HDRider
Well-known member
Is there a difference between Haylage and Silage?
What advantages do you value on each?
Thanks all -
What advantages do you value on each?
Thanks all -
Hay vs. Haylage vs. Silage
- Thread starter HDRider
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regolith
Well-known member
Haylage is cut from more mature grass... higher dry matter, lower feed value than silage. Unless the haylage is simply hay that got wrapped because it was too wet to store, it should be higher feed value than hay.
There's probably less risk of a spoiled product when making haylage than either silage or hay.
There's probably less risk of a spoiled product when making haylage than either silage or hay.
OP
OP
HDRider
Well-known member
Thanks
Can you describe how the harvest, storage, handling, feeding, & etc differ between hay and haylage?
Is the biggest difference the plastic wrap?
Can most newer balers do the plastic wrap?
Can you describe how the harvest, storage, handling, feeding, & etc differ between hay and haylage?
Is the biggest difference the plastic wrap?
Can most newer balers do the plastic wrap?
regolith
Well-known member
I'm farming ryegrass/clover, usually aim for a good silage cut mid-spring but any later cut is made the same way and because the grass is then heading into the reproductive state, leaving it six - seven weeks to bulk up means the end product when it's cut will be haylage, not silage.
Cut in the morning, turn once the following morning, bale and wrap that afternoon (all in good weather if possible) then use a soft grab to stack the bales without piercing the wrap - in NZ they are often placed in a double row on the edge of the paddock just cut and a temporary electric wire used to keep the cattle off them till they're fed in the autumn/winter. You'll need to prevent/patch up any holes in the wrap otherwise moulds will grow. Cost to make, and storage is exactly the same as for silage. There should be no effluent. Like silage, once the wrap is removed the bale wants to be eaten within 2 - 3 days or it goes 'stale'.
It's been a couple years since I've made any but usually the wrapper is towed behind the baler. Or the 'tube' wrappers save a lot of plastic and if I recall right, it parked itself at the corner of the paddock once all the baling was done, got to work and we picked up the bales and took them to it.
Cut in the morning, turn once the following morning, bale and wrap that afternoon (all in good weather if possible) then use a soft grab to stack the bales without piercing the wrap - in NZ they are often placed in a double row on the edge of the paddock just cut and a temporary electric wire used to keep the cattle off them till they're fed in the autumn/winter. You'll need to prevent/patch up any holes in the wrap otherwise moulds will grow. Cost to make, and storage is exactly the same as for silage. There should be no effluent. Like silage, once the wrap is removed the bale wants to be eaten within 2 - 3 days or it goes 'stale'.
It's been a couple years since I've made any but usually the wrapper is towed behind the baler. Or the 'tube' wrappers save a lot of plastic and if I recall right, it parked itself at the corner of the paddock once all the baling was done, got to work and we picked up the bales and took them to it.
OP
OP
HDRider
Well-known member
Judging by the replies all being outside the US, is this harvest method more popular outside the US? I don't see it around me here.
regolith
Well-known member
I sometimes see 'baleage' mentioned by US posters and presumed it was the same thing. How did you expect to make it?
CJohnson
Well-known member
I put up balage this year. Some ryegrass/ coastal / crimson clover and some ryegrass / oats. Baled at 50% moisture and used an in-line wrapper. It takes 3-4 days to get hay to dry for regular hay in the spring and we usually have a lot of rain in the spring. With balage you can cut one day and bale the next. Also the clover leaves will shatter off when it dries all the way, especially if you have to fluff. The quality is high but you have extra cost for plastic, renting the wrapper, etc. You don't have to use anything extra to feed it, other than you need a trailer to set it on for hauling from the stack to the pasture because the bales will fall apart easily. You need a tractor that can handle 2000 lb bales as they are pretty heavy due to the moisture. I have no experience with traditional silage. I assume that you would need a lot of extra infrastructure and equipment to store and feed it.
Silage is made from standing corn, its chopped and originally was put in silos, hence the term "silage". Now days its put in covered piles, bunkers, or tubes also known as bags. Haylage is chopped high moisture hay, usually alfalfa around here. Its stored the same way.
Angus Cowman
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Haylage is usually referring to Grass that has been baled and wrapped at a higher moisture it needs to be 27% or higher
Baleage is usually reffering a grain crop that has been cut and baled at the higher moisture as stated above
sileage is usually a grain crop that has been cut and chopped and put in bulk silos, ie... bunks,bags ,or upright silos
The age of a baler will not determine if it will bale sileage, it needs to be a sileage baler
the wrap is put on after it is baled with a seperate machine
there is a company that makes a baler that bales and wraps all by itself and the cost for it runs around $100,000
Baleage is usually reffering a grain crop that has been cut and baled at the higher moisture as stated above
sileage is usually a grain crop that has been cut and chopped and put in bulk silos, ie... bunks,bags ,or upright silos
The age of a baler will not determine if it will bale sileage, it needs to be a sileage baler
the wrap is put on after it is baled with a seperate machine
there is a company that makes a baler that bales and wraps all by itself and the cost for it runs around $100,000
Mid South Guy
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Angus Cowman":ubbwgfy4 said:
Always been my understanding too. Just remember, that making a crop into silage/haylage/baleage does not improve the quality. It does improve the palatbility and digestability somewhat. If you start out with a low quality product you will end up with a low quality silage. That's why you usally only see grain crops (corn, milo, oats, barley, etc.) and legumes (mainly alfalfa, sometimes clover) being used. Their exceptionaly high level of nutrients and tonnage will justify the costs. Even the best grasses usally won't justify the cost compared to making them into hay. An exception to that may be improved annual ryegrass, but I would want it mixed with clover. Another exception would be if weather conditions are such that you can't get the crop dry enough to bale into dry hay. Then an expensive, lower quality silage is better than no hay at all.
Edited to add-- Sorghum X Sudangrass hybirds will sometings be made into silage, mainly because of the tonnage produced and the fact you can never seem to get it dry enough to bale.
regolith
Well-known member
That is not how the word is used here or in the UK, just to clarify what I wrote above. Hay/haylage/silage/baleage (sometimes the word baleage is used in NZ) refers to grass and if any other crop is used that is specified, eg, lucerne hay, maize (corn) silage, wholecrop silage, when talking about it.
TexasBred
Well-known member
Just for the sake of simplicity I call anything silage that has been chopped. Those that are simply cut, allowed to wilt and baled you can call whatever you want. We use to chop coastal bermuda, put into a bunker silo and allow it to insile. Made some pretty good "silage" for the dairy cattle especially in the heat of summer when they wouldn't touch hay and really supported high butterfat content when noone else could get butterfat.regolith":5px7gv36 said:
