haylage, a bit of an odd question

RubysGold

RubysGold

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At the end of last winter, we bought our last bale of haylage, to be told about 3 nights later horses could sleep in field. So we left nearly a full bale.
Now all other bales of haylage would have gone mouldy, but this one never has, it's just gone dry like hay.
Don't ask why it's still there, things don't happen fast at my yard.
So I was just wondering why it hasn't gone mouldy, I guess I can't feed it, as it isn't hay, but I'm baffled as to why it still seems good.
Nickie
 
Was it left in a particularly dry place? Only explanation I can think of.

Incidentally, what is the difference between haylage and hay? I can tell the difference to look at them, but I don't know why you would choose to use one instead of the other.
 
I know that one has more nutritional value, think it's haylage that has more.
I only use it because thats what the farm Roo is kept at makes, and therefore its easier to get round to the stables.
smile.gif

And its no more dry then other places, its in like a barn with one side open
Nickie
 
Difference between hay and haylage is the storage process.

Hay has to be dried in field - and it's easier to dry longer, stemmier grass than lush leafy grass, hence hay tends to be more mature grass, and so lower nutritional value.

Haylage is preserved by wrapping in plastic, and so doesn't need to be too dry - therefore you can use younger, leafier grass, and hence it's usually of higher ME and protein. (it's a bit of a middle ground between silage and hay, but less acidic than silage).

Some haylage is a bit of both processes - it's made a bit like hay, of older grass which dries a bit quicker, and dried a bit more than absolutely necessary - but because it's wrapped getting it absolutely dry isn't essential, so it'll be of more consistent quality. Often the producer will be more concerned about getting a high yield of less nutritious material (like for good-doers), and so you get the wrapped hay scenario.

It does cost more to wrap a bale, but if you have a more consistent high quality material, and you have the advantage of being able to store it outside, then there's alot of sense in making 'wrapped hay'.

If it's very dry then, and you leave it out in the open in good weather, it'll continue to dry - it won't go mouldy unless there's a certain amount of moisture in there. Perhaps you'll find the middle of the bale is heating up and mouldy, but round the outside will have dried through.

Personally (and this is my personal opinion!) I would be happy to feed any material that is dry, smells ok, and doesn't look at all mouldy - it sounds like that stuff is basically wrapped hay.

I would take care though in leaving any bales like that inside - it could heat up (like not-quite-dry-enough-hay) and be a fire risk.
 
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