# how soon can we use newly made haylage



## Bosworth (29 August 2008)

ok - am feeling smug as we managed to get all our haylage made yesterday. We gave up on hay as just can't see a decent window to do it. So I have 90 large bales of haylage to be put away in the barns next week. But........ I need to know how long to leave it before we can start using it so I can work out how much hay I need to buy in to tide the liveries through until we can go onto the haylage.


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## flowerlady (29 August 2008)

Well I've always been told 3 months.  Some do use it earlier but I wouldn't.

Bye the way the same goes for the Hay wouldn't use it straight away either.


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## henryhorn (29 August 2008)

That's a difficult question to answer but OH and I reckon six weeks.
We've never had to feed it that early but any changes should have taken place, the initial strong smell you get is when it's pickling inside the wrapper, then afterwards it should be ok.
Years ago when people weren't very skilled at making it we had bales with blue and green funus delivered and dripping with water. we fed the best part of the bales and nothing seemed to suffer!
If you haven't made it before check how much wrap they used, we tend to have a little bit more on bales that might be stalky type grasses made later in the season, or the plastic can get damaged easily.
I used some hay earlier this year and wouldn't go back to it, the dowside of haylage is stinking like sick if you stand in a shop somewhere, you get funny looks!!!!!


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## kanter (29 August 2008)

I think the 'rule' state to wait 6 weeks.

I have fed it virtually straight away though  
	
	
		
		
	


	





Like any change of diet  the key is to make changes gradually ie over 10 - 14 days, initially mixing a small amount of new in with the old stuff then gradually shifting the ratio so they are geting more and more of the new stuff.

ETA having just read henryhorn's post, the above is for haylage cut late, so more like wrapped hay. For more traditional, wetter haylage, you maybe have to wait longer.


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## Bosworth (29 August 2008)

thanks guys. yes very late cut haylage, six weeks wait is fine. The contractors are great and have put quite a thick layer on all the bales so we should be fine. It's currently sitting in a field waiting for them to put it into the barns but the sense of relief at having it all baled and safe is immense. Next year I think i will probably try and bale one 4 acre field as small bale hay - but very early - ie June/ July and then bale the remaining 15 acres as big bale haylage, it works out so much cheaper than small bale hay and so much less stressful.


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## kellyeaton (29 August 2008)

2 to 3 months!


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