Big bale haylage - how long does it keep (wrapped)?

[Crazydancer]

We have 2 big bales of haylage, still wrapped with the wrapping intact. We are not going to use it this year now, so does anyone know how long you can keep wrapped haylage? Will it be ok until autumn? I've never had the problem before - usually stretching it out so we don't have to buy more.....
It's outside so will be in the sun going through the summer. If it won't last I'm not sure what we can do as we can't shift the damn things they're too heavy!
Thanks in advance.

 

[JillA]

I start the following season with what is left from this, and one year I had so much surplus I sold the following years crop and fed last years all winter. I can't see any reason why it shouldn't last much longer even, if the wrap is good and not holed.

 

[Shay]

If the wrap is good it should last - but if there are pin holes or tears you can't see then it might turn. Given you can't shift them anyway it is probably worth at least trying to keep them. You've lost nothing if they turn.

 

[Crazydancer]

Fabulous, thanks. The bales are on the driveway to the field, and although not in the way, would be best moved if we knew they wouldn't last, so would have approached the supplier to see if they could help. The supplier seemed to have used a good amount of wrap on the ones we did use, so will look at getting some plastic sheet as extra protection in the meantime.

 

[Dry Rot]

I've fed three year old haylage but it did have six layers of wrap. That is the key point. If the air is kept out, it will last indefinitely. Some bales had white mould through them, so I gave them to a neighbour for his cattle - then later discovered he'd fed them to his liveries! So I fed them to my Highlands as a bit of research revealed that the white 'mould' is in fact a harmless fungus. But if the haylage goes black and stinks, that is dangerous and poisonous. Your horses will tell you, unless they are starving, so offer an alternative and see what they do. I used the bad bales as wind break behind a fence after removing the plastic. Not much goes to waste around here!

 

[nikkimariet]

It will deffo keep till autumn!