Silage

[rach1984horse]

Just when I thought yard was getting slightly better, it appears that my ponies have been given a bale of silage instead of hay.

Am I right to be worried about lami and colic?

I can't take it out myself as is a big round bale put in by forklift.

 

[spike123]

silage shouldn't be fed to horses at all.Are you sure its silage and not haylage?Haylage when it goes bad ferments and its something to do with that process as to why horses shouldn't eat it and isn't it something in the processing of silage which disagrees with horses.

 

[carthorse]

The problem with horses eating silage is they can get botulism. if it is haylage it should be fine as long as there is no mould which it is prone to get unless stored very well and sealed completely

 

[lexiedhb]

I think its botulism that is the problem with silage and off haylage, which really isnt a good thing. Properly stored silage can be fed to horses but in moderation, ie as say a quarter of its total "hay" allowance so not ideal having a big bale in the field......... can you not get whoever put it there to remove it??

 

[lexiedhb]

carthorse looks like we posted at the same time !!!!

 

[carthorse]

Yes. Great minds and all that

 

[smilincow21]

I doubt it would be silage, its definatly more likey to be haylage!

 

[lexiedhb]

one way to tell is by smell, silage has a MUCH stronger smell than haylage!!

 

[Stinkbomb]

I agree, silage tends to smell like sick!!

 

[rach1984horse]

Since there is no haylage on our farm and nothing is bought in I know it's definatly not haylage. Am going down first thing in morning to ask one of the men thatwork on the farm to get it removed. Am far from happy about it. As my 2 live out all year with 2 of her old retired horses, who wouldn't be getting anything unless mine were getting fed, they tend to give me crap hay unless I keep an eye on it. Just wanted to know what I should look out for health wise for the next few days just incase.

 

[barkinghorse]

Silage is cut closer to the soil than haylage, which is where the botulism is.
Saying that, i went on holiday last year and the farmer dropped off silage instead of haylage, and the girl looking after my 2 fed it all week!
Luckily none of them were ill, but William wouldn't eat haylage after that for about a month and turned his nose up at good hay. Eventually when he realised that he wasn't geeting anymore silage, he started eating it again!!!

 

[TequilaMist]

Yard I was at owner used to give his riding school horses silage in field in winter.It used to go right through them.Sure he sneaked a couple in one of livery fields two horse came down with a 'strain of botulism' and were very ill for a bit.Owners were told that if they got it again outlook wouldn't be good.Ditto everyone else it stinks and darker and 'wetter' than haylage.

 

[Patches]

What?? Cut closer to the soil? Sorry but that's made me chuckle!

I'm not being funny here but we have one mower for our tractor. We cut ALL grass at the same length be it silage, haylage or hay. The ONLY difference is how long we leave it to dry in the sun before baling (and wrapping in the case of silage and haylage).

Silage is baled and wrapped pretty much instantly (within 24 hours of cutting usually). Haylage is turned a couple of times and baled and wrapped after about 3 days and hay we turn oodles of times and is baled after about 5 days.

As far as I've always been aware it's how wet silage is and how it's wrapped and stored that can lead to it going mouldy. We did 250 big bales of silage last year. We had wanted to bale haylage but forecast changed and rain was heading in so it got baled two days earlier. We must've used about 60 now and we've not had ANY loss through mould. Some haylage contains mould too if not baled correctly.

Biggest risk for mould is birds pecking the bales or the wrap being damaged when moving from field to stacking for storage. Any small holes have to be taped over to keep the bales sealed and allow correct fermentation to take place.

Silage, I always say, is rocket fuel for horses as it's so rich and high in protein.

 

[Patches]

Silage smells like your user name!!! LOL

When I first met my hubby I had a hard job telling the difference between silage and muck.....it just smelt vile to me.

Haylage has a lovely sweet smell to it. I do like good haylage. Silage, as you say, is very wet and dark and utterly stinky! We have bales of silage in my yard as the bulls are housed opposite to the stables. The horses make a beeline for it, but I always snatch it back out of their mouths if they manage to grab some. Not because I think it'll poison them....just because I refer to it as "rocket fuel"

 

[barkinghorse]

Thats what the farmer told me when i asked if it was ok for horses!!
He said it was cut closer to the soil and that is where botulism is.?!!
I don't know i'm not a farmer, so i have no reason to question.
Glad i made you chuckle though

Jo

 

[Stinkbomb]

Ha yes it does smell like my username!!! They used silage for the horses when i was a kid working on a riding school. It sticks to you and you smell for days. Could never get the smell off my hands. My mum used to make me get undressed in the back garden!!! It was so wet it used to stain your hands brown!

 

[vivhewe]

I'm going to get laughed at here but.... I like the smell of silage

Only when it is outside, or in a cow shed. I hate the smell of it on my clothes indoors, especially if it is warm as it is 10x worse!

I've known my neddies get the odd handful but they've always been fine

Good haylage has a gorgeous smell, the stuff that came off my top field last year was a nice crop. Shame it's wasted on liveries

(Just kidding!)

 

[Patches]

Must admit Viv, I don't mind it outside. Sometimes I even think it has a ravioli smell about it!

I just refuse to feed the bulls from silage bales as I can't abide the smell of it on my hands/clothes. Bleeeurgh!

 

[Patches]

Hope I didn't offend, didn't mean to. My hubby just asked if your "farmer" was a real farmer or a townie playing at being a farmer!

Baaad hubby!

 

[Chex]

The riding school/dealers were I used to keep Chex gave all their horses silage. Didn't do them any harm, but I wouldn't choose to feed it. Chex loves it though, always stealing it off the cows as he passes, it smells rank to me!

 

[lexiedhb]

My old boy used to love it...... would nick it off the cows in the neighbouring field, but it reeks, eugh, and when the horse goes to give you a big kiss after they've been eating it BLUEGH.................

 

[Rabea]

On my two former Yard they were feeding silage, totally normal and always. Didnt do any harm to the horses. I like the smell, like strong herbs, the horses like it and it is not dusty. And I find it good when horses get various things and tastes to eat, not always hay.

 

[barkinghorse]

Well, not sure really, does 1700 acres of hayfields class a real or townie?

Not sure when it comes to "grass" in my opinion, if you don't have animals like Old Mc Donald, then you're not a real one!!

Jo
PS, i never get offended

 

[Patches]

1700 acres! My God, he owns half of England! LOL

How many bales a year does he get off that and were does he store it all? We only cut 100 acres (at first cut) and silage bunker most of it but still manage to bale about 200 large square (technically oblong) bales!

 

[barkinghorse]

He use to be a dairy farmer, but F&M got to him.
After that he turned his hand to hay straw and haylage, he has 3 farms that he owns and bought up a load of land around merseyside and cheshire.
It's a real family business, all his sons work it.
The farm near us is huge, no one is allowed on any of it, not even to walk across (no footpaths anyway) tall fencing to keep animals out and it's purely hay and haylage. The buildings are massive steel barns for storage and they are full to the top!!
Jo