Dry haylage

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Sandstone1

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Have started feeding haylage as my horse has breathing issues. managed to find some small bales locally but it is very dry. It does not seem dusty but it is almost like hay. Is this normal? Haylage I have had before is quite damp. Will this be ok to feed to a horse with breathing problems?
 
Baggins coughs on hay. I have some haylage that farmer described more like wrapped hay its dry but smells lovely. Not one cough after 2 weeks and it's keeping really well. Makes me wonder if he would be OK on wrapped hay as there is a local supplier I could get small wrapped bales from in summer for use in trailer. !!

I've always had traditional haylage before that's moist !! I've had everything in the past from haykage that's almost too rich to v damp to this stuff. Just depends on grass, weather and how long b4 the wrap it. More people seem to be producing wrapped hay now.

I think try it and if no coughing then all good and it will keep better !!
 
It sounds like wrapped hay, which is becoming fairly common. Farmers tend to call anything they wrap in plastic haylage. I ask them what moisture reading their ‘haylage’ is before buying to give me an idea of whether its wrapped hay or proper haylage.

If it was wrapped at 15% moisture and below, it should remain mould free and be cleaner than unwrapped hay.
Some damper wrapped hay can grow moulds so it does depend how dry the hay was before being wrapped as to how mouldy/dusty it will turn out.

If you give a big handful a good shake in sunlight, you’ll more easily see how many or little mould spores it has.
 
I have large rounds & it varies in how wet it is and sometimes it's very dry. You wouldn't really think it was haylage. My Dartmoor gets heaves on hay but is fine on haylage. I have 1 x 17hh ISHxWB, 1 x 16.1 ex racer, 1 x Dartmoor & 1 x Shetland & get through a large round in about 10 days. That's all they're eating atm - they are on the yard as the fields are too wet.

The difference in dust is astonishing. My tack room is next to my hay barn & the dust can float over the apex above the walls. With hay, all my stuff was thick with dust as if the tack room had been left undisturbed for 100 years. Now it's just 'normal' dust like you'd get in the house.
 
It does not appear to be dusty when I shake it. It does seem like wrapped hay but is supposed to be haylage. I dont mind as long as its not dusty.
 
Sandstone1 said:
It does not appear to be dusty when I shake it. It does seem like wrapped hay but is supposed to be haylage. I dont mind as long as its not dusty.
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It sounds good.
Theres a difference between haylage and hay - one is fermented forage, one is dried forage. The moisture % of the forage determines whether it has fermented or not. Therefore nutritionally they differ.
However, good quality dried wrapped hay will remain more nutritionally stable than unwrapped hay.
 
I asked the supplier and he said they had been asked to make high fibre dry ish haylage. Its dust I am trying to avoid really due to breathing issues. It is sold as haylage.
 
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I'm always sad when I get a dry bale.

The horses seem to like it just as much but it doesnt smell as rich.

Haylage smells so good.
 
Sandstone1 said:
I asked the supplier and he said they had been asked to make high fibre dry ish haylage. Its dust I am trying to avoid really due to breathing issues.
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Yeah, ignorance in the equine forage suppliers industry is rife - ‘dry haylage ‘ is an oxymoron. Its like saying “wet hay for sale”.
 
Mine def have firmer poos on this haylage (wrapped hay). One can sometimes be very loose but this is the best ive seen him in winter. Smells like haylage too . Described as wrapped hay. He literally coughs on even a mouthful of hay ...v surprised he's OK on this !!
 
My OH makes wrapped hay for my horses - he essentially makes Haylage but leaves the grass to dry a little more before wrapping. It is dust free and deliciously Haylage smelling but pretty dry. It is lovely and my sensitive mare thrives on it!
 
Sandstone1 said:
Have started feeding haylage as my horse has breathing issues. managed to find some small bales locally but it is very dry. It does not seem dusty but it is almost like hay. Is this normal? Haylage I have had before is quite damp. Will this be ok to feed to a horse with breathing problems?
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I used to buy similar from someone years ago and it was just like non dusty hay so I'm sure it will be fine.

I liked it as it lasted longer than the really wet stuff.
 
We make our own haylege as one of our horses has COPD.We really prefer it when it is REALLY dry as it lasts much longer ( particularly in the Summer) as we feed it all year round.In fact the horses prefer it when it is dry like wrapped hay and we have been feeding it like that for ,6 years and have never had a problem with the horse with COPD .
 
I just hope it does not make my boy cough. Ive been going round in circles about soaking hay or steaming or haylage. Mine do not like soaked hay and I can not afford a proper steamer so decided on haylage.
 
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