Re: Re: Re: Haylage/Silage

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

Botulism can occur in many, many different types of feed---the operant word
is "quality of feed", not "type of feed".

susan g
----- Original Message -----
From: Kim Pelletier <kim@redhorsetech.com>
To: Ridecamp <ridecamp@endurance.net>; Duncan Fletcher <dfletche@gte.net>
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2000 8:28 AM
Subject: RC: Re: Re: Haylage/Silage


>
>
>
> Duncan Fletcher wrote:
>
> > According to NRC optimum pH is a bit lower (3.5 to 4.5). Silage is not
> > generally controlled well enough and a number of cases of botulism have
> > occured feeding silage.
>
>
> Scary stuff (botulism), huh?  --- I've found that there have been reported
> cases of botulism in horses fed haylage as well.  Young, growing plants
> standing in the field are usually not the best "medium" for this
bacterium,
> but the dead critters that may have been raked in with the grass crop are
> usually the culprit.
>
> The pH of 5 for haylage was quoted to me by a Canadian ag specialist a
year
> or so ago... perhaps their environment (colder temps, etc.) does not allow
> for a more optimal fermentation, which would keep the pH towards the upper
> end?  They don't seem to have a problem making good beer though, LOL!
>
>
>
> > >From a nutrition standpoint, haylage will have somewhat higher values
for
> > most nutrients but significantly lower vitamin D which actually
increases
> > substantially during sun drying.
>
>
> Definitely agree.  The energy and protein values are usually higher in
> haylage since the plant was harvested while young, resulting in more "bang
> for yer buck" on these nutrients pound for pound on a dry matter basis.
>
> BTW, thanks for the remind on vitamin D :-).  Only in dead/dying leaves or
> cut, sun-exposed plants will you find more of the plant's ergosterol
> converted into vitamin D2 (chlorophyll blocks a good amount of vitamin D2
> synthesis in the plant).  When the plants are young, green, and then
> processed into haylage, there are usually very few dead or dying leaves on
> each young plant.  In addition, haylage is not exposed to sunlight during
> the fermentation process.
>
> For endurance horses, this shouldn't be a problem since most are exposed
to
> the sun's UV radiation sometime during the day, and many are fed sun-cured
> feeds on top of that.  However,  I could see a vitamin D deficiency being
a
> concern for those horses kept in a box all day, everyday... fed haylage or
> other feeds not sun-cured in the field, and turned out only at night on
> drylot to prevent their coat from changing color due to sun exposure.
> Otherwise, I understand that it is difficult to create a vitamin D
> deficiency in horses kept under somewhat normal management practices.
Being
> a fat-soluble vitamin, most horses can even get through a dreary, dismal
> winter easily with very little sun exposure and pasture until spring.
>
> Vitamin D toxicity from oversupplementation by a well-intentioned horse
> owner is another can of worms altogether, since the symptoms of a
deficiency
> and toxicity are very similar.
>
> Well, have a good weekend!  Get plenty of sun :-)!
>
>
> Kim  (and Lee, getting plenty of exposure to sunlight and lots of
sun-cured
> hay  :-)  )
>
> Lubbock, Texas
>
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