Hay or haylege? ..?
what is better and why?
i prefer haylage as its not dusty and is better for the horses.
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Haylage have a much higher nutrient content and a higher moisture level than hay because it is baled and wrapped in a hurry without the extensive drying. Once wrapped it ferments in the bale which keep the stalks soft and preserves the flavour. This can be of benefit if you are feeding old or fussy horses.
Whereas humdrum hay can be dusty and cause coughing and irritation to many horses haylage does not cause this problem but as the nutrient level are so high it can be a bad idea for anything which may enjoy a tendency towards laminitis or "hotting up".
Also with haylage it is important to remember that you necessitate to feed more of it than you would with hay because it weighs heavier due to the additional moisture content and so reducing the weight being fed would drop the amount of roughage if.
Because the bales are wrapped storage is far easier than hay as the bales will easily last many months as long as the wrap is not torn or pierced so they can be stacked surrounded by a corner of the yard and just have a sheet thrown over them a bit than needing a shed. ( The sheet can be important as, for some reason, birds are attracted to balewrap and will peck holes within it - once the bales are pierced mould and fungal growths will occur and the haylage will be spoiled and have to be thrown away). However, because of the cost of wrap and the machinery involved, small easily handle bales tend to be expensive and the big bales (rounds or hesstons)are unwieldy ( without machinery) and, once opened, need to be used inside a few days or they will "go off" .
Another important thing to consider is the source - when you step to buy hay you can see what you are getting - smell it, touch it, etc before making your purchase, with haylage it's all roofed and you don't get to see it until you open it. Some farmers are better at haylage than others and weeds can effortlessly be baled and wrapped along with the grass.
Personally I prefer haylage ( as do my horses) we make our own so we know what's in it and we don't hold the facility to store large amounts of hay. I also have one old pony who starts coughing whether fed hay and I detest feeding soaked hay.
Answers: hay for horses who put weight on too easily, haylege for thinner horses or horses with breathing problems, haylege can also make a contribution the horse more energy, hay can cause respiritory problems, personally i prefer haylege
I prefer hay because it is easy to get, unforced to store, and meets the needs of my horses. I do know some people who use haylege for underweight horses.
Hay is better and they will tend to eat it a bit slower. Haylage can hang on to weight on if your horse is prone to dripping weight within then winter but it can also make them fizzy. I wouldn't give it to my boy everyday but every immediately and again as a treat and only a small amount.
hays better cos its cheaper and you can get hold of it more easliy .
halege is more richer i would budge with just hay for my horses diet
thats what i use and it works good
hay
