Expert in Haylage - silage!!!!!!!!!!!!

[moneypit1]

Well, perhaps not BUT.........asked a lot of questions today from local farmers at market and found out the following: Haylage is simply cut and wrapped grass. Usually there is NOTHING added at all, its just a matter of how wet it is when it is baled. The wetter it is the more Silage it becomes. Haylage can be as dry as hay (just means it was left to dry and turned more). The drier it is the longer it will last. Now the good bit: there is no yard stick to say that you should feed more or less haylage than hay. It depends purely on how nutritious it is. When it is really wet it becomes "heating". Just because it is heavier in weight it is still more nutritious than dry hay. Wheeewwwww, now I know. Hope this info clears up a few myths. (According to several West Country Farmers!!)) hee hee!!

 

[kerilli]

also, it is more acidic than hay, and, erm, someone who knows a lot lot more than me about it, told me that ulcers in horses' stomachs (a relatively new thing? or just undiagnosed before?) may well be caused by the acidity of haylage... hmmm...

 

[Bosworth]

Silage cannot be fed to horses safely as it is cut lower than hay and is more likely to contain botulism from the soil which can be fatal in horses.

 

[Jemayni]

award for the most random post of the day goes to...... Moneypit........

sorry, feeling very sarcastic and bitter today

, I remember finding that interesting when I was first told, despite the fact it was in one of those god awful PC horse management lessons (wow I really am feeling bitter, best go eat chocolate!)

 

[siennamum]

There is a fair amount of information missing in this explanation regarding the sugar content of the grass when cut and the corresponding nutritional value & ph levels of haylage as opposed to hay. Not sure what the discussion is about though so will refrain from commenting and getting it wrong - one final point, having said that. The very worst people to talk to regarding the nutrition of horses are farmers........

 

[moneypit1]

Ooooh, sorry peeps, just relaying what I was told "shot down in flames" , sob sob!!" I guess we could send off a sample to local agricultural merchants for sugar content etc, (only costs about £5). Did I miss something Jemayni? Was there a "theme" for today I was not aware of? Lighten up you lot, sorry I bothered!

 

[Tia]

[ QUOTE ]
The very worst people to talk to regarding the nutrition of horses are farmers........

[/ QUOTE ]
Really? Wow I am pleased this isn't the case here in my part of Canada. All of my hay customers ask me questions about the nutritional value of my hay. The values I give are backed up by Crop Analyses.......

 

[siennamum]

In my experience farmers know how to feed cattle and sheep, horses are a completely different thing. I've been told some corkers by farmers over the years, ie. ragwort is only dangerous when dry and silage is fine to feed to horses being two recent classics. Problem is that many are self appointed experts in all animal husbandry issues and so are listened to.

 

[Tia]

Ahh well that is the difference between buying horse hay and cattle hay I guess. Horse hay growers generally are more informed - cattle hay growers might sell their grandmother down the river.

 

[kerilli]

the farmer where i used to live was a cattle man. he freely admitted that he knew diddly about horses, but trying to convince him and his daughter that their grossly fat loan pony honestly honestly couldn't be turned out in a lush field, but he had to actually PAY for hay and feed for it through the summer...
it got laminitis. twice.

 

[Jemayni]

(Sorry I was Joking

!)

 

[TequilaMist]

Agree with you there Sienna.Farmer (whose ground 9 of us rented)couldn't understand why we wanted to split a huge field to keep them off the lovely lush grass.He thought they only got laminitis in May cos that when his pony got pts cos of it.I wish ,at least then you'd only have to worry for one month of the year!!

 

[Penniless]

You can send off a handful to get analysed from most of the major horse feed companies. I do it regularly and it will give you every bit of information about the sample. Also, you don't have to pay for this service.