Large bale haylage for the single horse

[peanut]

My supplier could only give me a large bale (better than nothing) so how does anyone cope with large bale haylage when they only have one horse? How do you prevent it from going off? Can you dry it out?

My relatively good-doer has a nutritious bucket feed twice a day (including balancer) and I feed haylage for fibre/warmth/gut function etc rather than nutritional value.

I'd be quite happy for the haylage to become dry (would actually prefer it to), so if I slit the bale straight across the top, would that be adequate to dry it out and keep it longer? Would I have to separate every section for this to happen? Would it be better to take out 6 or so sections and then re-seal the bale the best I can?

Any ideas how not to waste it?

 

[cm2581]

After a week (maybe a few days longer if it is very col) you will have to dispose of the bale and get a fresh one. Remove all the wrap immediately you open it at all. You may as well stop giving the feed and give the horse adlib haylage if that's all he needs!

 

[AmyMay]

After a week (maybe a few days longer if it is very col) you will have to dispose of the bale and get a fresh one.

No you won't.

OP, providing you remove all the wrapping and pull the bale out so that it doesn't over heat, it will be fine.

 

[Mickeymoo]

I take all the wrapping off ours and it can last 3 or 4 weeks if required.

A lady on our yard had a 13.2 and she has one to herself and its been fine.

 

[peanut]

I'll take all the wrapping off. That's what I hoped.

Thank you

 

[custard]

I usually feed two but the younger one's got so much grass have eneded up giving the oldun a bale to himself. I have always re-wrapped it in the cold weather and found it lasted fine, when it starts to get warmer I take all the plastic off and allow it to dry out I think you have to do one thing or the other, no halfway house so to speak.