Advice on feeding haylage please

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TallSue

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Can anyone please advise me re feeding haylage.
One horse had to have soaked hay last year for his respiratory issues and vet has advised i give him haylage this year. After trying to research this issue i still have the following questions. He lives out in a herd of three so all three will have to have haylage.
1. How do you feed haylage in the field.
2. If haylage has more water than hay, do i need to feed more haylage (lots of advise i read suggests they need less but that doesnt seem to make sense).
Any advice/experience welcome please.
 
1 Feed it in the same way you would hay, on the ground/ in nets or some form of feeder.
2 You are correct as it has a higher water content you need to feed more in order for them to get the same amount as they had in hay although the feed value can be higher so they may in theory require less most people would give more haylage and reduce hard feed.

I feed it to mine in the winter but don't weigh as they have pretty much adlib although I keep the ponies restricted or on soaked hay, your vet is absolutely correct to advise using it in preference to soaked hay I have one that could not cope with hay, however well soaked, he is fine on haylage, it does seem to be so much better for reducing respiratory problems.
 
Just to clarify, in relation to the water content, you should feed more haylage by WEIGHT but the VOLUME fed remains the same. (All other factors being equal).
 
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