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Post by jay on Jul 19, 2006 7:42:04 GMT -1
I've not used haylage before for my boys, just hay. All this hot weather we're having with no rain is playing havoc with my grass and I'm getting desperately short, so I was going to get some hay to tide them over for a while. But my OH's friend has very kindly brought me over a couple of bales of haylage from his farm. I was just wondering if they were ok to stay outside uncovered once opened? Or am I best covering it over, or would that make it 'sweat' in this heat?  Thank you! |
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Post by JoM on Jul 19, 2006 8:00:34 GMT -1
Once its unwrapped, leave it unwrapped! It needs to breathe once opened or it will go minging, sweaty and off!!  Oh - what Dancer would give for a bit of haylege!!  |
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Post by harveydales on Jul 19, 2006 8:01:13 GMT -1
I would think you are best not to cover them up once opened or even open the bale up so it dries almost like hay. In this heat I'm finding haylage is not keeping long and the last small bale I opened started to heat up after only 3 days so I'm using hay only now.
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Post by jay on Jul 19, 2006 9:57:20 GMT -1
Thats great, thank you. I'll fully unwrap it so that it can dry out
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Post by DalesLady on Jul 19, 2006 11:23:30 GMT -1
Our haylage is turning to hay in a few hours! At the moment all ours are out and not eating anything but real grass, so the haylage is being used by the cows!
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ccc
Shetland
Posts: 3
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Post by ccc on Jul 19, 2006 12:31:44 GMT -1
I asked my haylage chap about this last year and his advice was to leave uncovered and if possible separate the slices out. This should stop it fermenting.
Another possiblity was to fill lots of haynets and leave them somewhere cool (!)
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Post by louisesmob on Jul 19, 2006 19:24:44 GMT -1
Leave it uncovered def, but it will only last a couple of days in this weather. Mine love it but you need to use it up quite quickly, so if you only have one eating it , it will prob go off before you have used it.
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Post by greydales on Jul 20, 2006 19:02:03 GMT -1
Yes definitely leave it uncovered and open it out as much as possible. If you cover it up or leave it packed together it will heat up very quickly and go off!
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Post by The Moo on Jul 21, 2006 6:29:10 GMT -1
Once it has dried out and turned to 'hay' is it still okay.
Some at our place has dried and gone this way, it is dry and and smells nice but that isn't always and indication that the nasty bugs aren't there.
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Post by jay on Jul 21, 2006 7:48:06 GMT -1
Thanks everyone. I made sure I fully unwrapped it and have separated the wedges as much as I could. It is just like hay now.
The boys seem to love it! Jay makes me chuckle...he always makes sure he gets the biggest pile of 'spaghetti'! ;D
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Post by acorn on Jul 21, 2006 21:06:02 GMT -1
We have fed haylage after it dried up (still smelled great). All the ponies wolfed it down and we had no problems.
Is anyone having problems keeping wrapped haylage in the heat?? We just "composted" some that was a bit mouldy on the outer layers - maybe it was sweating too much?
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