Feeding Haylage - Have I done the right thing?

R

rcm_73

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 August 2006
Messages
509
Location
North Wales
Visit site
Have just started feeding Mills on haylage, firstly mixed with her hay and now straight haylage. However I'm beginning to wonder if I've done the right thing, she came out of her box like a loon today (she's 2 months into 3 months box rest) and then she didn't stop neighing and messing about whilst tied on the yard, she's usually ok. I've always used hay before now but Mills wasn't eating this year's hay so I bought some big bale haylage of the farmer I get my hay off. However I'm now worried it is fizzing her up? Should I cut her hard feed right back? She gets a 1/2 scoop cool mix, 2 handfuls hi-fi orig & a small amount of sugar beet split into two feeds. I'm probably overfeeding her lol but I just think it helps to give her an incentive to go back in the box after I've mucked out more than she actually needs it. I've had conflicting advice on the amount of haylage to feed also, should I be feeding more or less than I would when she had hay which was fed ad-lib? If anyone could give me a bit of guidance I'd be grateful before I go chucking the haylage out for the others!
 
Haylage has more water in it than hay so you feed MORE haylage to get the same amount of fibre.

Personally I would cut out the mix and the sugarbeet and just give her damp chaff and long fibre.
 
you are supposed to feed 1.5 times as much haylage as hay in WEIGHT , i probably feed my horse just under a slice of big bale haylage a night.

Some haylage turns horses into monsters some it has no effect on luck of the draw i guess!
tongue.gif


When my horse was on box rest i did not feed any mix, just fibre-so hi-fi nad speedibeet, personally id cut out the cool mix if i were you!

Also remember shes been on BR a long time and the weather today is perfect for getting horses spooked up! Maybe she is just fresh? hope u get sorted soon!
 
All ours are fed ad lib haylage and the ones on box rest too.
I wouldn't give the feed you are doing, but just carrots, and put a mineral block in her box.
Feed the haylage in a proper net so she has to fiddle to get it which should slow her down, and if necessary even mix some good straw with it.
hay is a better bet on box rest but if she won't eat it there is no point in trying.
I would think the behaviour is due to the length of time she has been shut in, and the feed, not the haylage. One of ours had over a year on box rest and didn't go potty on it.
 
Agree you should feed more haylage as it has a higher water content than hay, but you don't need to feed as much hard feed as it has a higher nutritional value than hay so I would cut out the mix. It could also be the weather today setting her off, it's been very windy today which can unsettle them and the fact that she's been on 2 months box rest she may be getting cabin fever!
 
Depends what grasses the haylage was made from, as some contains more sugars than others. But the haylage really shouldn't be making that much difference.
 
I have to be careful how much haylage I feed it sends my tb over the top if he is not getting enough excercise.LIke you I have had to rest my horse through injury and had to stop haylage for a while I also had to stop hard feed and fed hi fi sugar beet and vits.Several of the horse s on our yard are on a mix of hay and haylage because it makes them too fizzy.
 
Because of the extra water in haylage the nutrients are more easily absorbed than in hay so that's why they can go a bit fizzy. I'd feed a balancer during the box rest to give all the essential nutrients for healing but without the calories.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top