Haylage questions

[Mouse19]

I’m Thinking of swapping onto haylage from hay and have a couple of probable numpty questions.

Trying to save a bit of money this winter. My usual hay supplier has gone up from £4 a bale to £6. I’ve tried a cheaper hay supplier but it was dusty and ended up steaming it so with electric prices the way they are it’s probably worked out more expensive ?‍.
My two eat 1.5 bales a day so £9 x7 current at £63 a week I might as well buy a big haylage bale.
How long do people find big bales last for once opened?
Also if you open a bale and find it’s not suitable to be fed - do you go back to the supplier and have an agreement for them to take it back? There’s a local farmer here that will deliver and I’ve spoken to him on the phone but he’s a right grumpy bum and I don’t know how to broach the subject ?.

 

[poiuytrewq]

The local main haylage supplier in my area is fab at coming to collect the odd bad bale and happily replace it. It rarely happens to be fair but they are never difficult about it.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I don’t use it personally and the yards I work at get through it so fast I can’t answer the first question sorry!

 

[Lady Jane]

£9/bale! Where do you live.Mine has gone up to £5.50 this winter

 

[asmp]

Do you have a Moles near you? Their small bales start from £6.95. Just be careful if you buy small ones in bulk. I did once to save money but the rats chewed holes in a few bales and wiped out any savings I’d made.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

I think that is for 1.5 bales a day. OP said the horses eat 1.5 bales a day, at £6 per bale that would be £9 a day.

 

[L&M]

We have 2 horses and buy large round bales. The savings are significant at £30 per bale BUT we always start the winter on either small bale hay or haylage, as find a large bale heats up before we can use it.

This is down to the weather being milder and the horses needing less in the autumn, and then a pain to get rid of a half eaten bale. So we tend to start feeding the large rounds mid Nov/beginning of Dec and find a bale lasts approx 3 weeks. In general we use approx 6 large bales and 30 small ones between Oct and march, for 2 horses stabled overnight, and only occasional haylage use in the field for example if snow lying.

Can't help you with the grumpy supplier though, as ours is lovely! Maybe shop around if you have any concerns, and ask the question re what happens if you get a dud bale before committing to a supplier?

Hope that helps!

 

[Hallo2012]

open the entire bale and re stack it half and half on two pallets-lasts me 3 weeks that way as air can circulate.

i have 2 x 13hh on 6ft haylage

 

[L&M]

We tried that but found the haylage at the bottom went stale and started to permeate the layers above. But doesn't help that our hay shed gets the direct sun on it until the weather turns...

Also a lot depends on the moisture content too, as a drier bale last better, so another question that the op should ask......

 

[Mouse19]

Thank you for all the answers. I will phone mr grumpy again. Suppliers are scarce and he apparently does supply the best for horses.

 

[eggs]

Why not buy big bale hay rather than haylage as that should be cheaper. I find 1 large bale lasts 6 large horses 6 - 7 days. The cost has just gone up from £35 to £40 per bale delivered tut it is excellent hay

 

[Hallo2012]

We tried that but found the haylage at the bottom went stale and started to permeate the layers above. But doesn't help that our hay shed gets the direct sun on it until the weather turns...

Also a lot depends on the moisture content too, as a drier bale last better, so another question that the op should ask......

to combat that if warm/in sunlight i would keep turning the pile or completely fluff it all out loosely so it dries rather than moulds.

 

[Mouse19]

Why not buy big bale hay rather than haylage as that should be cheaper. I find 1 large bale lasts 6 large horses 6 - 7 days. The cost has just gone up from £35 to £40 per bale delivered tut it is excellent hay

Supply issues. There’s only one farmer in the area that makes big bales and will deliver. They were super dusty in the middle and I had to steam and feed to the greedy piglet pony as my horse flat out refused to touch it ?‍

 

[EventingMum]

We have 2 horses and buy large round bales. The savings are significant at £30 per bale BUT we always start the winter on either small bale hay or haylage, as find a large bale heats up before we can use it.

Wow, that's a good price! A round bale of wrapped hay is £50 here and a square bale of haylage is £55, big square bales are £85!

 

[L&M]

Wow, that's a good price! A round bale of wrapped hay is £50 here and a square bale of haylage is £55, big square bales are £85!

Yes we are lucky, we live in mid wales so where things seem to be cheaper! We do have to pick it up, but the farm is only 10 mins down the road so not a major issue.

 

[millitiger]

Just watch in your calculations, weight wise, you need to feed MORE haylage than you would feed hay, due to the higher moisture content. This is opposite to what a lot of people think!
I feed the big round bales of haylage; one horse and two yearlings and they do a bale every 4-5 days at the moment.

 

[soloequestrian]

Mine tends to last 7-10 days before it either goes off or they finish it. Three horses.