Switching from hay to haylage

KP nut

KP nut

I'd rather be riding.
Dec 22, 2008
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Caspar has been on hay up till now, but mine are on haylage which is cheaper and more convenient so I want to swap him over. Last night I mixed haylage with hay in nets and in a manger. He has picked out all the haylage and left lots of hay!

So at least I know he will be happy with the change!! But I would rather he changed more gradually in case it upsets his digestion. Any ideas?
 
Well it's only been one night. I could give him only hay tonight so he has no choice! And just allternate for a few days till I am sure he is coping with it. Or should I just go with haylage now.
 
Hahaha don't worry too much. Joe went from being on dry seed hay to when we bought him hayledge and I tried to mix it in. Hehee he did the same and didn't come to any harm. Always remember YO telling me it was like us going from sensible dry bran flakes for breakfast to cocoa pops and that he was probably just happy eating it and not to worry. He was very breakable and came out fine!lol
 
I think most horses will leave the hay and pick out the haylage. When I've swapped over I usually add a pro biotic to their feed for a couple weeks to help with any unsettled tummies.
 
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Lol! I wish, I have now just switched to haylage all year round as mine have always ended up just wasting the hay, I tried 1 night to give the most measly amount of haylage and left loads of hay for 2, came in the morning you would think they had been starved as had just down right refused to eat the hay so had basically gone all night with "nothing" :rolleyes:
 
When I had Thyme I switched the other way - haylage to hay as the pony she was wintering out with went a bit nuts on haylage. She ate the small amounts of haylage I'd mixed in then literally kicked the hay piles all over the field in her disgust! I ended up having to just give hay and let her get hungry!
 
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They aren't daft are they?!? :rolleyes:

I actually found hay easier to manage as I could get it into my field in a bale, with the haylage I have to rub 2 trios with the gator and unload loose into my hemmel. Sadly getting g hay round here isn't that easy so have given up as the haylage supply is reliable and I am lucky as I can get Timothy so it works well for the 2 fatties but I did used to try and do hay through summer and haylage winter.
 
You're meant to swap them gradually - I did a mix last year before moving her to haylage but if it's not very rich haylage anyway you'll probably be OK. She always ate the haylage first and left some of the hay too.
 
The reason for switching feeds slowly is to allow the right bacteria to build in the gut to digest the specific feed, so generally speaking switching like for like you can switch quicker than when introducing a new feed stuff. I'd keep trying to mix it, but wouldn't panic too much, I'm sure he's getting some hay even when he's trying not too :) Jess goes nuts for haylage and will pick it out and leave the hay unless I really fluff both up and thoroughly mix it and stick it in a smaller holed net so she can't sift through it so easily :rolleyes:
 
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