Haylage

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SunshineTallulah

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Hello!

What is the difference between hay and haylage (except for price of course!)?

Is one better than the other?

Other fellow liveries feed both together.....

Thanks in advance.
 
Because of the way haylage is produced, it retains more of the nutrients in the grass than hay. Like hay, the nutritional profile of haylage will vary according to what time in the season the grass was cut, and the type of grasses used.

Some people love haylage (me being one) because it is much less dusty than hay, is usually more nutritious so less hard feed is needed, and is easy to store outside because of the wrapping.

Some people dislike it because they say it makes their horses hyper or they think it upsets their horses' stomachs, although these are problems I have never encountered myself.
 
Echo TGM, I prefer haylage having seen the difference it has on my Thoroughbreds, they keep their weight/gain weight when fed haylage over winter. You have to watch haylage though because it goes off quick, we're lucky because when our haylage bales start to go over they're given to the cows and we get a new bale.
 
My understanding (thanks YO) is that both hay AND haylage are produced in exactly the same way. Cut the same time, turned the same number of times and put into rows the same. The only difference is that haylage is then packed in airtight plastic and hay isn't. So hay continues to dry out and is open to the air so spores/anything can get into it. Haylage doesn't. Mind you, badly wrapped haylage can be quite disgusting when you open it! I prefer haylage though as it is less dusty and any wildlife in it tends to be good and dead (I don't do big spiders!).
 
I use haylage for my fussy mare as its about the only thing she will eat!!!! we have tried several "types" of hay and she wont eat anything other than the haylage we give her. It depends on who you get your hay/haylage from but our local farmer charges almost the same for a bale of haylage as hay but he does have cheaper hay of poorer quality(and of a lesser price)
 
haylage has more protine and more calories in it it is wrapped when damp so more goodness is kept in it. the only thing is if you have a good doer or lamnetic i would stay away it would be to rich!
 
Depends on the haylage as to how long it's left/turned for - the higher energy/wetter haylage is not left quite so long, drier/lower energy can be left the same time as hay - can range in feed value depending on what you buy from equivalent to hay to equivalent to comp mix - look on www.lincsforage.co.uk for more information
 
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they think it upsets their horses' stomachs

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unfortunalty my gelding is one of these horses and get the runs within 24 hours of having a net of it, otherwise i would use it. so much easier to fine a good supply of it around here as appose to hay whether you can't find any at a reasonable price.
 
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