How Long Does A Bale Of Horsehage Last?

How long does a bag of HorseHage keep? Unopened, for up to 18 months. Once opened, it should be used within 5 – 7 days.

How long does HorseHage last once opened?

Once opened, a bag of HorseHage should be used within 5-7 days, however, unopened bags can be kept for up to 18 months. Although, any bags with holes in should only be used within 5-7 days of the hole being made.

Is HorseHage the same as haylage?

HorseHage is produced in four varieties – Ryegrass, High Fibre, Timothy and Alfalfa – enabling you to feed a forage that is matched to your horse’s requirements. Haylage generally only comes in one type, and the nutrient and energy values are often not known.

How much haylage should a 550kg horse eat?

12kg
Obviously, for a larger thoroughbred horse the increase in daily amount of haylage is more dramatic . A 550kg thoroughbred requires an additional 4kg to meet the minimum recommendation of nearly 12kg (if the dry matter content is 70%).

Can you soak HorseHage?

Should I soak HorseHage? There is no need to soak HorseHage as it is dust free and has a known nutrient content. Generally hay is soaked to remove dust and to reduce its nutritional value (often the nutrient content of hay is unknown and sugar and protein levels can vary a lot).

Is Horsehage better than hay?

Haylage is more digestible than hay, giving it a higher digestible energy (or DE) content. Because of this, horses tend to do better on haylage – making it usually less ideal for overweight horses, horses prone to gaining weight, metabolic and laminitic horses.

How long does a bale of haylage last once opened?

Although the traditional advice is 7-10 days open for a bale of haylage before spoilage starts, many people manage to use a bale for 14-20 days during the depths of winter.

Should horses have hay all time?

Because we like to think our horses follow the same schedule that we do, many people think that horses need less hay at night because they’re asleep (and therefore, not eating). However, that’s a myth. Horses need access to forage at all times of the day.

What is the white stuff on haylage?

These coloured moulds can be very dangerous and this should never be fed to horses. White spots that do not smell may be yeast. Yeast may grow slowly on haylage that had high levels of sugar in it.

Can ponies get laminitis from haylage?

False. Horses that have a history of laminitis and are therefore prone to laminitis require a forage that is ideally less than 10% water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) sugars)).

Is haylage more nutritious than hay?

Many equine nutritionists now recommend feeding haylage instead of hay although there are pros and cons to each. Haylage is much closer to the horses natural diet of grass, both in texture and nutritional value it is more palatable and digestible than hay, has a higher nutritional value and is less dusty.

Is haylage more heating than hay?

It is also more easily digested due to the young grasses used in its production. As haylage has a higher energy level than hay many competition horses are fed on it to balance out with their concentrate feeds.

How many times should haylage be wrapped?

Wrap at least 6-8 times. Haylage bales should be wrapped with a minimum of 8 layers. When high quality bale wrap is used, 6 layers is acceptable.

Can a laminitic horse ever have grass again?

A return to some access to grass will often be possible following laminitis or for a horse with EMS/ID, as long as something – whatever caused the laminitis – has changed.

Can too much hay cause laminitis?

What causes laminitis continues to be an area of huge research. It has become evident in recent years that although the over consumption of grass or feed high in starch or sugar is still commonly associated with horses developing laminitis, up to 90% of cases have an underlying hormonal cause.

Can I put vinegar in my horses water?

Cider vinegar can be added to a horse’s drinking water to mask slight differences in the taste or smell of water encountered at shows or trail rides. Begin a few weeks ahead of the trip by adding a little cider vinegar to the horse’s water to accustom the horse to the taste.

What is the best hay to fatten up a horse?

Alfalfa
Alfalfa is higher in calories and protein than grass hays, which makes it an excellent choice to help to add weight to a thin horse. If your horse tends to be wasteful with his hay, he may eat more when offered alfalfa hay cubes or pellets.

What is the most digestible hay for horses?

Timothy hay is a popular choice because of its easy digestibility and may be more suitable for certain life stages. However, alfalfa hay has a higher calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, which makes it unsuitable for younger horses. Timothy hay has a balanced calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.

What is the healthiest grass for horses?

Grazing perennial cool-season grasses
We then determined that horses preferred mixtures of endophyte-free tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass and timothy. This mixture also yielded well, withstood grazing pressure, and met the nutritional needs of most classes of horses.

How do you know if haylage has gone off?

What should haylage smell like? Good quality haylage should smell fresh like cut grass on a summer’s day. If it smells sour, yeasty, vinegary or burnt then it’s probably gone bad.

How long do you leave haylage before feeding to horses?

To be safe, wait at least 8 weeks after wrapping to begin feeding baleage bales. This time will ensure that the forage is fully ensiled and does not begin to deteriorate or heat when it is fed.