Large bale haylage vs small bale hay

[PurplePickle]

How long does a large square bale haylage last you? with what size horses?


Ive just ordered one which is £30 in our area, I normally get through 8 bales of small bale hay a week so as long as it lasts me over 1.5 weeks it will work out less.

 

[Slightly Foxed]

I have five horses on haylage and a large bale has been lasting 10 days but I'm now having to put haylage out in the paddocks so I guess it'll last a week. Haylage should really be used within 7 days but it keeps better in cold weather.

My large haylage bales are also £30 and with small bale hay at £5 a bale around here, the haylage is much more economical.

Make sure you unwrap it totally so it doesn't 'sweat up' once opened.

ETS The horses are 2 x 15.2hh, 1 x 17.2hh and 2 x 16.2hh (and there's a little Section A but she's on expensive hay!)

 

[MissMincePie&Brandy]

There are various sizes of large bale I think.

We have one that costs £15 a bale, and seems to be the equivelent of about 5 small bales, so is working out to be good value!
At the moment a bale lasts one horse about 2 weeks. However if the snow comes we'll start using a lot more.
The downside is that they are very hard to handle alone, and only really possible if there are 2 or 3 people around. Stacking them when they were being delivered was torture!

 

[domane]

I'm having a similar dilemma myself. I currently get small round bales of haylage delivered... they are approximately 4ft tall and 3ft wide. With my OH we can roll and position them in my hay barn but I can't move one on my own. They are costing me £22 delivered. From another supplier I can get massive rectangular bales for £25 plus delivery but I just can't see how I would manoevre them into my barn so that's putting me off, even though they would be more economical. Not possible to store outside either. Difficult call.....

 

[lavery834]

a large round £30 haylage,stored in a ring,is lasting my two 15.2 horses 8 days at the moment.they have constant access to it and are obviously doing nothing but eat.

 

[PurplePickle]

thanks all, ive got 1 17.2 1 foal at 13hh and a 12hh, Im just starting to put put a square of normal hay out each and they arent eating all that, I normally have to fetch the small bales so it is saving me doing that with the farm being just down the road, they bring it up drop it where I want it, just the getting it out of the bale thats the pain LOL

 

[JanetGeorge]

thanks all, ive got 1 17.2 1 foal at 13hh and a 12hh, Im just starting to put put a square of normal hay out each and they arent eating all that, I normally have to fetch the small bales so it is saving me doing that with the farm being just down the road, they bring it up drop it where I want it, just the getting it out of the bale thats the pain LOL

I get 3 trailer loads of big square bales at a time (36 to a load) and they are stacked two high - outdoors. I just use a stanley knife to cut the plastic at one end, cut the strings, and pull off 1-2 slices at a time - either into the transport box on the back of the tractor for the horses living out - or onto wheel-barrows for the stabled horses. We use 2-3 big bales a day - and getting it out of the bale really isn't difficult!