Is haylage good for cows?

Is haylage good for cows?

Photo courtesy of Bowie County Extenion Office Bales of haylage stored until needed by hungry cattle. Because of high moisture content of haylage and its storage in an air-tight environment, the forage ferments and is preserved by acid produced during fermentation. …

Is haylage better than hay for cattle?

Silage makes an excellent feed for ruminant animals. However, feeding silage is much different than feeding hay. Silage, because it is much wetter than hay, is much more susceptible to deterioration. Sealed from oxygen during storage, the forage undergoes fermentation.

How do you make haylage for cattle?

8 basic steps to make baleage for livestock

1. Quality. Make haylage from high quality/early growth forage (late boot to early head) since it has higher sugar content that is needed to produce good haylage fermentation.
2. Don’t condition.
3. Wide swaths.
4. No tedding.
5. Bale it tight.
6. Wrap it up.
7. Stack and store.
8. Check back.

Is haylage better than hay?

Haylage dry matter has about 10% higher nutritional value than hay so if you are feeding the equivalent in terms of dry matter, you can also cut down on supplementary feed as less will be needed to meet the horses energy requirements.

How long will haylage last once opened?

Once opened, the bales should ideally be used within 6 days, but will last up to 10 days in the winter.

Do you feed more haylage than hay?

Haylage is typically between 50 and 70% dry matter. Due to a greater amount of moisture in haylage you actually need to feed more haylage by weight than hay to provide the same amount of dry matter.

Can haylage be too dry?

If the haylage was too dry when wrapped it may still have high sugar levels in it (as the fermentation process converts those sugars into fatty acids), or you may have had the wrong type of bacteria multiplying.

How long does it take to make haylage?

Haylage needs to ferment, so it should not be fed straight after being baled and wrapped. The amount of time it takes to ‘cure’ is variable depending on the moisture and WSC content of the grass when it was wrapped, but a good guide is 6 weeks.

Is silage better than hay?

Moisture content: Hay usually has a moisture content of 12%, whereas silage moisture content is between 40-60%. Storage methods: Hay is mowed, dried and stored in bales. Silage is compacted and stored in air-tight conditions without being dried. Silage is partially and easily digested, offering more nutritious value.

Is silage cheaper than hay?

Today, silage is much more economical than most hay, and it may be possible to feed more silage. “Most large feedyards will feed 10% to 15% silage which works well. It’s an excellent roughage source and is still more economical than using alfalfa hay or other hays.

Is it OK to mix hay and haylage?

It isn’t advisable for horses who are prone to weight gain or those who suffer from laminitis. Some horses can find haylage too rich for their digestive tract and it can upset them. Some people have found though that mixing hay and haylage to balance in this situation may be the answer!

What kind of hay do you buy at Kelsall Hill?

We offer top quality haylage, Italian rye grass haylage, high fibre haylage and hay for purchase. We grow, harvest and pack all our products which means we can control the process from seed right through to sale. Prices on the website are for guidance purposes.

Are there any large bales of hay for sale?

Unfortunately we have no haylage for sale in large and medium bales as our 2020/21 stocks are fully committed. If you would like to place an order for the 21/22 season please get in touch with us to avoid disappointment. We offer top quality haylage, Italian rye grass haylage, high fibre haylage and hay for purchase.

What was hay like before they made haylage?

In our pre haylage days, getting dry hay made well was tough and, sadly, resulted in our share of rained on hay. Our summer forage harvesting went well this year, in a season when other farmers in our area that were making dry hay had little to no success.

Where to get the best hay in Cheshire?

If you supply haylage in Cheshire and would like a free or premium listing, please click here for information. Italian Rye grass excellent quality made at Broxton Hall Farm. Made in approx. 35-40kg wrapped bales to ensure that the quality is maintained and for ease of handling. We also sell large bales at approx. 350 kilos.