Dry haylage

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scribble

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So I`ve just cleaned my trailer out ready to use again as I been storing my haylage in there over winter and obv all the haylage which falls out while filling nets was in floor. However far from going off it seems to just dried to hay. This got me thinking as our yard hay is rank can I use hi fibre haylage laid out to dry to hay to then feed when she uses the trailer etc or the odd night she might come in. I realise that you not supposed to feed haylage which been open more than 5-8 days but this is lovely nd dry as it’s hi fibre haylage that it seems to just dry to hay but without all the dust and rubbish that we have in our yard hay.
 
Open to being criticized and I haven't tried this myself... but I would have thought as long as it is dry, mold free and smells OK then it would be OK to feed. A friend on yard did loose a horse to botulism as a result of rank haylage so I am very cautious about warm or rank bales. But if it is dry and sweet smelling I suspect you would be OK. But I must admit if it were my horse I would not feed it. But only because of what my friend went through. My head says it is probably OK. My heart would not let me take the risk!
 
Agree with Shay - would not feed it though it could be okay.
Botulism spores cannot be seen (with naked eye) and can appear in perfectly good looking haylage. It might be perfectly all right but if there is even a tiny patch that didnt get the right drying conditions then there is a risk, and horses are THE most susceptible species to botulism.
Up to you though, but couldn't you buy a few nice bales for use in the trailer and the odd night in? (though have to say i wouldn't be feeding yard hay if it had dust and rubbish in it anyway).
 
scribble said:
So I`ve just cleaned my trailer out ready to use again as I been storing my haylage in there over winter and obv all the haylage which falls out while filling nets was in floor. However far from going off it seems to just dried to hay. This got me thinking as our yard hay is rank can I use hi fibre haylage laid out to dry to hay to then feed when she uses the trailer etc or the odd night she might come in. I realise that you not supposed to feed haylage which been open more than 5-8 days but this is lovely nd dry as it’s hi fibre haylage that it seems to just dry to hay but without all the dust and rubbish that we have in our yard hay.
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The haysoft haylage is more like hay I use it quickly, but not for the reasons you mention.
 
In a decent summer I usually lay out haylage in the sun to become hay so the bale lasts longer.
 
ycbm said:
In a decent summer I usually lay out haylage in the sun to become hay so the bale lasts longer.
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That must be what Haysoft does as it is dry like hay, my ponio now has a hay cough so having to soak it and call vet. I cannot give her meds off the shelfs because of her condition IBD
 
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