What is Haylage?
Haylage is cut grass which is baled when the moisture content is still relatively high. The main benefit of haylage over hay is that it is baled and wrapped damp, so it does not contain the dust and mould spores that UK made hay will inevitably contain. Devon Haylage is baled at a high dry matter content and is also cut when the grass is high in fibre so it is particularly suitable for horses.
What are the benefits of Devon Haylage?
Devon Haylage offers you complete piece of mind in that it will promote a healthy dust, mould and fungal spore free environment for you and your horse. It is drier than some other haylage making it economical and due to the higher feed value than hay it could be the only feed that you need! Read more
Where can I buy Devon Haylage from?
You can purchase our haylage from a wide range of stockists throughout the Southern Counties. (Including Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire). To ask a question about purchasing Devon Haylage, please use our Contact form. Or if you are not close to one of our stockists we can deliver around the country by the pallet.
How heavy is a bale?
Each bale weighs 20kg.
How much does a bale cost?
Please check with our stockists for their current / actual price.
How do I store Devon Haylage?
Devon Haylage can be stored outside away from direct sunlight in a safe place where the plastic will not be damaged or punctured for at least 12 months. If air is allowed to enter before the bale is opened, secondary fermentation will occur and the bale will spoil.
What is the most recent advice about what causes Laminitis?
Click here for detailed information about Laminitis.
How do I open a bale?
Please click here for full instructions.
How long does a bale last once opened?
Because our haylage is drier than some it will last for a minimum of 5 days once opened.
How much do I feed?
Feed the same amount by weight as you would of hay but reduce hard feed quantities. Never feed less than 1.5% of your horse’s weight per day. Free choice feeding is recommended if possible. Read more
What is the white substance sometimes present?
This is normally harmless yeast and should disappear once in contact with the air; as long as the haylage smells OK there is no harm in feeding it.
Will my fussy eater like Devon Haylage?
Yes! Our experience has shown that even the most fussy of eaters will love Devon Haylage due to its remarkable smell and will choose it over many other feeds. Read more
What is the difference between first & second cut?
We aim to take the first cut of haylage in mid June when there is a long stretch of fine weather forecast. We will only cut once the crop has achieved a high fibre content and there is no chance that the cut crop will be rained on! Second cut occurs approximately 8 weeks after the first cut, again once the seed heads are fully developed. This time the crop will yield less and have slightly higher protein levels due to the shorter growing season, the resulting haylage has a slightly different texture and aroma.
Why are there sometimes stones in the bales?
This is a very rare occurence but one that we understand could cause some customers to worry. We reseed the fields every 2 years to ensure a high quality grass crop is grown. This process will ultimately bring stones to the surface during ploughing. The fields are then rolled once the seeds have been sown to compress any stones into the soil. Occasionally when we have sudden heavy rain on recently reseeded ground, the soil will be washed in places exposing stones. These are then unfortunately very rarely picked up during the baling process. Horses have very sensitive mouths and will naturally not allow foreign objects past their lips and so there is minimal danger of horses ingesting stones. Additionally, the vast majority of stones will fall from the haylage onto the ground whilst the horse is feeding and so not pose a problem. NB: This is not a common problem, but if you are ever dissatisfied with the quality then please do return the bale to your Stockist for a replacement.
What do I do if I have a bad bale?
If you have a ‘bad bale’ usually due to damage to the plastic allowing air to enter causing airobic spoilage, please return it to the Stockist your purchased it from. Customer satisfaction is central to us and we will replace any bale that fails to meet our high expectations.