of hay
Nutrient-rich bales of hay are your best bet for ensuring that your horse is well fed and thriving. A high nutritional content means you can use more of it to make up for what it does not contain.
Many horses’ owners choose to buy cheap, lower quality hay because it is less expensive. However, this may not be the most appropriate choice if you care about how your horse eats.
A low nutrient density of hay will create an imbalance in their diet which can have negative effects on feed intake, growth, and dental health.
It also cannot compensate for lack of nutrition by leaving your horse hungry or providing insufficient calories to maintain body condition. This can result in weight loss, poor coat and skin conditions, and eventually death.
As with any other areas of your horse’s life, investing in adequate nutrients for his diet is important so he does not suffer needlessly.
Tips for selecting your hay
One important thing to consider when choosing your hay is whether or not it has flakes! The number of flakes an individual sees in a bale is determined by how fast the hay dries out and ends up breaking down into smaller pieces.
Very few people prefer eating dry grass, so most vendors take special precautions to ensure that their hay does not have too many flaked bits. This includes using machines to cut and roll up the bales before they are stored away, as well as ensuring that the moisture content is low before packaging.
Some brands will also add additional nutrients to the hay after it is packaged to make it more appealing to animals.
Sample sizes of hay
There are many definitions for the word ‘flake’, but according to Thesaurus.com, one of the most accurate is someone or something that fails or lacks consistency. With this definition in mind, how much flakey hay do you need to make bale after bale?
I will not sugarcoat it – making a bale of hay can be quite tedious and time consuming! Even though there are machines designed to roll up bales of straw quickly, you should never use them unless you have a lot of bails ready and enough money to buy one.
Making your own bale of hay is a great way to save some money as well! Luckily, we have some helpful tips here for you to know…
The average size bale of hay is around 2-3 feet wide by 4-5 feet tall, which makes about 40–60 square feet of surface area per bale. This amount may seem small, but remember, this includes all of the space within the bale!
Surface Area = Width x Height
So if your bale is 3 feet wide then it would have an overall height of three feet, creating 30% more exposed surface area than normal bales.
This applies particularly to shorter bales where there is less straw filling the vertical space inside the bale. By exposing these areas to sunlight and air, they will begin to dry out and decompose, helping create stable compost.
Consider the source when buying hay
When looking to purchase bales of hay, make sure you are aware of what kind of grass they contain. What season do these bales come from? Does this site have an agricultural association membership or is it privately owned?
Does this site use green manure as part of their farming system? These types of plants are not seen as necessary during off-season months, so ask if those practices are used before investing in their product.
By knowing the answers to all of these questions, you will know how much flakey hay is really needed for your horses.