hay

[mandyl]

hi does anyone know what rye grass hay is like? cant have my usual hay at the moment as for the time being we have limited storage and you have to have 20 bales at a time. mickley doesnt seem to like the new hay its soft stuff and mickley seems to like courser hay. we can have a choice so i thought id try rye grass hay instead but dont know what it is. thanks

 

[mcooper]

Ryegrass hay is usually fed to racehorses and if good stuff is usually very expensive. We made some this year from one of our second cut haylage fields and it all went to a stud in Newmarket via a merchant.

Basically it is the same type of grass used for green horsehage or any large bale ryegrass haylage but has been left to dry longer so that it doesn;t need wrapping. I e is less than 15% moisure (haylage is usually around 30%)
Horses normally love it but it will be higher in protein and energy if it has been properly made. It should be pale green in colour with few brown dead bits in and a bit stiff and strawlike.

Hope this helps

Mark

 

[mandyl]

thanks mark will give it a go hesan ex racer so hopefully he will like it