Useless haylage?

[ImLost]

A farm near here has several stacks of haylage that have been sat for a couple of years now. They were moved using bale spikes instead of a bale grab so the wrap has been pierced. Is it now useless?
One of the bales had split open completely as you can see below, so I pulled some of the haylage out and it doesn't look or smell too bad, but is there anything else I need to be wary of? (other than the snake which was sleeping under the wrap and I almost grabbed it!! ?)

 

[Sheep]

Not completely useless but I wouldn't be paying for it. Probably be OK as bedding.

 

[Werzle]

Something will eat it if they are hungry enough. I know of one stack locally of 400 bales thats 3 years old and was worth fairish money 2 winters ago but for one reason or another it wasnt offered for sale and will probably end up in a muck tump. Madness.

 

[Whitepeak]

Sucklers would probably pick through it. Wouldn't want to feed it to youngstock though.
If you're running short of grass they would be useful to feed in the field. Either drop in lumps across the field or tip in a rough corner, the cows will soon pick through it and smash it up better than trying to mix them into a muck heap. We did that with a couple of bust bales in the dry summer of 2018, saved having to use any new bales.
If you feed inside you'll probably end up forking out loads of waste.

 

[kill]

Feeding it against a barrier has worked well for some as a bale with a good side can be placed where the good side can be reached and the bad side/ corner or area can’t and then the left over can be cleared away to compost

Could maybe roll bales over until best haylage is at the top to save animals eating through the rubbish and causing silage eye

 

[deleted user 837354]

I would not pay for it. Anything mouldy I would leave in a heap in a field corner to rot.

 

[Flat 10]

What a wally! Might be worth taking away for nothing....

 

[ImLost]

My thought was even if only some of it was good, my sucklers can pick through it, they are very unfussy natives that usually overwinter on barley straw and molasses. The rest they can trample in with the rest of there bedding and it can be spread with the rest of the muck in spring.
What I wasn't sure of was whether it would be dangerous in any way if its mouldy or something.

 

[Skintagain]

I have rented summer keep and there are a few horrible old bales under the hedge rows. Sheep eat a bit more each year. They seem to eat more when they have more grass. Land must be short of something was my thought

 

[Big Mr C]

With grass growing out of the wrap and splits in it, it's likely to have mould spores. I wouldn't pay for it and probably wouldn't use it.

 

[Skintagain]

I’d want paying to take it tbh.

You have to take the dirty wrap off to reveal some manky net wrap, to feed some manky feed which Most will want piling up to rot. Probably full of weeds too. Unless you are very desperate for feed then I suppose it’s ok for free but you have to wrap to dispose of

 

[Sheep]

My thought was even if only some of it was good, my sucklers can pick through it, they are very unfussy natives that usually overwinter on barley straw and molasses. The rest they can trample in with the rest of there bedding and it can be spread with the rest of the muck in spring.
What I wasn't sure of was whether it would be dangerous in any way if its mouldy or something.

Mould could cause abortion in sucklers, its not worth feeding it to them imo.

 

[M-J-G]

It's more bother than it's worth.

Charge for moving it for them or leave it where it is.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Always baffles me why some people go to the trouble and expensive of making wrapped bales then treat them like sh!t

 

[deleted user 837354]

Always baffles me why some people go to the trouble and expensive of making wrapped bales then treat them like sh!t

Some people are just bone idle. It's like having baling done and then CBA to haul them in. Leave them in fields for the next 6 months.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Its dangerous if you feed to sheep. I had some Haylage that looked dreadfull sl I put it out in the field. Cows went mad for it

 

[NEmesis]

In times of shortage don’t be fussy. Forage is going to be short hereabouts this year. I just bought a whole heap of last years silage, some bales are patched, put it in front of my cows and they won’t refuse to eat it. Neither, they nor I can afford the luxury of being fussy. Get it while you can, bit of money formalises the deal.

 

[michael N123]

If you’ve rough bedding areas shake them out as bedding with a grab

it’ll be surprising how much they pick out to eat