Help with Haylage

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Apercrumbie

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Due to the hay shortages in my area this year, I am considering turning to haylage, but as I know little about it, I thought I would get some advice from you lovely knowledgeable people! :)

Basically, I have a 15.2 aging tbxwelsh, a 16hh Welsh Sec D, a 15hh Cob and a mini shetland (who does need a bit of hay in the winter, he isn't as hardy as most) All of them live out 24/7 with no problems. I normally get through a big round bale a week in the middle of winter.

I know that you can feed less haylage so how much do you get through in a week? How long does it take you to use it up? Would mine take too long to use it up and therefore would it go off? Would it have any adverse affects on the cobs and shetland?

Also, how much do you pay for a large round bale? I need to work out how cost effective this is going to be before I make the decision. Thanks very much in advance.
 
I don't personally feed hayledge, or know much about it, but I was once talking to a horse dietician about it. I too thought you didn't need to feed as much hayledge as you do hay, as I thought the nutritional content would play a part in it, fizz them up or make them gain too much weight. She said that I was wrong.

She told me that you actually feed more hayledge as you need to feed the 'dry' weight of it, not the 'wet' weight, as you feed forage quantity according to the size/weight/requirement of said horse.

Whether this is correct or not I cannot honestly say, I'm only repeating what I was told. xx
 
Last winter in the snow my four used 1 large round bale in 1 week. It was left in the field for them and cost me £40/ 3 cobbies and 1 TB
 
Thanks for your replies. If I left it out exposed in the field, would it go off? £40 seems quite a lot but if it saves me hard feeding, then it may not be so bad. Any other suggestions?
 
The average horse eats between 8 - 10 kg a day.

I buy in the large bales at £30, weighing approx 300 kgs and this size bale feeds a 3 x 14.2hh, 1 x 15.2hh, and a handful a day for 2 shets. A bale will last between a week and 10 days depending on grass and how much they are stabled due to weather. At this time of year the bale does not go off but the haylage I buy is quite dry and is barn stored.

If storing outside I would put a tarp over any bales you open, or use the existing wrap to protct the open end.

Hope that helps?!
 
Haylage is in better supply than hay in my neck of the woods this year and has ONLY gone up to around £45 as opposed to £60 for big bale hay if you can get it!!!#

I fed it all last winter and they came out looking fat! Virtually no hard feed only a balancer and one was in foal. I gave up 1/2 way through and fed it add lib rather than dragging it across the field and it only lasted a day less, should have tried that sooner wont be trudging it this year thats for sure as they looked so well!!

For 6 this lasted 6 days and it did not go off, it only goes off when temps rise in the spring and like it is at the moment but as soon as winter sets in if covered it will last a couple of weeks or so.

You can buy covers at Robinson's for the bales about £20
 
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