Hay vs Haylage

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maisie

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Looks like I (like most people) will be feeding haylage instead of hay this winter - not sure of quantities for: 15hh cob in medium work & mini shetland with history of laminitis? I know you should feed less, but as mine are on ad-lib 3yo hay I need some guidance as don't want to over feed it - neither of them are piggy on hay, but I think the cob could become piggy on haylage!!
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Not really a case of feeding less! If anything you should feed more as its heavier than hay but obviously its higher nutriationaly (sp) so its always tricky.

Also what other forage do u feed? As long as your horses are getting the correct fibre a day you could perhaps increase your HiFi(for example) So that you can feed less haylege.

My TB had 8kg a day of haylage and that didnt make her greedy or cause any problems. Though would recommend a haylage net regardless!
 
I have been wondering the same thing, haylage sends my cob completely nutty but I saw that Pets at Home sell bags of haylage for laminetics and horses who should have low sugar/starch feeds (its 6.50 per bag and it says that it should last 3 days for a 500kg horse). Its going to be an expensive winter
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Cassandra
 
Mine gets ad lib hayledge over winter, and then monitor his hard feed for his weight etc. Hayledge is heavier than hay, but richer, but also lower in fibre....try ringing local farmers and if possible getting a large ble to split between several of you, works out cheaper than hay on our yard by doing that....
 
He has a very small amount of unmollassed alfalfa stalks twice daily plus Saracen Releve. - can't feed anything with mollasses as he goes loopy and also he has mild EPSM. I am looking for a chaff hay replacer but most of them have mollasses in
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I am paranoid about fibre intake and prefer to restrict grazng and have adlib hay instead. It's going to be soooooo hard this winter cos i've got masses of grass and there's no hay!!!! grrrrrr!
 
Happy hoof and Hi Fi lite would both be ideal as hay replacements. Someone suggested soaking haylege, but I'm not sure if that would work? i'd be interested to know though.
 
Maise have u looked at happy hoof? Hifi light or Happy stable.
None of these are mollassed chaffs.
Also if you check out the Laminitus trust there are feeds they recommend
 
Haylage should be fed same weight as for hay...the water content makes it heavier but it is slightly higher in nutrients so it evens out.
Soaking it would be pointless...as it isn't dusty...and it wouldn't reduce the feed value very much (but cost you money!)
Can't you let your grass grow longer (so more cellulose i.e. fibre) and strip graze it, too?
And the quick soaking sugar beet like Speedibeet is non molassed and suitable for laminitics...it is high in fibre and good for the gut.
Hope this helps
S
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You can soak haylage to reduce the sugars etc if you are worried your horse will either put too much weight on or go loopy on it. We soak ours all day, rinse it off in the evening and hang to dry a bit, before hanging up as night nets. (A couple of ours are in at night as are very good doers).
 
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