[Marches Farmer]

I think it's harder to get haylage right.  The centre of the bale, in particular, often seems to be so tighly compressed it squeezes out the moisture in the grass and starts to go mouldy even if the outside of the bale is OK.  We had to have it made once, when unexpected rain was forecast, and stored the bales upright on pallets under cover with space around each one, but I take hay every time, given the choice. 

[harmony]

There is a great variety in the bales you buy from farms. Generally they have what they want to feed to their stock in terms of dryness but whether it is haylage or silage could be debated. You can also buy bales specifically made for specific animals from certain farms and suppliers who will have had a sample tested.


The vast majority of farms make bales without drying them out too much. They are preserving their grass for winter with less effort than making hay and not everyone has a silage clamp. Most bales direct from farms is probably somewhere between silage and haylage.


Also most farms will use a bale in relatively short time and I think you should aim to use a bales in a week unless it is very dry and you can keep it dry, which is this weather if it is out in the open wont be easy.