Steaming/ hot bale of haylage - what would you have done?

GlamourPuss86

GlamourPuss86

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Evening all!

Just wondering what you would have done with this...

Went up to do friends horses tonight, they are currently being fed haylage, the bale is out in the open in the stable block (no seperate room big enough for it).

We sarted pulling it apart to fill the nets and discovered it was VERY hot the further in you got, by very hot I mean I couldn't keep my hand in it for more then about 30secs. It was an almost new bale, so a lot left.

We decided that the best idea would be to pull it apart, hose it all down (1 horse doesn't do well with the dust so all has to be hosed anyway), and stick them bigger than normal piles out in the field for them (the grazing is poor, this wont hurt them).

The fear was as it was so hot that it may start to combust, had a normal size hay bale do it some years ago, thankfully it was the last 1 left!

What would you have done?
 
Probably the same, though if mine starts to ferment again in winter I take all the wrapping off, spread it out and let it dry. It's then fine to use as long as there's no mould present.
 
Just pull it apart next time, I wouldn't hose it down because the bacteria can multiply in water, although if you put it out in the field that would allow the water to drain.
 
haylage shouldnt be dusty?? ditto not hosing because of bacteria.

I'd have pulled it apart, left it to cool, then had a good smell. if it was sweet/foisty (ie. bacteria/mould) then wanged on the muck heap and a new bale opened
 
If it's fairly new haylage, it can be quite common for it to heat up esp if it's kept inside- my haylage suppliers advise to keep the haylage completely unwrapped and if it heats up to shake some sections out leave them until it cools and then you can use it. I do this and it's never ever caused any probs to my horses at all. If obv it was off or mouldy then it would go straight on the muck heap!
 
Intersted to read this - we feed haylage, and when we open it we have to move and stack the bale somewhere else - as I use it, it sometimes feels hot - I usually open it out a bit and it cools down - seems like I have been doing the right thing! Was never really sure!
 
Haylage like silage needs to heat a bit to encourage fermentation you need to encourage anearobic bacteria not Butiric it also neds to be air tight to avoid overheating you can get light feen wrap and or black and white bales look like giant hum bu:Dgs
 
My mum's best friends husband sells thousands of bales of haylage every year. He says if the haylage is steaming then don't feed it to you horse. It will already be creating tiny little mould spores
 
Hairy Old Cob said:
Haylage like silage needs to heat a bit to encourage fermentation you need to encourage anearobic bacteria not Butiric it also neds to be air tight to avoid overheating you can get light feen wrap and or black and white bales look like giant hum bu:Dgs
Click to expand...

Um haylage/silage producers strive NOT to have the product heating. If it is heating it is not fit for feeding! I would have chucked that bale on the muckheap. Good well made haylage should not heat. I have haylage samples over three years old that are treated with a forage treatment that travel around in my car with me for work. Even on the hottest of days they are stone cold and smell fabulous.
 
ive never known hayledge be stone cold esp in car.

i have used hot steaming bales for years i just open whole bale and let it cool down and dry out a bit.
it will be esp hot if it made this year as still fermenting they go hot to ferment then cool down a bit.

i dont c how it would need hosing down though as it should be not dusty.

as long as smells like hayledge it be ok.
 
re forage treatment
i prefer to feed hayledge that hasnt been treated as some treatments are mainly desinded for cattle.
prefer hayledge that fermented naturally.
 
How old was it? If it was baled and wrapped under 8 weeks ago, I would not feed it because it is too new and not had time to "make" and could continue to ferment inside the horse and cause colic. If it has had plenty of time to make, I shake it out and let it go cool and if it stays cool I feed it.
 
equinim said:
re forage treatment
i prefer to feed hayledge that hasnt been treated as some treatments are mainly desinded for cattle.
prefer hayledge that fermented naturally.
Click to expand...

Forage treatments are designed to treat forages not be a feed stuff. there are generally different application rates depending on what forage they are treating.
 
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