feeding haylage - help please?

[Pidge]

Ok since moving yards haylege is included in livery so have gradually increased the amount of haylege the boys are on, prev on hay. Kept them in last night as show today so Pidge had 2 haynets, still some in them this morning. He does his usual pooing for England Scotland and Wales before and at the show as it is very exciting. However after we'd finished and he was tied up at the lorry he went for a poo but it was pure liquid that squirted out

Is this normal or is he still getting used to the haylage? help please?

 

[kerilli]

still getting used to the haylage, i'd think. it's more acidic than hay, and some horses take a while to get used to the change. i'd feed a probiotic supplement if he's scouring like that, tbh.

 

[Pidge]

well it looked like a mare squirting to be honest

any recommendations? he's on top spec feed balancer, their cool and condition cubes and alfa a, plus garlic, naf d-tox and newmarket joint supplement.

 

[Happytohack]

Would agree it is probably the haylage and a good probiotic is a good idea. But - just a thought - as you have recently moved yards, is the grass richer than he is used to, there has been quite an Autumn flush in the last week or so.

 

[Scarlett1980]

Probably just the haylage combined with the excitement of going to a show. If he's eating well, drinking and going to the loo I wouldn't worry.

Has it cleared up yet (Monday morning)?

 

[sleepingdragon10]

Agree that it's most likely the excitement combined with the richness of the haylage causing his problem. Try adding brewers yeast to his tea for a little while whilst he gets used to it, and maybe do a half and half mix of haylage/hay if you can?

 

[Pidge]

thanks guys, we moved in August so shouldn't be the grass, and he does get a bit excited when at a show

got my hands on some more hay last night so will continue to mix it and get some probiotics as well.
How long does it take them to get used to haylage?

 

[fairhill]

Are you giving him carrots in his feed?
I normally reckon on it taking up to a month to get used to any new type of feed. It depends on their constitution!

 

[Pidge]

yes he has gone to having a bag a week as they are back in season now, would this affect him then?
he's been on a mix of hay and haylage for about 3-4 weeks now.

 

[fairhill]

My friend's horse gets the squits everytime she feeds him carrots, so it could possibly be them. He's on a probiotic, and it doesn't help him digest them any easier. As soon as she stops the carrots he stops squirting droppings everywhere. We've put it down to the high sugar and water content of carrots. He's the only horse on the yard affected this way by them, so I don't think it's that common.

 

[Pidge]

Ah I see, he's never had this problem before with the carrots so I can only assume its the haylage.