DIY chopped hay?

[CM17]

I’m trying to keep a picky 26 yo gelding with waning teeth on some type of forage with a ration balancer. The vet and dentist directed me to transition him to pellets or cubes at his last float. I want to avoid feeding those formats dry, and he has refused for weeks to eat anything moistened except for small quantities of shredded beet pulp or soaked hay. I graze him at a neighbor’s a couple of times a week, but we only have winter/spring grass available in this area and there’s been so little rain in CA this winter that will be gone soon.

So I have resorted to chopping my own hay (Orchard), having found locally available bagged product to be mostly dust. Any tips on how to do this most efficiently? Other ideas?

[wsmoak]

I started this thread recently about my setup which is working well: DIY chopped hay

[LovieBird]

What about Triple Crown Safe Starch? Chopping your own hay is an epic PITA.

[CM17]

@wsmoak thank you! I’ve found it hard to search multiple terms like this on the Forum. I have a less-industrial standing leaf mulcher on order from Amazon. Also some ear and eye protection, and collapsible yard waste bags. If it works well,I hope to do a week’s worth at a time. Weed trimmer with hay in a garbage can also works, but it’s a challenge for a short person like me to manage and there’s a “cyclone” effect My picky pony prefers this to everything else I’ve tried!

[CM17]

I’ve found TC Safe Starch bags to contain around 50% dust, which he won’t touch. Maybe because the amendments give it a much funkier smell than plain grass. I’ve found this to be true of all the bagged chopped products available locally. In any case, the dust component means I’d go through a 40 lb bag every every 2 days.

[LovieBird]

Ugh what a bummer. I do find that the bagged forages have a certain smell to them.

I will add that if you do go the route of chopping your own hay- make sure none of the line or anything breaks off in your hay. I used a leaf mulcher. That was one of the things I had to deal with along with the noise, dust and general mess. But, you gotta do what you gotta do .

[pony_baloney]

Someone on a different thread recommended a Sun Joe leaf mulcher. The first review is from a horseowner.

Amazon.com : Sun Joe SDJ616 Electric Leaf Mulcher/Shredder 13-Amp 16:1 Reduction...