With the lack of rain in Australia and therefore hay being more of a precious commodity than usual, using anything that can prolong the use and life of our hay becomes a valuable addition to the way we manage our horses and livestock.
No matter if you are experiencing drought, flood or just want to stop wastage, using a GutzBusta® with your round bale can reduce wastage to as much as 46%.
Putting a round bale out for horses, cattle, sheep, alpaca's and other livestock can be a great way to ensure your livestock have a continual hay supply, especially in drought conditions, or in winter when they need more fiber than the grass alone is providing. They are also a great way to minimize time and labor feeding stock and also great when feeding a large number of animals. BUT, the downside to round bale usage is that research has shown that by simply placing a round bale in a paddock that as much as 46% can be wasted. This wastage occurs from the animals stomping on the hay, pulling it apart, sleeping on it, using the bale as a toilet, and also being blown away in the wind.
We have had some wonderful testimonials from people, including one lady that stated that her bale used to last 5 days, but by using a GutzBusta® Hay Net their consumption stretched out to 2 1/2 weeks. This quickly amounts to massage savings in hay and the hay net quickly pays for itself.
We have just had 1 roundbale of 4x4 oaten hay last 3 mths in Spring 2019 as it wasn't overly palatable hay but was still there for the 3 horses to pick at when they wanted to.
Above: This shows a fresh bale of oaten hay with hay net applied which is now ready for consumption.
Above: This is a round bale with a GutzBusta® Hay Net on. It was slowly eaten down, but remained together. It shows minimal wastage and still had over a weeks grazing left in it. Without a net it would be wasted from this point on.
Above: After 10 days with 6 cattle and 15 sheep grazing on the net.... not much left and very little wastage.
Eating from their GutzBusta® Round Bale Hay Net. Note that the bale is still contained within the confines of the net even though it is over half way eaten.
Note: Cattle may rub their heads on the bale with netting on it and therefore rub their ear tags out on the net. Therefore you need to decide if a hay net will be suitable for your particular situation.