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Post by minimad on Aug 29, 2007 14:23:07 GMT
Have made haylage this year because of the stupid weather. The bales are about the size of 5 x small bales of hay. Have never fed haylage before and wondering what to expect. How long will the bale last? Do you unwrap it completely to use it or wrap it back up each day in between? I keep reading awful things about botulism and listeria and scaring myself about using it. Any suggestions or ideas gratefully received
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Post by lottiemarsh on Aug 29, 2007 15:16:27 GMT
WE leave ours in the wrap while we use it, ours are square though so we just cut open one end and pull it out as needed. However, in this hotter humid weather it has had a tendancy to start to heat up. We then pull it out the wrapping and expose it to the air. As long as it smells sweet and almost edible (??!!??) it will be fine to feed. Botulism and listeria are only present when oxygen is not(i think), they are bright green/ blue moulds that dont dissapear when exposed to the air and they smell rank. Sometimes you get a white fluffy mould like growth on the stalks of the haylage, this is just from the sugars on the grass and is harmless.
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Post by masters on Aug 29, 2007 21:19:59 GMT
I agree with' lottiemarsh'. We also leave ours in the wrap if we're using small bales but in mid winter and they are in we do have large round bales which we cut the wrap off completely and 'un-wind' around the bales as it was put togeather so to speak. Just remember that haylage is great for putting on weight so be careful how you feed it, we have had ours analised etc to see what it contains, if it the right grass etc but I'm sure if it's no good the first one to tell you is your pony, our's would!!!!
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Post by minimad on Sept 7, 2007 9:12:02 GMT
Thanks, where do you get it 'analysed'  |
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Post by bubbles on Sept 16, 2007 14:14:09 GMT
I also use haylage in the winter and find it fine for mine, who does get lammie in the summer, obviously it's easier for me as he is ridden and generally worked quite hard and i do find it difficult to keep the weight on, Summer i can't keep it off and winter i can't keep weight on.
Like masters said it is Very good for putting weight on and i have known more highly strung horses that aren't in enough work while fed it go through the roof and bounce around like Tiggers.
I have always been on livery yards so we get it in the big round bales which we do unwrap as there are quite a few horses on it so doesn't last to long. I do know that when it's turning to go off it smells like sick which isn't nice :-)
You know your own ponies so see how it goes :-)
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