is haylage generally cheaper than hay??

Not usually - a small bale of hay around here is averaging £4, with small bale haylage at around £7.

This is also reflected in large bale sizes, with my haylage costing £30 per bale (lasts 3 horses 10 days), with large bale hay at £20.

Are you getting confused with silage prices as I think that may be cheaper but I would not feed it to my horses...
 
A yard I am looking at taking my new horse to has BIG bales of haylage for £45 and it's really nice quality stuff but then so is the hay and thats also £45 for big bale, smaller bales are £4.50..

I think it depends on where you are and your supplier really
 
Hay from my supplier is more expensive than haylage. Small bale hay is £4, whereas large round bale haylage is £30, but its about 19 small bales to a large bale, so hay works out WAY more expensive.
 
Also depends on how many horses you aim to feed with each bale - whether hay or haylage the larger the bale the more economical it is, but if you are only feeding a couple of ponies, large bale haylage would go off before you could use it up, whereas hay wouldn't.
 
round here (somerset) it is. round bale of haylage is anywhere from £25 -£35 and large hay is £35 -£55 . farmers have only got half the cut they usually get due to the weather this year so its all doubled in price.
 
We get both large round bales of hay and haylage for £20 but that because we are good friends with our farmer, thing haylage is generally more expensive as it use more material as needs to be wrapped
 
Nocturnal said:
Hay from my supplier is more expensive than haylage. Small bale hay is £4, whereas large round bale haylage is £30, but its about 19 small bales to a large bale, so hay works out WAY more expensive.
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A lerge round bale is generaly betwean 10 and 12 conventional bales.
 
Small bale hay is £5 a bale around here, I'm paying £30 for large bale haylage which lasts my five just under a week. I'd be using 3 or 4 bales of hay a day, so haylage working out much cheaper.
 
If you're trying to cost out your weekly/monthly feed bills, then you have to factor in the higher nutritional value of haylage vs hay. Horses on hay will need more hard feed than those on haylage (if they're doing the same work).

My hay is £3.50 per small bale, I can buy big bale hay for £40 (10 small bales to a big bale)
My haylage is £30-£40 a bale (depending on the size of the bale)

the horses on hay cost me approx £24/week in hay and hard feed
the ones on haylage cost me approx £20/wk in haylage and hard feed

(not counting bedding and supplements)
 
we had to go find straw last night for the dogs as its getting chilly, and found a guy selling small bales, straw £2 and hay £3.50.

and a guy i know gets his large round bales of hay for £20.
 
How come your haylage lasts a month? Do you unpack it all and let it dry out? Mine lasts about 10 days in this cold weather; about a week in warmer temperatures.
 
Slightly Foxed said:
How come your haylage lasts a month? Do you unpack it all and let it dry out? Mine lasts about 10 days in this cold weather; about a week in warmer temperatures.
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Its not the super-moist stuff you get sometimes, its fairly dry as far as haylage goes. But yes, I do unwrap it all. I've started sharing bales now though, as its easier!
 
i buy haylage by the big bale for one horse and lasts me between 2 and 2 and half weeks i do give it ad lib she is never without it
it fine during the cold weather but doubt it would last that long in the summer as it woud go off
 
Mike007 said:
A lerge round bale is generaly betwean 10 and 12 conventional bales.
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Our large bale haylage costs £30 delivered and lasts our 4 about a week (bales differ sometimes). We would be using at least 14 bales per week if we were using small bale hay. Last year we paid £3.50 per small bale. So haylage is certainly working out cheaper for us. We supplement both hay and haylage with good quality straw for our good doers.
 
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