The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: countrygirlatheart on January 15, 2010, 08:16:39 pm

Title: small bale haylage
Post by: countrygirlatheart on January 15, 2010, 08:16:39 pm

having got fed up having to wear a dust mask to deal with the hay I bought I have resorted to buying small bale haylage. Bought it for my soon-to-lamb ewes.  Expensive (£6.50 a bale) but its lovely stuff - smells so good I could practically eat it myself!   

how long would you expect a bale to 'keep' once opened?

how much would you expect to feed per ewe per day?    (it contains 7 'leafs')

anything else to be aware of when feeding small bale haylage to sheep ?

thanks

Title: Re: small bale haylage
Post by: RUSTYME on January 15, 2010, 08:40:24 pm

haylage can be  wetter or more dry ...that will alter how long it keeps once opened. The large round bales I get are fine and ok at about a week after opening . I do only pull back enough plastic to get what I want though , and then cover it up again afterwards. Try not to fluff any that will be kept for another feed as this will allow air in , and that will start the heating up process , that converts organic matter to compost . You could pop them in a larger plastic bag and tie it up once opened to slow down any bacterial action , but I find that by the time anything is starting to happen (occasionally )  , I am finishing the bale anyway  .
 As for how much ? well sheep keepers will tell you more than I can there ...I feed my haylage to horses more or less ad lib . You get to know how much they will eat per day , and can then judge by condition if you are giving either enough or too much.

Hope that is of some help ..

cheers


Russ

Title: Re: small bale haylage
Post by: Crofter on January 15, 2010, 10:22:34 pm

We use small bale silage and it will keep, as Russ says, about a week.  Our 6 ewes go through a bale in about 4 days but we feed it in parts.  If we gave them the bale it would be gone in a day!  Benefits of having 4 stomachs!

Dave

Title: Re: small bale haylage
Post by: countrygirlatheart on January 16, 2010, 07:25:41 pm

thanks Russ/Dave

good tip to close the bag/plastic over between taking some out to feed

only have two ewes in just now (due to lamb in about 5 days - one triplets/one twins) so it sounds like some might get spoiled if I only use it for them (using the guide of 6 ewes/4 days that would mean 2 ewes/12 days)      I think I'll give a little bit to the ewe hoggs so I dont waste any

thanks again