Haylage vs hay

[Lex2009]

Hi I am new to this forum Which one do you like the best.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I think it totally depends on the horse haylage is good for horses with dust allergies, but probably not so suitable for good doers and some horses find it too rich, one of mine can't have haylage long term it upsets his stomach.

 

[L&M]

Haylage for our 2 - easier to store, less mess and allows us to cut out hard feed due to a higher nutritional content.

 

[Chianti]

I think it depends on the haylage you're using. My last horse got put onto small baled haylage at her livery yard and to me it just looked like very nice hay. I always equated haylage with the stuff you buy in sealed packs that looks wet and smells! At the next yard they used big bale haylage and again I couldn't tell the difference.

 

[milliepops]

i have wrapped hay which is a good compromise, keeps well enough to use in summer, no dust, the horses do well on it.

 

[skint1]

For my horses I have a strong preference for hay, which I buy for them all summer. However, during the winter months the farm supplies ad-lib haylage (which is in quality as Chianti describes in the post above) in with the rent and there is no space to store hay even if you chose to buy it. (We use the same place to store our hay as they use for that in the winter)

 

[Shay]

I have wrapped hay too - excellent compromise. I can't get through big bale haylage fast enough in the summer and small bale is not economical.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

We use big bale haylage although it is very dry, much easier to store than big bale hay and far less expensive than small bale hay, which we do have storage for.

 

[meleeka]

I use big bale hay. They are good doers and haylage send one a bit scatty. It’s more economical for me to use big bales.

 

[Micky]

What is the difference between wrapped hay and unwrapped? Can you still soak wrapped hay? Is it richer? Wetter?

 

[milliepops]

can't speak for anyone else but mine is like haylagey hay it's not as damp as normal haylage and I would say it has a texture closer to soft hay and keeps more like hay, or better perhaps because it doesn't get weathered or pick up dust from storage.

there's nothing to stop you soaking it i guess but I wouldn't choose to personally, i only soak hay for dust reduction and as there's no dust anyway it doesn't need it. My TB especially needs all the calories he can get from his forage.

 

[Micky]

I ask about soaking as I have to to soak hays as my lad is cushings/ppid, so reduce sugars..it would be a lot easier to store wrapped hay!

 

[skint1]

how can you tell if it's wrapped hay or haylike haylage? Our farmer's haylage looks like soft hay, horses get excitable during the winter whilst its a feature of their diet but there could be other factors at play there like reduced turnout and workload.

 

[milliepops]

If you're buying it off someone then i guess you just need to ask how it was made.

OH makes mine, I'm usually there on baling day, its just hay that gets wrapped really ?‍ just seems to keep the quality in it. Sometimes he does haylage instead if the weather turns unexpectedly, i prefer that in the winter though.

 

[Polos Mum]

I avoided buying wrapped hay precisely because you can't see what you're buying until you open it. Mine are fatties and don't want haylage.

This year I bought hay I'd been to the field to see before it was cut, then saw it before it was wrapped. It was within 24 hours of being dry enough to be hay.
I'll be intrigued to see what it's like in winter - it would be loads less hassle to store wrapped.

I would ask 1) how long it was cut before it was baled, 2) how much fertiliser used on field, 3) how many times it was turned between cutting and bailing and ) type of grass to get an ideal how far along the spectrum it is between hay and haylage.

 

[Tiddlypom]

The thought of all that plastic used to wrap haylage and hay gives me the willies .

I’m a Luddite who still uses unwrapped small square bales, and will continue to use them as long as they are available.