Re: Re: Haylidge/Silage

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

Whoops, gotta pop in on this one---haylege and silage are the same things
and same fermenting process.  The only difference is the starting
material---haylege from grass or alfalfa, silage from any other plant
material, like corn stover, cereal grains (then it's called "high moisture
grains"), crop residues of all kinds, all kinds of edible plants.  Horses do
very well on it, and alot of it is fed to horses, including here in the
states, as long as it is ensiled properly.  If it isn't, then yes, you can
get mold and "rot", which could get a horse sick, but would just decrease
feed efficiency in a ruminant.  Silage pits or bunks are alot more likely to
get air introduced (and therefore rotting) then are forages put up into
those big white plastic Ag-Bags (they look like 100' worms out in the
field).  But the process is not "rotting", it's basically just pickling it
through a fermentation process almost exactly the same as fermented dill
pickles or sauerkraut.  Those strong acid smells are just the organic acids
that accumulate, and are the same acids that are created by microbial
fermentation both in a cow's rumen and in a horse's cecum and large
colon---if you ever happen to be around a horse during colic surgery when
they are emptying out an impacted bowel, you'll get those same acid odors!

Susan G

----- Original Message -----
From: Duncan Fletcher <dfletche@gte.net>
To: robert and carla lawson <robandcarla@hotmail.com>;
<ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2000 11:11 AM
Subject: RC: Re: Haylidge/Silage


> There is a difference: pH control and keep air out. Do not ever feed
silage
> to a horse.
>
> Duncan Fletcher
> dfletche@gte.net
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "robert and carla lawson"
> > If Haylidge is harvested similar to Silage I would believe that Haylige
> will
> > ferment.There for causing some serious gasses to form.
> > Silage will ferment because it is put up wet or green it is not allowed
to
> > dry out. It rots in the silo or in an underground pit where it is
covered
> > with a tarp. Whew even serving this stuff to cows will make you drunk.
> > Also it has a tendency to mold. I am not familiar with the stomach make
up
> > of cows but I do know that they sure can handle a hell of alot of weird
> > stuff than horses can. Such as moldy hay, feed, afterbirth, and an
> > occasional saddle or tire (I lost a great saddle to a cow eating it! the
> > tires beats the snot out of me!)
> > I have never fed haylidge to horses much less cows Sooo someone care to
> > explain to me what the stuff is?
> [snip]
>
>
>
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
> Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>