Feeding hayledge

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Flicker

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I have never fed my horse hayledge, only hay. She is quite susceptible to go fizzy and is a good do'er so I've kept her diet as low-cal as possible.
However, our yo informs me that she may not be able to get hay this winter as the summer has been so wet. They've got nice hayledge, however, as they make it every year. It looks like I'm going to have to change her over.
Does anyone have any advice, and will I notice a difference in her (ie - does it fizz them up)? Should I cut down on her hard feed (only D&H Safe and Sound, with Pasture Nuts to supplement when the grazing is bad)?
Any advice gratefully received!
 
Nothing on our yard fizzes up on haylage and they are all shapes, sizes and disciplines from first riddens to eventers.
 
Perhaps just introduce it gradually over a 2 week period by adding small amounts in with her haynet and working up so that you eventually end up feeding her just hayledge?
 
A lot depends on what type of grass the haylage is made from - early cut, ryegrass haylage is likely to be high in sugars, which may make some horses more lively, whereas a late-cut meadow haylage would be lower in sugar.

Having said that, I've fed ours both ryegrass and meadow and doesn't seem to affect them any differently!
 
You can send a sample to (eg) D&H and they will do a protein/etc analysis for you. Having said that, all the horses on my yard are fed haylage grown on the yard and they all do absolutely fine, including a TB difficult to keep weight on, ex-laminitics, veterans, natives, the lot...including my rescue mare with significant liver damage from ragwort poisoning.
 
It is reaassuring to read that people don't have a problem with fizzing up ponies on haylege as I may have to change. I also have a laminitic pony with Cushings, has anyone any experience of feeding lami ponies on haylege. And also, round here a lot of people just seem to cut grass, leave it to dry a bit then bag it and call it haylege. My daughter looked after a neighbours mare and foal in the summer and fed them on some haylege and she discarded a lot of the bale as it was mildewed. Surely this is not right - also this same person used a big bale over 2 weeks. One of the reasons I have not used haylege before was because I understood it had to be used within a few days of opening, is this not the case? Sorry to hijack this post with a lot more questions.
 
I cant give my mare haylege it sends her bonkers and I struggle to keep her weight down when she is on it (she is a very good doer!!).
It also gives her the squits but she is a sesative soul lol.
We havent had a problem with getting hay this year and the price has been quite reasonable thankgod.
 
Ive managed to keep a big round bale going for about 6 days in very cold weather but that was by being very vigilant about keeping it tightly covered once open. Anything mouldy or hot is wrong!

I now use 20kg wrapped bales from Fosseway Fodder which I find much easier to store and to handle and the quality is consistent.
 
I have used the big square bales of haylege for years, just open one end and take of each slice as you need it, if you do it like this it will easily keep for 2half weeks, the only problem is when people open it wily nilly or make a opening somewhere else and then you get heat in it and it goes off. 1 big bale which costs around 20 to 25 lasts 2 tb about 9 days.
 
Thanks for the replies. Still a bit wary of haylage for my Cushings girl. She has done so well for over 12 months would hate to risk a setback. I am ok for now for hay but the problem is that I am loathe to use the chap where I normally go because I know for a fact that one of his fields was full of ragwort! Will have to just see how it goes I suppose, but at least I have a bit more information now.
 
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