How long before you can feed Haylage?

[ColouredFan]

It was cut last week and bailed and stored on Saturday, its been wrapped 4 times. We asked the guy when it would be safe to use and he said 2 weeks! I wasn't sure of this, we have PC camp in a fortnight so need hay would think be safe to feed or do we need to buy in? I thought it would need leaving a couple of months???

 

[1275gta]

You need to leave it to 'cook', I would have thought 6 to 8 weeks to be at its best, but would probably be ok in a couple of weeks but not fully done.

 

[Britestar]

Mine was cut and wrapped about 3 weeks ago, I wont consider using it until at least October. If you open it after 2 weeks, its still going to be warm in temperature, and could cause you lots of problems. I would get hold of some of last years, or some hay for camp.

Also, if you open it too soon, its going to go off within days.

A friend of mine grows and sells haylage as his business, and his first stuff won't be 'ready' until September.

 

[mcooper]

Depends on the moisture content, the dryer it is the longer it takes to ferment, also adding an innoculant/addative such as ecobale speeds up fermentation but 2 weeks is way too short. 8 weeks would be safer. You won't have many happy campers if they get colic!

Mark

 

[ColouredFan]

Thanks for your advice guys, I did think thats two weeks wasnt long enough you have more and confirmed that, we wont be using it until the horses come in at the end of October.

 

[teabiscuit]

i was told 6 weeks by the person who made it, and we started using it after 6 weeks and its fine

 

[birchave0]

usually about 6 weeks and I would be very worried if someone had only wrapped ours with 4 wraps!

We usually have 18, the computer on the wrapper can be set to any number and it's best to have between 18-20. This usually takes about 1 minute.
The less wrap on your bale the more chance of it being damaged or punctured, the rain will also seep through such a thin layer. This will ruin your haylage.

The reason contractors do this is because the plastic wrap is expensive, if they only put a fews layers on your bales it works out cheaper for them but they will still charge you a price per bale.
Have you paid him yet

 

[Dressagebabe]

Definately leave it at least 6 weeks as it can cause at worst colic and at least behavioural problems!! I tend to leave ours between 8-12 wks if I have enough from last year to keep going. As far as wrap is concerned, the more wrap you use the longer it lasts, we put 10 wraps on and it lasts 2yrs but have used 15 wraps and its lasted 4yrs which really is the maximum you want it sitting around really. Obviously if it only has 4 wraps on then it is more likely that you will get a few bales of wastage due to puncture holes and rats too. Put some plastic drain pipe with rat bate in all around the bottom of the stack if you can to prevent them making holes in it.