Haylage Bales (this years) - How long?

[luckilotti]

Hi,

I've just bought some mini bales of haylage and the seller wasnt sure exactly how long it should be left before it can be used, it was cut/baled approx 4 weeks ago, so - how long should i leave it until i use it ?
Thanks

Ps - whilst on the subject of mini bales, how much do people tend to pay for them?

 

[K27]

I use big bales of haylage ,my horses started on this years Ryegrass cut in early July as nothing else that was gd quality available locally and it was made about 3 weeks before, they have been fine- obviously I reduced back on the hard feeds and didn't go silly with the amount of haylage I gave them.

They do normally say to leave it 6-8 wks to be sure though to let it ferment, if it heats up a lot its probably not ready to be fed, although if you unwrap it completely/shake it up loose it should last longer.

Small bales in our area cost approx £5.50-£6.50 depending where you buy them.