As requested by an avid reader … here’s an old blog about forage. Enjoy!
Anyone else spend hours agonising over whether they should be feeding hay or haylage? Halfway through the winter there’s usually a panic as our horses develop coughs, behaviour changes, or put on weight.
To help you decide, I’ve put together some pros and cons.
Hay -pros
- Hay that is harvested later in the season, with a more straw like appearance has a lower energy value and contains more indigestible material so is a good forage choice for a good doer.
- Hay harvested in May and June has a high nutritional value, so is a good choice for performance horses.
- Hay can be stored for longer with less risk of mouldy developing.
- Hay has a lower nutritional value than haylage so is suitable for good doers.
- Hay is cheaper to buy than haylage.
Hay – cons
- Can be dusty so horses may develop a dry cough and other respiratory problems. Hay…
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