When you’ve invested in FeedRight’s quality haylage for your horse, it’s essential to ensure every bite stays as fresh and nutritious as the day you opened the bag.
Haylage is incredibly easy to feed if you store it correctly. You don’t need to add fillers or additives. It’s essentially ready-to feed, making it effortless to provide your horse with the best nutrition.
However, haylage is a living, partially-fermented Rhodes Grass hay product, which means that once it’s opened it’s important to follow these guidelines to help ensure you’re always feeding your animal the very best.
The three goals to bear in mind:
1. Keep it cool
2. Keep it dry
3. Stop secondary fermentation
1. Store Haylage in a Cool, Dry Place (Out of the Sun)
Heat and sunlight are the enemies of haylage. Once you’ve opened your bale or bag, keep it somewhere shaded, well-ventilated, and out of direct sun. Sheds, feed rooms, or even a simple cover work well. Avoid damp spots where moisture can build up as condensation is the fast track to spoilage. Be especially mindful of this in humid climates.
2. Cut Smart, Feed Smart
If you’re feeding out over a few days, don’t peel the whole bag open. Instead, make a single clean cut down the edge of the bag and just take what you need. This lets the bag breathe without drying out the haylage too quickly. Remember, the goal is to keep the rest of the bale sealed and fresh for as long as possible.
3. Watch (and Smell) Haylage for Changes
Fresh haylage that’s safe to feed should have a sweet, almost grassy smell with a slight tang.
Here’s what to keep an eye out for:
Vinegary aroma? That’s a sign the bag’s starting to ferment again.
White spots forming near condensation areas? These can spread over time, it’s the first sign your haylage is starting to spoil. It will still smell sweet at this time and is still safe to feed. This is the time to feed the rest of the bale out as quickly as possible.
When in doubt, trust your senses. If something doesn’t smell right or looks off, don’t risk it or reach out to us for help.
4. Feed Haylage Out In Time
Once opened, a bag of haylage will last around 4-5 days in cool, dry conditions (less in hot or humid weather). Plan your feed-out so you’re not left with old haylage sitting around.
Final Tip: Happy Gut, Happy Horse
The fresher your haylage, the more goodness your horse gets. As you know, haylage has 40% more easily digestible nutrition compared to hay: from quality fibre to those beneficial microbes that keep the gut healthy and improve animal temperament.
Want to know more about feeding and storing haylage?
Contact Us we’re always happy to chat about keeping your horses in top shape.