Storage of Horsehage!

pistolpete

pistolpete

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I am going to keep my horse on horsehage next winter, he is so much better on it than hay. My question is once a bag is opened it says use within seven days, fine but does everyone try to keep it wrapped up or should it be allowed to dry out? Also does anyone not worry about this rule? Luckily for me my horse is a good doer, so can make a bag last three days. £7.05 for blue bag, anyone getting it cheaper? I am in Hants. Thank-you.
 
Just pile it up on a pallet and it will be fine. You will use it in 3 days and in the winter it won't dry in that time frame. There are a lot of people selling 20 kg bags of haylage these days. I buy mine from thorogoods. Theirs is £6.20 - no VAT. You just have to order min 25 at a time, they deliver from Essex. You can have a min of 25 of anything, so I usually buy some bedding and haylage. They do a good service. It is a quality product.

http://www.thorogoods.co.uk/shop/haylage
 
It is the perfect time to buy small bale haylage from the field and it would be a lot cheaper. You should see if any of your local farmers have any for sale.
 
We use Fulmart... Get it direct and have a regular bulk delivery.
They changed to self baling a few years ago. So you can't pull it out as a slice like Horsehage, so we slice the bag, and tip the lot out onto a clean rubber floor mat.
The Fulmart product is very clean, and does dry a little, but not to the detriment if the product.
In fact, I'd rather it's out the bag and drying, than sweating in an open bag. Although Horsehage is a dryer product than some bagged Hayledge, so less likely to do this.
 
pistolpete said:
I am going to keep my horse on horsehage next winter, he is so much better on it than hay. My question is once a bag is opened it says use within seven days, fine but does everyone try to keep it wrapped up or should it be allowed to dry out? Also does anyone not worry about this rule? Luckily for me my horse is a good doer, so can make a bag last three days. £7.05 for blue bag, anyone getting it cheaper? I am in Hants. Thank-you.
Click to expand...

Mine were on small bale haylage for a few months until recently, as my big bale supplier ran out!- I got some at first, from the west country which came on pallets of approx 45 bales, it worked out about £6.75 per bale however as good as it was it wasn't as quite as nice as the horsehage or easy pack!

With the small bales i just keep it in the bag, and leave the top open- but large bales of haylage are better kept completely unwrapped i always think.
 
millimoo said:
We use Fulmart... Get it direct and have a regular bulk delivery.
They changed to self baling a few years ago. So you can't pull it out as a slice like Horsehage, so we slice the bag, and tip the lot out onto a clean rubber floor mat.
The Fulmart product is very clean, and does dry a little, but not to the detriment if the product.
In fact, I'd rather it's out the bag and drying, than sweating in an open bag. Although Horsehage is a dryer product than some bagged Hayledge, so less likely to do this.
Click to expand...

Be careful of any small bale haylage that does not come out as "slices" as this can be an indication that it was not originally baled in small bales, but may be re-baled big bale haylage, which would rely on secondary fermentation or chemicals for its storability - can lead to problems - botulism etc. (I don't know this particular brand, so cannot comment on it, but would suggest you ask them outright.)
 
Can absolutely confirm, Fulmart is not rebaled. My mum was miffed when they reverted to self balIng due to the hassle factor when fillin hay nets, but it's a more cost effective option in the baling process from memory.
We've been buying Fulmart direct for the last 10 - 12 years, and the quality is consistently superb.
 
I use big bale haylage and my two 15hh get through one in about 14 days, and it stays fine for that period of time. I completely unwrap it and fluff it a bit to avoid any heat building up. Other people on my yard have not been as successful as they leave it in the wrapper. I asked my supplier about buying it in bulk but he wouldn't reccomend it as he says the tiniest hole on delivery would be enough to rot the bale by the time I came to use it. A farm local to me re-wraps big bales into small ones but I wouldn't want to chance that. I bought a small bale recently when my delivery was late and it lasted my boys a day... I'd rather buy a big bale at £35 and throw away what doesn't keep than pay £6 plus per day!
 
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