Haylage Query.

[Emmsp]

I’m sorry if this possibly turns into a rant.

I have had a bale dropped off, I opened it and having inspected it as normal and found this:


It is meant to be haylege but it is very dry and doesn’t have that classic ‘haylagey’ smell. There are also other patches of white around the rest of the bale and at the top.

I informed the person who sold the Haylage that I’m not happy with it and basically to take it back. They’ve come to look at it and have said that, although it is quite a dry bale, it will be fine to feed and just pick out the mouldy bits.....

The supplier does not have horses themselves.

I did mention that I find a lot of wastage with his bales (having only started using this supplier last october) and I find that 2/3rds of the way through a bale my mare stops eating it and it is just wasted.

I explained this with a hint of please just take it back as it is mouldy anyway,

Am I just being fussy ?

 

[ycbm]

That all looks white? White is yeast, I believe, and safe to feed, so you only need to worry about blue/black/brown stuff.

I'm finding haylage is generally being made drier these days. I've just opened a top quality national brand haylage Horse Hage, and it's almost as dry as hay. At least you aren't paying for water!

My horses will always leave the rest of a bale once its been open a week, unless they are forced to eat it by starvation.

Hope that helps.

 

[chaps89]

https://devonhaylage.co.uk/faqs

As above, white stuff is yeast and harmless, black stuff not so good.
If it's a big bale and you only have 1 horse eating it, it's probably going off before you can use it all up so it might be cheaper to use the small bales if you compare big bale with wastage vs small bales but using them fully.

 

[lamlyn2012]

I am a bit dubious of the dark patch. It looks wet, as if water has got in the bale. If that is the case it hasn't been wrapped properly and air as well as water will have got in. I would open it all up and see what the inside of the bale is like and how does it smell.

 

[ycbm]

I am a bit dubious of the dark patch. It looks wet, as if water has got in the bale. If that is the case it hasn't been wrapped properly and air as well as water will have got in. I would open it all up and see what the inside of the bale is like and how does it smell.

I often find a wet corner in well wrapped unholed big bale. It smells ok and the horses like it. I wonder if it's condensation inside the wrapper.

 

[paddy555]

I wouldn't be prepared to take the risk with that bale but then I know how lucky my horse was to survive botulism.

You talk about your mare as if she is the only one eating it and wastage. If there is only 1 horse I would have thought somewhere like Marksway was a better option and small bales with no wastage where you can easily return it to the shop if it is problematical.

 

[holeymoley]

It looks okay. White bits are yeast as said above, it’s not mould. If you rub it with your finger it should disappear. Yeast is a normal part of the fermentation process. The dark bit I’d maybe avoid but would have to see it in person. It’s not bad at all.