new here and a few questions

[Tammy S]

Hi I am new here

I have been lurking for a few months but thought I would intoduce my self. I live in Canada, Nova Scotia. I have 2 minis a mare and a gelding. the mare is wonderful a little tall she is about 36" the gelding is about 34" his coloring is awsome I just love both of them the same no favorites from me.

In the winter time here it gets cold and I was wondering if anybody feeds there minis haylage? I am not sure I can get it in small enough pakages or not but in the realy cold days it stays good and I would not half to worry about dusty hay or water frozen on the floor for them to slip on from soaked hay.

I would love to hear any and all idea.

 

[esty]

Haylage is baled quite wet and will ferment, which is ok for cows but not for horses. I have never heard of anyone trying to feed it to horses, as i am sure you would be asking for trouble. With only two minis i would think that just letting them eat good hay would be your best option. Is there a reason you would need to wet your hay?

 

[markadoodle]

Welcome from sebago maine nothing about your topic but may we all see pictures of your horses?

 

[Minimor]

Haylage isn't something I would ever feed to horses. I don't know anyone that does, but that doesn't mean no one does... I am so fussy about the hay we feed that I just cannot imagine myself paying out good money for a bale of fermented hay!!

It is entirely possible to buy hay that is not dusty, and doesn't need soaking to eliminate the dust, and IMO finding that good quality hay would be a much better option for you than feeding haylage.

 

[Windhaven]

Now haylage is fermented hay.

I did feed it once to a big horse that came down with a bad case of heaves. This was at the advice from a vet. We were lucky enough to have a dairy farmer right up the road so could go get a bag at time. The horse did good on it but I don't think I would feed it to a healthy horse.

 

[Sue_C.]

Hey there fellow Nova Scotian!!

I have heard of others here in Nova Scotia feeding haylage with success, but not with minis as far as I know. A good friend of mine fed haylage to her riding horses one year, and the colics she had as a result, certainly deterred her from trying it again.

From what I have been told, and read, of feeding haylage, is that because of the high bacterial content, (it is rotten hay IMHO) you must have your horse specially inocculated for salmonella or something similar...I can find out for you if you'd like.

If you buy good, well-made hay, you shouldn't have to soak it anyways. I don't know what part of our beautiful Provence you live in,

but there is usually lots of choices for good quality hay.

 

[Minimor]

Botulism--that is what to vaccinate for if you are going to feed haylage.

 

[Sue_C.]

Botulism--that is what to vaccinate for if you are going to feed haylage.

THAT'S IT-THAT'S IT!

I had remembered the word in the middle of the night, and got up first thing this morning and wrote it down...but you got to it first...thanks.

The way I figure it, if I have to give such a shot just to keep my horse from suffering from something I am feeding it...I am very likely feeding the wrong thing. Haylage is a specialized cattle feed, they have totally different gastronomical make-ups than horses, and I personally wouldn't consider feeding it.

But Tammy, if there is a reason you want or need to feed this, there are a couple of Atlantic sites where you can ask people who feed this how and why they do. I would post a link here, but not sure if I am allowed. ???

 

[Tammy S]

Thank you all for your input. I have a friend that has 4 large horses and a donkey and that is what she feeds them. They love it they prefere that haylage over the hay she does feed both.

But I was not sure about minis. I have had problems with hay and my large horse he got the heaves from it. I will not buy hay from that person anymore. So I will be looking for very good hay for my minis. If I can find the realy fine stuff they love it I had 2 bales 1 from different growers and they loved it. The course stuff they ate it but not a well as the fine stuff.

So now is the time to start planing that hay purchase for the winter. To find a great grower is a different thing. Especialy in Cumberland county N.S. The valley has a lot of horse people but not here. One grower grows hay and cuts it very dry to put on his blueberry fields to burn them that how dry it is.

Thank you all for your input. Sue C. were are you located?