Haylage

[ash768w]

Can anyone help? I have cut my grass for haylage and was going to row and Bale today but it has rained overnight. Will it now be no good for haylage?

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

It ill be fine, it starts to spoil if it has been fluffed up and then gets rained on, but will be fine, assuming you let it dry out a bit.

 

[ash768w]

It's been spread out but not rowed. Does that matter?

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

oh dear, not much else you can do with it anyway ,,,,,,,,, do you have someone who can look at it and tell you when to bale, I would do it asap., that is to say when sun has dried it a bit.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

http://www.uwex.edu/ces/forage/pubs/drying_forage.pdf
They talk about chopping haylage, in the UK this would create silage for cattle feeding, other than that the basics are the same

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

It's been spread out but not rowed. Does that matter?

you mean turned?
when cut it forms swaths, combining swaths forms a windrow, the windrow is baled asap, before it rains!

 

[ash768w]

Yeah sorry turned

 

[ash768w]

It's been turned but not rowed for baling

 

[Micky]

Hay has to be very dry to bale, haylage not so much so a bit of rain shouldnt harm it

 

[ash768w]

Great thanks. There's a fine line between haylage and silage isn't there?

 

[Micky]

Silage is generally for cows, too rich for horses, haylage is a fairly recent'thing', I stick with hay personally ( haylage too rich for my lad)