Swapping from Hay to Haylage - Query

[bandit]

Quick question.

Hay @ my yard isn’t all that great – can’t seem to get hold of any good ‘big’ bale hay, so switching to haylage. Can horses sometimes go a bit ‘loopy’ on haylage? I am going to start gradually changing over the next week or so, and will still probably mix it with some small bale hay just in case…

Advice pls?

Ta.

 

[AmyMay]

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Can horses sometimes go a bit ‘loopy’ on haylage?

[/ QUOTE ]
Some say so - never in my experience though.

 

[Cobland]

My lot have always been on haylage, they are far from loopy lol. I was told the only problem with feeding them haylage is that you might find it hard changing them back to hay again.

 

[HBII]

Ours were on ad lib hay and then got changed to hayledge didnt make a difference to us.

Might be worth doing half and half to use up your old hay and to introduce it to her. Either that or get your sticky bums out.

Hb

 

[ihatework]

The horse I have had for the last 4 years is prone to being a little sharp at times and I have to e careful of not giving too many concentrates however he doesn't react to haylage at all.

However I was competing a friends horse last summer and he showed a noticeable temprement change when fed haylage instead of hay, although in my experience this reaction is fairly rare.

The more common problem is they get too fat on haylage!

 

[Cobland]

Yeap the haylage did wonders in putting weight on our TB, i wouldnt feed as much haylage as I would hay.

Where we are, the bales have got quite expensive aswell

 

[buzzles]

All mine are on haylage and never had a problem with overheating, it is great for putting on condition and you have to feed more of it than hay as it has a higher water content so you use more of it. Introduce it very gradually though as they can get quite loose droppings from it if they're not used to it.

 

[Parkranger]

depends whether you're feeding horse hayage (smaller bags very molassed) or normal haylage which looks pretty similar to hay but no dust etc.....

neiher fizzed up Ty but I've heard of horses who can't tolerate sugar getting heated up on horse hayage!

 

[anniedoherty]

Ollie got a bit silly on haylage so I swapped him to hay. Silly old me didn't realise for ages that the haylage was the problem though as I'd never heard that it could do that. I just assumed it was the "equivalent" of hay.

 

[TGM]

None of mine have heated up on haylage. If you are worried that yours may then perhaps best to look for a high fibre or meadow grass variety rather than rye grass.

 

[Bex7]

When I moved Bert to haylage he was definately a little more there!

This could easily be put down to him having difficulty breathing on the hay and then feelilng better on the haylage though.

Originally I had him on the blue horsehage which is low calorie fibre based but it is sooo dear and had no change on him then I moved him on to the farmers own and that is when he got a little excitable.....he is fine now though.

 

[sleepingdragon10]

[ QUOTE ]
depends whether you're feeding horse hayage (smaller bags very molassed) or normal haylage which looks pretty similar to hay but no dust etc.....

neiher fizzed up Ty but I've heard of horses who can't tolerate sugar getting heated up on horse hayage!

[/ QUOTE ]

Erm, there's no such thing as molassed haylage

 

[Parkranger]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
depends whether you're feeding horse hayage (smaller bags very molassed) or normal haylage which looks pretty similar to hay but no dust etc.....

neiher fizzed up Ty but I've heard of horses who can't tolerate sugar getting heated up on horse hayage!

[/ QUOTE ]

Erm, there's no such thing as molassed haylage

[/ QUOTE ]

What do you think the sticky stuff is on horse hayage?? it's definately got sugar in it though hasn't it....maybe molasses was the wrong word!

 

[sleepingdragon10]

Do you mean Horsehage?

 

[Parkranger]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you mean Horsehage?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not sure - in bags and errr looks like it's got molasses on it! Stop being pedantic you lot!

 

[sleepingdragon10]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Do you mean Horsehage?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not sure - in bags and errr looks like it's got molasses on it! Stop being pedantic you lot!

[/ QUOTE ]

horsehage

mollichaff

Pedantic? Moi?

xxx

 

[bandit]

Thanks guys...

started to introduce it today. bought a mix of haylage (large bale) and small hay bales and will hope she doesn't get too fizzy!!!

Bx

 

[Parkranger]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Do you mean Horsehage?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not sure - in bags and errr looks like it's got molasses on it! Stop being pedantic you lot!

[/ QUOTE ]

horsehage

mollichaff

Pedantic? Moi?

xxx

[/ QUOTE ]

It certainly smells sweet though - perhaps it's part of the fermenting process.....as in when you make beer and wine. What does it produce?

All together now......




















Sugar!

 

[TGM]

I thought that during the fermentation process some of the natural sugars in the grass used to make haylage actually turned into acid which helps preserve the haylage

. What determines the sugar content in haylage is actually the type of grass used and the time the grass is cut.

I wonder whether the 'hayage' you are talking about is what is described in Derek Cuddesford's book, Equine Nutrition, as 'Hay-based products'. He describes it as "hay produced in the conventional way, but then processed after storage through a cleaner ... Once cleaned, boiling molasses are added and it is then sealed in a bag under pressure."

Must say this is the only place I have read about such a product and never seen it for sale!

PS: When you make beer or wine the fermentation process actually turns SUGAR into ALCOHOL!

 

[Parkranger]

[ QUOTE ]
I thought that during the fermentation process some of the natural sugars in the grass used to make haylage actually turned into acid which helps preserve the haylage

. What determines the sugar content in haylage is actually the type of grass used and the time the grass is cut.

I wonder whether the 'hayage' you are talking about is what is described in Derek Cuddesford's book, Equine Nutrition, as 'Hay-based products'. He describes it as "hay produced in the conventional way, but then processed after storage through a cleaner ... Once cleaned, boiling molasses are added and it is then sealed in a bag under pressure."

Must say this is the only place I have read about such a product and never seen it for sale!

PS: When you make beer or wine the fermentation process actually turns SUGAR into ALCOHOL!

[/ QUOTE ]


arrrgggghhhh - I don't know enough about alcohol as I thought! Alcohol is still full of sugar though - non ????

 

[TGM]

When wine is made, for example, you start with a 'grape juice' full of natural sugar and SOME of that sugar is fermented to alcohol. Not all of the sugar is fermented though, so some of it remains in the final drink. The more sugar that remains, the sweeter the wine.

 

[Parkranger]

[ QUOTE ]
When wine is made, for example, you start with a 'grape juice' full of natural sugar and SOME of that sugar is fermented to alcohol. Not all of the sugar is fermented though, so some of it remains in the final drink. The more sugar that remains, the sweeter the wine.

[/ QUOTE ]

Alkie!

 

[BBs]

Havent read all the replies.
I have hay and haylage at my yard. I actually find all my horses prefer hay than haylage.
If your horse (which B is) prone to being sharp, easily het up then you may find haylage adds to her already excitable temp.

Ive fed the pony and old SJer haylage all winter with NO hard feed, and they have kept condition well.
I would alternate hay wtih haylage for Bert to help keep weight on him.

Remember its high in sugar, so reduce your hard feed accordingly, although if you are using UB you wont need to wtih this.

Just keep an eye, might be worth just doing half and half rather than putting her straight over to it. Plus if you give her 3 wedges of hay a night you will only wanting to give half as much haylage, which is why i would bulk it out with ordinary hay to give her something to pick over.

 

[evsj]

i am swapping mine from hay onto haylage this week too. have just started by adding a wedge of haylage in with her net at night and by the end of the week it will be entirely haylage.
she was on it at a previous yard and it never affected her temprement, just meant she kept condition on really well and hardly needed any hard feed.

 

[BBs]

Yus its great for weight gain. I just couldnt get my big fella to eat it. He would much prefer a bale of hay than 2 sections of haylage, he would just throw it into his bed and pee on it

 

[TGM]

[ QUOTE ]
Alkie!

[/ QUOTE ] That's me

I'm just so grateful for that fermentation process!

 

[Capriole]

when i had to change my horse from haylage to hay, the yard owner rang me in a flap to say he needed the vet as he couldnt eat, horse was balling hay up in his mouth then dropping it out - wasnt ill though just objecting that he wasnt getting haylege