Forage changing suddenly

[Irishcobs]

I no we should change hard feed slowly but what about forage?
My boys are on hay but if I take one of them to work they will get haylage. I've never thought about it before but can you change forage suddenly?

 

[Cuffey]

Take some hay with you and mix over a few days

 

[milliepops]

Agree - introduce the haylage slowly and keep an eye on him. My girl apparently can't tolerate haylage this year but was fine on it last year. She had some Horsehage in the autumn (the blue bag ryegrass) and was fine, so I thought she would be OK to feed our big bale haylage but she came out in a rash.

I thought perhaps I should introduce it gradually instead, so took her off it until the lumps went, and then started feeding tiny bits building up to half a net over a few weeks. She seemed OK until we started a new bale a few days ago which is a bit finer than the other bales... and the lumps are back. I will be sticking to hay now!!

 

[criso]

I'm just moving onto haylage as part of an elimination diet for hives. We took everything out except the hay and still the lumps were there. It's bagged ryegrass haylage not big bale so only one grass in it whereas the hay is a mixture.

Vet said to introduce it slowly as you would with hard feed.
Having said that last year when the hay wasn't very good he refused to eat it so we had to change to haylage. There was no introducing it slowly as he was on hunger strike as far as hay was concerned.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Agree with everyone else, mix over a few days, so either take some hay and/or start introducing haylage before you move him.

 

[michaelj]

Some of em get the squits