How do you make Haylage
- Thread starter GAM
- Start date
mushnt grummmble
Member
Make it when you have surplus grass
How?dry it so its a day off hay then bale and wrap it
How?dry it so its a day off hay then bale and wrap it
Start by making hay, then lose your balls half way through, and wrap it....
- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
Sorry if this is insultingly basic but, in simple terms:
If you cut grass and leave it, it rots.
If you cut grass and heap it up then seal the air out the "good bacteria" on it ferment some of the sugar into acid and it pickles becoming silage.
If you cut grass and dry it in the sun & wind until it's dry enough not to rot it's hay.
Haylage is a halfway between the 2 - too dry and it doesn't pickle, too wet and it'll make silage.
It's an art, preserving grass
If you cut grass and leave it, it rots.
If you cut grass and heap it up then seal the air out the "good bacteria" on it ferment some of the sugar into acid and it pickles becoming silage.
If you cut grass and dry it in the sun & wind until it's dry enough not to rot it's hay.
Haylage is a halfway between the 2 - too dry and it doesn't pickle, too wet and it'll make silage.
It's an art, preserving grass
Thank you for the reply, do you have to add anything to the grass when its being baled & wrapped to make Haylage?Sorry if this is insultingly basic but, in simple terms:
If you cut grass and leave it, it rots.
If you cut grass and heap it up then seal the air out the "good bacteria" on it ferment some of the sugar into acid and it pickles becoming silage.
If you cut grass and dry it in the sun & wind until it's dry enough not to rot it's hay.
Haylage is a halfway between the 2 - too dry and it doesn't pickle, too wet and it'll make silage.
It's an art, preserving grass
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
If you want to be sure its fit to bale, strip naked and roll in it.
If it sticks to your body, its too moist, try again tomorrow.
If it sticks to your body, its too moist, try again tomorrow.
lol
Tha Ulsterscot
Member
- Location
- Greyabbey Co. Down.
No, but the better quality the grass you cut, the better quality product you get. Everyone has their own idea about haylage, my customers prefer really dry haylage as it keeps better when opened, others I would class as dry silage.
- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
Even better - get your nubile wife/girlfriend to roll naked in it and watch
- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
What about Silay how dry is that ?Sorry if this is insultingly basic but, in simple terms:
If you cut grass and leave it, it rots.
If you cut grass and heap it up then seal the air out the "good bacteria" on it ferment some of the sugar into acid and it pickles becoming silage.
If you cut grass and dry it in the sun & wind until it's dry enough not to rot it's hay.
Haylage is a halfway between the 2 - too dry and it doesn't pickle, too wet and it'll make silage.
It's an art, preserving grass
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
na, better to roll with herEven better - get your nubile wife/girlfriend to roll naked in it and watch
no better still take photos and post here, some sad bugger will tell you if the haylage is fit to bale, the rest of us wont notice the haylageEven better - get your nubile wife/girlfriend to roll naked in it and watch
In answer to your question unless its second cut or after a late grazing its too late to make decent haylage now, better to make hay now and do haylage next year
Im not thinking of making Haylage this year, I am forward thinking, hopefully by next year my designated Haylage headland will be ready!no better still take photos and post here, some sad bugger will tell you if the haylage is fit to bale, the rest of us wont notice the haylage
In answer to your question unless its second cut or after a late grazing its too late to make decent haylage now, better to make hay now and do haylage next year
DeeGee
Member
- Location
- North East Wales
Now I know that
It's just the same here, I always go for the drier option, say a day before hay, or the sort of stuff that would make heavy small hay bales that would tell you it wasn't really fit to bale for hay. Usually, and obviously depending on weather etc.etc. it is just a two day wilt, mow Monday and scatter it twice after the conditioner, scatter once or twice on Tuesday, row up and bale Wednesday.
Anything that is too damp I have found tends to smell too much of dry silage when opened, the horse owners then turn up their noses at it saying it is 'too ripe' and will give their nags the threepenny bits, so you end up feeding it to cattle.
multi power
Member
- Location
- pembrokeshire
NewlandFarmServices
Member
- Location
- Selby, N.Yorks
I make my haylage for my self and advise customers when its ready as i like it more drier than wet for my horsey lot. I tend to bale it when only a little bit of 'wet' is left, usual after 2nd or maybe 3rd tedd, then its ideal for my standards.