Silage v hayage v hay.

lalababa · 09-08-2023 5:43pm #1

Does anyone here make hayalge and how do you make it?

Does anyone make pit hayage?

Does anyone still make hay?

Questions like

How low do you cut silage/haylage. Might it be better for quicker regrowth to cut at 3 inches rather than 2?

How long do you leave haylage lying and how often do you toss it?

How much more plastic do you wrap for haylage.

How many less bales to the acre for haylage over silage.

If you cut the same field for silage or haylage or hay...which has the better feeding value.

lalababa · 10-08-2023 5:43pm

I only did haylage once and that was by mistake. A field of new ryegrass got no fertiliser and was left til all headed out by a good bit so was extremely dry , it was baled after 10 hours of hot sun , no tossing, just tedded into big row for baler, with normal number of silage wrap. When opened it was haylage with a sweet caramel/tobbacco smell and the animals went wild for it.

funkey_monkey · 10-08-2023 5:51pm

Wouldn't actually try for Haylage. If the weather was there would go for hay instead.

Have baled silage that ended up close to Haylage. Would be more for the horsey set to do Haylage would it not?

Never really thought about how far Haylage is from being wrapped hay.

Finty Lemon · 11-08-2023 4:54pm

I think it depends on what you are feeding.

If you want weight gain on stock then it has to be early silage. First cut before May 15th and second cut in early July.

Hay or late silage for dry cows is OK.

Haylage to my uneducated mind always seemed like something that was made when you failed at hay and were too late for silage.

Donald Trump · 12-08-2023 2:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120966264#Comment_120966264

Haylage for the horsey people

Water John · 12-08-2023 2:39pm

Haylage would be left 48/72 hours on the ground after cutting. Could ted it out, but I don't. Probably best if nitrogen input isn't very high. The grass doesn't have to be near or gone to seed. Yes, it's sweeter than silage. Fairly high in dry matter.

Bass Reeves · 12-08-2023 8:06pm

I make Haylage or near haylage as much as I can. I work a two cut system.Haylage is baled silage that is 60-80% DM. Mine is cut late may and late July. Cattle do well on this type of fodder over the winter better than many think. Very hand to feed and no waste. Cattle seem very conten on it. Two hot sunny days. Second cut this year was only got last weekend. It was down for two days with one day sunny and windy and the second day very windy. The first cut got four layers of plastic as it will be fed this winter the seconf cut % layers as it will be there 18 months.

Donald Trump · 12-08-2023 8:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120970600#Comment_120970600

You'll risk mould using only 4 layers for high DM even if feeding it this winter.

Water John · 12-08-2023 8:20pm

Haven't generally found mould an issue. I don't stack them generally, two high at most. Because they are dry, they don't lose their shape. Silage is often sweeter the second year, but two years is the max for bales.

Donald Trump · 12-08-2023 8:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120970663#Comment_120970663

If you aren't tedding it out, you're not going to be getting a full wilt on it anyway. It makes a big difference once the weather is anyway right

Water John · 12-08-2023 8:36pm

Then I'm organic and the grass has a higher dry matter and lower yield, though some would be redclover/grass bales.

Bass Reeves · 12-08-2023 8:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120970689#Comment_120970689

It would really depend on the weather. If you get two really hot days like we got second half of May and early June you do not need to Ted. Row 5-8 hours before baling and it will be in the 55-70%DM range

Donald Trump · 12-08-2023 8:53pm

Well that might make a difference in terms of smaller swarths drying out better. The organic I mean

Donald Trump · 12-08-2023 8:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120970787#Comment_120970787

To get it to haylage you probably would have to kick it out unless it is light and cut with a smaller mower and then raked up later. With great weather might not be the case but in general it would

Early June you will benefit from longer days as well.

Bass Reeves · 13-08-2023 1:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120970640#Comment_120970640

A lot is about managment, I stack three high and watch the top row for holes/damage as well as the sides. Its immaterial if it 4,5 or 6 layers if the plstic get damaged. Stacking on end is a disaster. Never really had an issue with mould...knock on wood. With bullocks its not the end of the world unless its a real serious issue,

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120970796#Comment_120970796

Saw hay made this year by a neighbour in early June. Hay was cut Monday night, finished cutting at 3am Tuesday morning. His FIL wanted to go in with the hay bob straight away. But the neighbour left it in rows to bake until Thursday Noon. It was spread out with a hay bob Thursday and they stated to row Friday afternoon and baled friday evening.

Silage v hayage v hay.

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