# haylage and goats



## kritterkeeper (Nov 27, 2007)

if you were going to feed haylage to a goat- how much would you feed them... we have 8 goat all different kinds small and big old and young..

and we live on a cow dairy farm with hay and haylage both available to us but the goats waste SO Much bailed hay that we have started to feed them haylage because they seem to eat it all up and not much is getting wasted BUT I would like to make sure they are getting enough... 

So any one have a good guess on how many pounds of haylage would = a bail of hay...

Thank you Donna B


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Wish I knew ....I haven't used that stuff for my goats.....hope someone.. can help with your question...good luck... :wink:


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## ProctorHillFarm (May 15, 2008)

Thats a good question! I would like to hear the answer.

We have been considering feeding this to our goats since friends of ours made some really nice haylage and Im sick of the waste (especially when Ive been paying over $6 a bale for really really nice second cut- and they still waste it!!)

But I havent been able to come across many people who do feed it to their goats- so was curious if people found it worked well or not for them.


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## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

What is haylege?


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

Haylage is like silage, except that its hay which has been cut and then stored usually right after it has been cut or after it has been dried and put in an airtight bag.

The only concern with feeding haylage, like when feeding silage to goats, is the concern of mold, as well as the possibility of high nitrates in the haylage, and also the fact that it may be a good environment for listeria bacteria to grow. These are common concerns when feeding silage, but I am not sure if it can be applied to haylage as well.


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## kritterkeeper (Nov 27, 2007)

This is the definition of Silage-- Haylage is this just made specifically with hay

Silage is made either by placing cut green vegetation in a silo, or by piling it in a large heap covered with plastic sheet, or by wrapping large bales in plastic film.

Silage must be made from plant material with a suitable moisture content, about 50% to 60%, depending on the means of storage, the degree of compression, and the amount of water that will be lost in storage. For corn (maize), harvest begins when the whole-plant moisture is at a suitable level. For pasture-type crops, the grass is mowed and allowed to wilt for a day or so until the moisture content drops to a suitable level.
The plant material is collected, chopped into pieces about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) long and packed.

Current technology uses mechanical forage harvesters that collect and chop the plant material, and deposit it in trucks or wagons. These forage harvesters can be either tractor-drawn or self-propelled. Harvesters blow the silage into the wagon via a chute at the rear or side of the machine. Silage may also be emptied into a bagger, which puts the silage into a large plastic bag that is laid out on the ground.

here is a article I found today about a dairy goat farmer who feed haylage

http://www.dairygoatjournal.com/issues/ ... Hibma.html


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## kritterkeeper (Nov 27, 2007)

I also found this out too about silage

3lbs of silage = 1.5 lbs of dry hay


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## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

Thanks for the explanation and the article. I don't think they do that around here but it does sound economical as long as its free of toxins.


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