Large bales haylidge - do you use or throw some?

Gingerwitch

Gingerwitch

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 May 2009
Messages
6,102
Location
My own planet
Visit site
As above - how long do you feed your horses from an large open bale ? does this mean you end up throwing some away?

You hear so much advice that it can only be fed for 5 days from opening, or 7 days, some say they feed until it runs out.

Cheers

GW
 
I used to get haylage that would last up to 2 weeks - I was feeding one horse. As long as the quality is good, it should be ok but depends on how wet it is.
 
mine last 2 weeks but usually eaten in 10 days - I take off all wrap then loosely tie tarpaulin over it (loads of air can get at it from underneath so doesnt go feisty) but mine are nice and dry.
 
If they are square bales, try and ensure you only remove one slice at a time. The slice left then at the front will keep air out of the remaining part of the bale. So long as they aren't too moist, they will last several weeks like that - mine last at least a month, maybe longer, in the summer when it is warmer so more likely to deteriorate anyway.
Meesha when I first started using it, I unwrapped a whole bale and moved it into an empty stable to use from there. It didn't keep - with haylage you need to keep air off it as much as you can, not just moisture. You might be better not unwrapping yours?
 
Last edited:
The key with haylage is to unwrap it completely so it doesn't start to rot in the wrapping once opened. Take all the wrapping off, and it'll last much longer.

I get through one big bale of haylage every five days.
 
I use big Square bales. It takes just over 2 weeks to use it as only one eats it. It is fairly dry stuff though which makes the difference.
 
My two get through a big bale in a week to 10 days depending on the weather. I fold the flap of plastic over and cover it with an old rug. It would last much longer I think as mine is very dry, almost like hay.
 
I find the key is to not allow air in or to allow air to circulate freely. If a small amount of air gets in it's a one way ticket to rotsville :-(

Large square bales I leave wrapped tightly only opening & taking slices from the front. Mine last perfectly well like this for a week (used up them)

Large rounds I completely unwrap & make sure they are on a pallet to allow air to circulate freely.
 
Starzaan said:
The key with haylage is to unwrap it completely so it doesn't start to rot in the wrapping once opened. Take all the wrapping off, and it'll last much longer.

I get through one big bale of haylage every five days.
Click to expand...

*rushes to yard to unwrap rest of the round bale*

Now you've posted this, I feel rather stupid for not putting 2 and 2 together!
 
I have the large round bales. Each lasts me 7 days feeding 3 big horses. I unwrap fully stood on a pallet and loosely covered in tarp held in place with ratchet strap. The guy I get them from makes it fairly dry so I have very little waste. A little sometimes from where the bales might have been stood on top of each other.
 
dark_prince said:
*rushes to yard to unwrap rest of the round bale*

Now you've posted this, I feel rather stupid for not putting 2 and 2 together!
Click to expand...

Haha, I have a very stern and rather scary hay supplier. I get a lecture at least twice a year about how to make my haylage last!

I have extra large square bales of haylage, and the same of hay, and each lasts five days. If haylage is totally unwrapped, it should last a few weeks, if not, you'll end up with manky, mouldy bits after a week.
 
Starzaan said:
Haha, I have a very stern and rather scary hay supplier. I get a lecture at least twice a year about how to make my haylage last!

I have extra large square bales of haylage, and the same of hay, and each lasts five days. If haylage is totally unwrapped, it should last a few weeks, if not, you'll end up with manky, mouldy bits after a week.
Click to expand...

Glad ive read this, ive just into a share on a large bale with 2 other liveries as we are all only feeding one horse, however, if it will last when opened a few weeks I might buy a large one myself next time
 
Thanks JillA but I only use hayledge in cold months Dec - Feb and have always unwrapped totally and left outside with tarp slung over - never had a problem - they are round bales and are very dry anyway. I think the air circulating helps - other people I know do the same - may be different with square bales but this works for us.

I did have some small bales in Spring last year and they went off within days (diff supplier) don't know if it was warmer weather or as end of season - they were quite a bit wetter as well !

May have the luxury next year of a barn for hayledge to go straight into when delivered in which case will unwrap and leave uncovered.
 
It depends on the weather. For the ones who eat slowly - 3 weeks in winter is fine, however when warming up the bale will go off faster than eating. I go back to small bales when not freezing.

For our main herd 3 to 5 bales will last a couple of days tops so never throw any away. Some of it is pulled of as a bed whe they first go out though.
 
JillA said:
If they are square bales, try and ensure you only remove one slice at a time. The slice left then at the front will keep air out of the remaining part of the bale. So long as they aren't too moist, they will last several weeks like that - mine last at least a month, maybe longer, in the summer when it is warmer so more likely to deteriorate anyway.
Meesha when I first started using it, I unwrapped a whole bale and moved it into an empty stable to use from there. It didn't keep - with haylage you need to keep air off it as much as you can, not just moisture. You might be better not unwrapping yours?
Click to expand...

Once opened you should unwrap fully so it doesn't sweat in warmer weather. All ours do is dry out slightly rather than going off if left to sweat. If feeding in slices.

Round bales are designed to be put out whole.

If tractor has punctured holes in delivered bales not ready to be used, it's worth JAF taping straight up or unwrapping.
 
Last edited:
My latest haylage is extremely wet, so I stripped it naked. It would be completely rotten by now if I hadn't. Dry bales stay wrapped as long as it's cold, but are stripped if the temp gets over 5 degrees.
 
Blinking hell archiepoo - how many do you have?!
Agree with the others who said unwrap all of it, don't just open one end. Will last a good couple of weeks that way, especially when its cold :-)
 
I use one big square bale in about a week and a half. I either move it all (by sections) to my little hay shed, or i take so much out to the shed and leave the remainder left wrapped (i cut it open so i can make a flap).

But the other year i only had one horse on it and one bale lasted 3 weeks. I used to take so much out to my storage area and wrap the rest back up. It never went off. That was winter though (summer and warm temperatures may be different). The haylage wasnt real dry but it wasnt the really wet stuff either? It kept quite well.
 
I do suspect that those people who find it lasts better if it is totally unwrapped have what is more like hay than haylage. Haylage with a fairly high moisture content (nearer the silage end of the spectrum) is anaerobically unstable and deteriorates in air, unlike hay which is fairly stable unless it is wet.
I know without a doubt that once unwrapped, mine began to spoil within a week, whereas wrapped it keeps for much much longer (so long as it is square bales and the front slice keeps the air from the ones behind it).
Just a heads up for those people who have unwrapped and found it doesn't last - you could be doing exactly the wrong thing for the type of haylage you have. And round bales are much harder to keep the air out anyway.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top