Haylage 101

[T Hectares]

Morning, this part of the forum is not my usual habitat being an Arable farmer for the past 25 years !!

I’m looking at the possibility of supplying haylage to a local buyer, I’m ok with growing costs and machinery costs but what I don’t have is a clue on yields and prices...

This would probably be a Ryegrass 2 year ley on a chalk soil made into 6 string 120 x 90 4 ft bales

What grass mixes would be suitable for horses ??

I’m aware that these are bit “how long is a piece of string” questions !!

Tia for any constructive help

 

[d williams]

Morning, this part of the forum is not my usual habitat being an Arable farmer for the past 25 years !!

I’m looking at the possibility of supplying haylage to a local buyer, I’m ok with growing costs and machinery costs but what I don’t have is a clue on yields and prices...

This would probably be a Ryegrass 2 year ley on a chalk soil made into 6 string 120 x 90 4 ft bales

What grass mixes would be suitable for horses ??

I’m aware that these are bit “how long is a piece of string” questions !!

Tia for any constructive help

Speak to your potential buyer for his end market
They don’t like it to high in protein some prefer it as gut fill then hard feed
Check bale size as will be cheaper for you to bale it 80x90 uses less plastic
Great at grass would be a good man for seeds after speaking to your buyer

 

[liammogs]

If it's for the horse market it will either be too rich or too wet or too dry or not a nice smell or to big a bale, too expensive.......be prepared haha

 

[honeyend]

Morning, this part of the forum is not my usual habitat being an Arable farmer for the past 25 years !!

I’m looking at the possibility of supplying haylage to a local buyer, I’m ok with growing costs and machinery costs but what I don’t have is a clue on yields and prices...

This would probably be a Ryegrass 2 year ley on a chalk soil made into 6 string 120 x 90 4 ft bales

What grass mixes would be suitable for horses ??

I’m aware that these are bit “how long is a piece of string” questions !!

Tia for any constructive help

I would always look at the competition, what are they selling, and what are they getting for it.

Haylage for Sale

Writtle Hay and Straw offer top quality haylage for sale. Our grass products are tailored to give a range to suit different nutrition requirements, feeding situations and of course budgets.

www.writtlehayandstraw.com

The medium bales are popular because you can still handle them by manpower, but they can go on a pallet.
Most of the specialist horse haylage people take two or even three cuts. Its it is worth renting the ground for grass to someone who is already doing it, has the machinery etc.

 

[teslacoils]

Have you a market for it when it doesn't turn out quite right?

 

[sticky]

Just down the road services the horse market, in fact there's about five gangs within 10 miles of here, most use fast growing IRG's but the one closest to me use rye grasses and red clover for race horses.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

If its two years then Straight Italian Ryegass .
Its course haylage mind
If you want a softer haylage then go more long term grasses
[email protected]
If you want a specific mix and price

But as said test your market first. I've been selling and making horse haylage for 30 years so happy to help

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Just down the road services the horse market, in fact there's about five gangs within 10 miles of here, most use fast growing IRG's but the one closest to me use rye grasses and red clover for race horses.

Are you sure about red clover. I'm a bit of a know all but never heard of feeding clover to horses

 

[sticky]

Are you sure about red clover. I'm a bit of a know all but never heard of feeding clover to horses

Very sure.

 

[T Hectares]

Have you a market for it when it doesn't turn out quite right?

Yes, a back up plan would be in place
It’s a kind of in house arrangement tied up with another aspect of the farm

 

[balerman]

I would include some Timothy,lovely sweet smelling grass that’s lower on protein.

 

[4course]

If it's for the horse market it will either be too rich or too wet or too dry or not a nice smell or to big a bale, too expensive.......be prepared haha

supplying the horse market is a complete mystery to me and ive been doing it for years ,some years they all want hay the next haylage then of course you have all differences between old meadow hay full of weeds to first year seeds ryegrass hay /haylage and then you have the small bale big bale round and or square size and number of strings to contend with along with first cut second cut etc and then you have another fellow farmer under cutting your price cos he has some left or likes the cash even if below cost of production and nowadays you have the added faceache trash review to bear in mind as just one 10cm patch of white mold in one of the 20 bales you deliver will be posted all over the world trashing your poor quality product , after all that the first rule is payment before unloading . preferably before delivery ,to the op best of luck but make sure you can either feed the stuff yourself or have another outlet leaving youself a margin before growing a crop

 

[Pan mixer]

I make dry haylage in round bales, most of my customers prefer it when it is well headed almost hay.

I bale the day before I would bale hay and usually it works fine but occasionally a batch goes dusty.

I feed 700 + bales to my own stock and sell about 40 to horse people. That is about the right ratio to prevent hassle, any wet, slightly mouldy, dusty etc bale is rejected.

I am getting about 12 bales an acre first cut and 6 second, usually charge 30 ex each.

It is a difficult world selling to horse people.