Why the texture of your hay matters:
with 0.5” & 1” net Handy Hay Nets™
When feeding animals using nets that have the 0.5” or 1” hole size it is important to pick hay that is coarse enough to be pulled through the small hole size with ease. If the hay strands are too fine and short or very coarse and stiff the animals will have to work very hard to pull the hay through the holes. This can frustrate your animals and create holes in your nets.
Keep in mind that alfalfa (a legume) is the most difficult for animals to get out of small netting hole sizes. This is because the stock of the alfalfa tends to get stuck in the small holes, so animals have to pull a lot harder to get it out.
NOTE: it's important to clarify that this entry is about the texture of hay and not the quality or nutritional value of the hay. It is impossible to discern the quality of hay visually. The only way to do this is through a qualified laboratory.
This is a great example of the perfect hay texture for 0.5” and 1" Handy Hay Nets™ Slow Feeder Hay Bags.
And here is a close up of a really good texture for 0.5” and 1” nets.
This is fine hay, and it is very difficult for animals to get out of the 1/2" and 1" hole hay nets.
Coarse hay with alfalfa, is also extremely difficult to get out of 0.5" or 1" hole hay bags.
This video shows 2 horses eating from a Bale Bag with 1” holes. Notice how easy it is for the horses to get the hay out? This is what we want!
If you use nets with small hole sizes, we recommend having both 0.5” and 1” sizes on hand, in case your animals need to access their forage in very cold weather, or if you're noticing your animal is looking thinner than normal. If in doubt, experiment! Your animals will tell you what they need.
Want to know which netting size is right for your animals? Check out our Understanding Netting Sizes page for more photo references and information.
Some reasons for animals damaging nets could be that the animals have not been properly introduced to slow feeding systems, or health issues. For help with transitioning to hay nets, check out our Getting Started resource pages for horses and farm animals.
Want to download the information? Check out our printable pdf versions of all our resource pages.
Still feeling unsure or just want some guidance? Reach out to contact us with any questions. We are happy to help!
