Re: Re: Re: Haylidge/Silage

["Duncan Fletcher" <dfletche@gte.net>]

While there may not be much technical difference between haylage and silage,
botulism seems to rear its head more in silage. But maybe that is because
silage is more available than haylage. And air would not seem to be the
factor (unless the introduction of the air causes a pH change). Botulism is
an anaerobic bacteria and is not caused by the introduction of air. My
understanding is control of pH is the key to preventing botulism. And for
some reason, silage seems to have more a problem.

Duncan Fletcher
dfletche@gte.net


----- Original Message -----
From: "Susan Garlinghouse"
> 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
>