How Many Eragrostis Bales Does a Horse Eat per Month?

A practical Pretoria yard guide for estimating monthly eragrostis hay orders by horse size, bale type, and wastage.

Start with forage intake

Many horses eat roughly 1.5% to 2% of bodyweight per day as forage, depending on workload, grazing, condition, and veterinary advice. A 500 kg horse may therefore need around 7.5 kg to 10 kg of forage per day before wastage is considered.

Horse type	Daily forage guide	Monthly forage guide
400 kg pony / small horse	6-8 kg	180-240 kg
500 kg average horse	7.5-10 kg	225-300 kg
600 kg large horse	9-12 kg	270-360 kg

These are planning numbers, not veterinary prescriptions. Always adjust for grazing, concentrates, workload, body condition, and your vet or nutritionist's advice.

Convert kilograms into bales

Round bales and square bales vary by producer, season, and compaction. Ask for an approximate bale mass before comparing prices. Add 5-15% for handling, weather, and feeding wastage, especially where hay is fed outdoors.

One 250 kg round bale may cover roughly one average horse for most of a month if it is the main forage and wastage is controlled.
Two horses may need two or more comparable round bales per month depending on grazing and waste.
Small square-bale users should calculate by kilograms, not just bale count, because bale weights differ.

Want a Pretoria yard estimate?

Tell us horse count, rough weight, grazing access, current hay use, and delivery area. We will suggest a practical eragrostis load and delivery rhythm.

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