STORAGE AND NUTRITION
WHAT IS HAYLAGE?
Haylage is a grass crop that is cut and wilted in the same way as hay, but baled one or two days earlier aiming for a dry matter of 60-75%. The bale is multi wrapped and stored until a mild fermentation process is complete.
After a suitable period of time allowing for fermentation to take place (usually at least 8-12 weeks, often longer), our large bales are quality checked and re-baled into our manageable 55l sealed packs. The haylage in each pack is densely compressed to release as much air as possible and heat sealed ensuring none of the quality is lost.
Within all West Lancs Haylage sealed products the sugars are broken down by micro-organisms to produce a mild fermentation. The pH of the grass drops slightly to produce a material which is a moist, dust free, palatable and safe forage for horses.
All of our Haylage crop is made from Italian and Perennial rye grasses grown as a short term ley.
HAYLAGE VS. HAY - RESPIRATORY BENEFITS OF HAYLAGE
Hay should be baled at 90% dry matter to try to reduce the risk of dust and mould problems. This is often not possible, and feeding anything but the very best quality hay carries the risk of dust and consequent respiratory diseases.
The most common cause of respiratory diseases in horses is an allergic reaction to dust and mould spores in hay. And although hay can be damped down, this is a laborious and rather ineffective solution.
Feeding your horse or pony, sweet, moist, nutritious and palatable West Lancs Haylage, is a guarantee of a dust free, safe forage they can thrive on.
NUTRITION AND FEEDING
The daily quantity required depends on the size of your horse and the amount of work it does. As a guide, a pony may consume about 2 bags per week and a horse about 3 bags.
As West Lancs Haylage is of a consistently high quality, dust free and safe - quantities of hard feed can be reduced and your horse can thrive on purely fresh, natural forage.
All of our Haylage crop is made from Italian and Perennial rye grasses grown as a short term ley, ensuring it is a good source of fibre, vitamins, proteins and minerals.
When changing to a new feed, we would advise to do it gradually, over 10 to 15 days.
Feeding your horse sweet, moist, palatable West Lancs Haylage is a guaranteed way to ensure your horse is happy and healthy.
STORAGE AND HANDLING
Please ensure West Lancs Haylage bales are kept away from sharp edges and vermin. A punctured bale deteriorates rapidly.
A bale of West Lancs Haylage should be used within 5 days once opened.
Bales can be stored outdoors. However once opened, we recommend they are kept indoors or undercover.
We also have our head of security keeping an eye on our haylage, making sure it is safe all year round.
