'haylage'?

rosiedriscoll

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Can anyone please advise me on the difference between sileage (which is poisonous to horses) and haylage? I have always used hay, but have in the past used Marksways Horseage, which has always been uniform. My experiences with 'haylage' has gone from a third of a bale of dried hay wrapped in plastic to black gunk. The latter making one of my ponies quite poorly!!
 

teddyt

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Silage is cut earlier in the year (although most farmers do several cuts) and is then collected and baled and wrapped in plastic or put in a clamp quite quickly, so it has a very high moisture content. The grass is also cut at its most nutritious and then can often be fertilised if a later cut is made.
Haylage is cut later in the year and is left to dry a bit before baling and wrapping.
Hay is cut later again and is dried the longest before baling. It isnt wrapped.

Silage ferments, which is why its not suitable for horses as they have a totally different digestive system to cows. Cows have 4 stomachs, which act like vats to ferment the grass further and they can cope with more bugs. Horses dont deal with fermented food very well, so they get colic. Silage also has a risk of botulism, which can kill horses. the high moisture content also upsets the digestive system.

Haylage needs to be eaten within a few days of opening as once open to the air it can get secondary fermentation, which can upset the horses digestive tract and make them ill.

If forage ever smells really strong or off or looks black then it shouldnt be fed. Haylage should smell sweet and clean and look clean too. Not too wet either
 

amage

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Haylage needs to be eaten within a few days of opening as once open to the air it can get secondary fermentation, which can upset the horses digestive tract and make them ill.

If forage ever smells really strong or off or looks black then it shouldnt be fed. Haylage should smell sweet and clean and look clean too. Not too wet either

It can be treated to stop this happening! Treatment increases nutrient availability, preserves the product and eliminates wastage! if buying haylage buy it from a reputable source who are used to making it for horses...not a farmer who has taken out a paddock for bales of silage but let it wilt too long!!
 

rosiedriscoll

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I was told a while ago that 'haylage' was cut higher, as bacteria is picked up in lower cuts, which cattle can 'stomach', but horses cannot! But, now appears from advice (many thanks!) that the sweet, smelling 'haylage' is acceptable! Then why not just buy hay?? Should I have taken back the bags of black gunk that I purchased from a reputable dealer?? Or should farmers be instructed in the difference. I have just watched a local farmer cut his sileage in the same way, but is bagging it up to sell as haylage, because he can get more money for it!!?? I will definitely continue to purchase hay for my equines!
 

Miss L Toe

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Silage is grass which is usually cut fresh and "ensiled" that is to say, it is put in a clamp or in a plastic bag where it ferments, the grass is sort of "pickled", and it is preserved in an acid environment. Additives may be required to make sure the product is consistent.

Haylage is cut from grass that is older, (less lush). that is to say it has a higher dry matter, and is thus more like hay, for that reason it is not cut as early as silage. Haylage is often put in plastic wrapping to stop fermentation, this may require different additives, but not always. The plastic must be kept intact as air will allow moulds to grow. Good haylage can be fed to horses and ponies, some grown for racehorses for example will be cut from fields with selected grass species. most haylage sold for horses and ponies should be dry, certainly not black and wet (this is butyric acid fermentation of silage and will cause colic)

Hay is dried grass, it does not need plastic wrapping because it is dry and will last for a year or two if kept dry. To make good hay, the farmer needs sun and dry weather over several days, at the right time, and for this reason.haylage is more flexible
 
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Miss L Toe

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There is a disadvantage to hay, it can be dusty and have more spores than haylage, it is often more variable comparing one bale with another. It is dry and therefore shatters so you buy a tonne of the stuff, but lose up to 10% in losses between bale and horse.
In a bad year weatherwise, good horse hay will be in short supply so it will increase in price, especially at the end of winter
 

Potato!

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Well my other half is a farmer and makes both. The silage is pretty much cut and covered straight away and the Haylege is left to dry out a little longer (a few days) before bailing and wrapping. Hay is left about a week to dry.
 

rosiedriscoll

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Thank you all so much for responding to my query regarding haylage. I also wonder if the purchase of fodder for equines is also down to storage, i.e. covered bales can be stored outside. I'm fortunate to have a large barn, so will sill stay with hay - but, now have four boxes fitted with rubber matting - any advice for bedding ??
 

Miss L Toe

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I am sure there will be a thread for bedding, but unless you can get good non dusty straw cheaply, shavings are usually preferred it takes a bit of patience to muck out carefully to save clean dry bits and reject wet dirty bits, I find this is worse if stables are small. Make sure horse is out of stable when you are puting new stuff down as it can be dusty, I put the new stuff under the walls and old stuff in middle.
 
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