Other than leaving surprise eggs and eating it? Was just surprised someone did not seem concerned chickens were laying eggs on hay bales…would they leave errr less desiraable surprises behind that would not be healthy for the horses?
I definitely would not allow my chickens and goats access to the hay bales.
I would not want them pooping on my horse hay, sharing possible diseases they could be carrying. Goats will tear up your bales, only sampling the choicest bits, leaving a LOT of broken bales, loose hay behind that horses won’t eat. Knocking bales off the stacked hay piles. Goats get quite creative in messing things up when they can access various parts of the barn, vehicles.
You can close the barn so these loose birds and goats can’t get inside the barn, when you let them loose to catch insects or trim the fencelines. Or pen them up better to keep them contained and safe, away from your things.
I am not having loose animals around the barn anyway. Horses are fenced away and not allowed to touch or run in and out of the barn. Any other small livestock here, sheep, calves, is also fenced in their small fields, not allowed to run in and out of buildings. It saves me lots of extra cleaning, building damage, surprises. Goats I have known, kept loose, have caused quite a bit of damage to their owners vehicles using them as slides or toys to climb on. A couple owners had to pay damages when goats climbed on and damaged visiting friends cars.
we have both and yes you need to store hay away from them.
unfortunately, our roundbale is a little trickier to keep away from them once it’s out for the horses. the infuriating thing is they do exactly what goodhors above describes - they tunnel thru the giant 600lb bale while the horses are eating it and sample the best and poop and pee in the rest. :mad:
“they tunnel thru the giant 600lb bale while the horses are eating it and sample the best and poop and pee in the rest.”
I thought only my horses did that…
[QUOTE=omare;8873434]
“they tunnel thru the giant 600lb bale while the horses are eating it and sample the best and poop and pee in the rest.”
I thought only my horses did that…[/QUOTE]
the horses are guilty of it too but I can hardly blame the horses for being picky after finding poop pellets in their hay :eek:
