Haylage?

Persephone

Persephone

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A question for any haylage users out there.

I have just bought a medium bale. Once I open it, how long would you expect me to be able to keep it going? Do you have any good tips for saving it as long as possible.

If it starts to go off, will removing the front slice reveal fresher stuff behind?

Any advice appreciated as I have been using small bales and am a one horse owner.

I am hoping medium bales will work out cheaper
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Ours lasts about a week once opened, feeding 5 in at night and 3 out 24/7. If the first few layers are a bit iffy it normally gets better towards the inside of the bale, just be careful that it doesn't get warm... we often find that after about 5 days the whole bale needs to be shaken up to stop it going off.

Was a bit gutted today, 3 round bales delivered, all had spike holes in them and were left outside in the pouring rain despite asking for them to be rolled inside... bad times!! Doubt they will last very long now that they're wet
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I buy relatively large bales for Star (220kg) and have used them over 17 days before with it still being as good as new down to the last slice
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If it's good stuff and you store it right, then it should last
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If I can get 10 days out of it I'll be happy. Over that time she is eating at least 8 small bales. That would make feeding her monumentally cheaper
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It's from a very reputable local seller too, so should be good. I have never known anything less than excellent quality from him with everything else I have bought.
 
We use big bale haylage too, I have 2 big horses on it that are in most of the time in the winter and they get through a bale every 7-10 days. In the winter it should last ages- completely remove the wrapping it so it can't go nasty in the wrapper and it should be ok for 2-3 weeks- obv. the quicker you get through it the fresher/better it is, but I've fed haylage safely in this way. If its a fairly dry Ryegrass or Meadowgrass it should be ok and if it is fairly wet consistency you may find it won't last quite so long.
 
When you buy small bale haylage it always says to use it within 5-7 days. Not sure why the big bale would be any different??

If it is, maybe I could buy medium bales too?
 
I have big bales and 1 lasts me nearly 3 weeks and it smells as good at the end as it did at the start. Someone on my yard had one of the same bales open for 6 weeks + ant it was fine.

Its quite dry though not sure if thats why it lasts?

The farmers that make it do everything they should ie. soils analised etc.

I cant use the small as 1 would last me 1-2 days!
 
Well there we go then
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I'm down to the last slice tonight.

She eats a slice overnight and about 1/2 that if she is in during the day.

So at that rate the bale would last 11 days for my 16.3 adlib forage mare.

No sign of going off or drying out. I will normally pay £ 20 so £ 2 per day.

Small bale haylage would have cost me at least £40 over the same period.

She would also have eaten most of a bale of hay a day so £ 2.75 per day.

Therefore the experiment has been a success.

Just thought I would update in case any other one horse owners were considering it
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[ QUOTE ]
When you buy small bale haylage it always says to use it within 5-7 days. Not sure why the big bale would be any different??

If it is, maybe I could buy medium bales too?

[/ QUOTE ] I should think you could - not sure what size you call medium? We get rectangular bales which measure 32" by 32" by 4' 6" and they are fine for my three in the winter. I don't use it in the summer because it goes off more quickly and they obviously eat less haylage then anyway.
 
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