Feeding silage to horses?

[LauraWheeler]

I was wondering if it is poss to feed silage to horses. I always thought you couldn't but wondered if anyone on here does or knows why you can't. our supplyer is running out of haylidge and we are wondering what to do.
Thanks for your help.

 

[Booboos]

I was always told you cannot because it's too rich for them.

Cannot you not get haylage from somewhere else?

 

[china]

no you cant, i dont think they can digest it, it is fermented for a while so doesnt do there gut any good!

 

[KingCharles]

They used to feed it to the livery horses at college, it goes off in like 24 hours once opened though.

 

[KingCharles]

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/for4907

 

[ester]

I think its asking for numerous problems tbh. I would source haylage elsewhere or feed hay.

 

[Nailed]

I wouldnt.. its a recipe for colic/gastric ulcers

Lou x

 

[swellhillcottage]

IMO Depends upon the silage we feed a mixture of haylage and silage i think the idea would be to find out how wet it was when it was baled which usually depends upon when it was cut - ours is usually quite dry which is why i say its a mixture .

Sharonxx

 

[LauraWheeler]

Thanks everyone thats what i thought. My boss saw bales of silage for £12 a bale and was on about getting it. I didn't think it was a good idea. Lucy can't have it as she's laminitic but she lives in a field on her own so i get her hoof kind haylidge, but Herbie lives with some of her youngsters and hunting ponies so gets fed what hers get. Hopefuly i'll talk her out of the idea.

 

[KingCharles]

Being on an agricultural yard the horses that where fed livery in this case, where fed by people who knew what they where doing. The horses where gradually introduced to it.

I know it can cause botulism if it goes off, and it goes off very quickly.
I dont think its a good idea if you dont knwo what your doing with it.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Don't do it. It is far too acidic and can cause real problems. It is designed to be fed to cattle that have a very different digestive system. As KingCharles says, it can also cause botulism.

 

[Mike007]

Haylage is silage, but it is high dry matter silage and it is acidic,which hopfully prevents further harmfull bacterial contamination. The acid is a byproduct of fermentation of plant sugars and is normal. Some silages ,particularly when made with a high water content and low sugar content are dangerous ,because they are more prone to secondary bacterial infection by for example botulism.This is because they are not acidic enough!