Feeding Haylage

bjreroberts · Post by **bjreroberts** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 1:07 pm

My apologies if this has been covered by an earlier topic, I have done a search but cannot find anything.

In previous years I have always fed my cattle hay over winter, but this year I've had 40 heston bales of haylage.

Once opened, what is the best way to maintain the usable life of the bale? Unwrap completely, or leave the plastic on an take from the top down?

How do you tell when it has become unsuitable for feeding?

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 1:46 pm

Do you mean 2' x 4' x 8' or thereabouts. One of those would last 10 cows about 5-6 days week off the top off my head.

I always unwrap ours completely because then it just tends to dry into a hay-like material instead of sweating and going off. We do that with horses, unwrap it and it will last a week or more. Note it may last longer, but I wouldn't know because it's all gone by then.

SteveM · Post by **SteveM** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 7:14 pm

We have fed silage & haylage from 6ft mini heston size bales in the past.

Bales once opened are kept in the yard outside so especially in bad weather we tend to cut around one end and only peel back the wrap as the bale is used, usually in about 3 days.

If you can drop them with the string running horizontally around the bale then as with straw hestons you may be able to take blocks off with a pitch fork to feed to the cattle.

Edited By SteveM on 1257272236