# Baled Corn Stalks



## stormaq (Oct 26, 2008)

I really, really hope that someone can answer my question!
A family member is wanting to buy round bales of baled corn stalks. Will it hurt my horses????????:help:


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## kscowboy (Apr 27, 2008)

around here they are used for cattle filler , it'll fill em up buts that about it , not for horse feed


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## PNP Katahdins (Oct 28, 2008)

Good for bedding too. Just have better feed available for the horses to choose from.

Peg


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

I wouldn't feed it to horses. I've heard it can be tricky to feed to cattle and cattle tend to be more forgiving when it comes to feeding.


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

Due to our epic drought, ALOT of corn was baled this past year. I ended up buying some of it for my cattle..grass hay was scarce. I usually put out a corn bale and a grass bale and the cows eat the corn first..they love it. There is alittle waste with them..they guy I bought them from did a decent job chopping them..but Ideally I'd like to make them into silage..HOWEVER...I am feeding them in lower areas of my pasture, and it is helping to keep mud at a minimum and build up the areas. tested within safe for the nitrates levels and has 8% protein..which Im told is good for corn..I of course suppliment my cows with cubes and minerals.

The guy I bought them from said he was feeding his horse this stuff too..friend of mine tried to feed her horses it and she said they picked thru it, but didnt finish it. I wouldnt feed it to horses personally..cows (and sheep too) Ive had great success.


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## stormaq (Oct 26, 2008)

Thank you for the responses! I think I'll pen the horses up so I can give them better hay. I din't like the thought of feeding the horses corn stalks, I didn't know if it would be bad for them.
Thanks again!


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## tkrabec (Mar 12, 2003)

It has been my experience in this "great Texas drought" that 1 most of our local hay goes to Texas, and 2 our horses have eaten many many different types of hay as a result.
My experience has been that the thicker the grass is when it is cut the more important it is to get it dried before it is baled. We've had many different types of hey get moldy in a very short period of time. We're feeding hey mostly as forage/roughage, but mold still makes a huge difference in horses. I've been told that the mold does not bother the cows (don't have any to know for sure).


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## simka2 (Sep 27, 2011)

My horses get turned out on occasion with cows that are fed all sorts of different types of silage, corn husks, you name it. They honestly just avoid it. 

Right, now I have a salt grass round bale out there with them and they will eat that. It took them about 3 days to start eating it, but they have never looked better! (all the clover coming up could have something to do with that:grin I am really happy with it.


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

mold isnt good for cows..you wont catch me feeding moldy, rotten hay to them.

Granted, they can eat stuff I wouldnt feed to my horses..due to their better equipped digestive tracts..but they can still get sick from icky hay.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

Corn stalks are too fibrous for horses and you risk a blockage.

They really should not be fed corn cobs, either.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Horses can get botulism from silage, especially poorly made silage.


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

I don't think it would provide many health benefits to a horse. I would not expect them to live on it and I would be careful that it was baled well. I've seen tons of moldy corn leaves and stalks out there after the corn is harvested. Corn is one of the easiest things to mold and horses don't handle mold well.


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