Feeding a foal Haylage

Not sure if this goes in this section but I am finding it increasingly difficult to find hay to the point where I can't find any at all. I have two foals coming in a week and I need to be able to feed them. I have been reading up on haylage but I would like some advice, the foals are 5 months old, (just) and would haylage, (made well and not mouldy or smell) suit their bellies or what should I do?

Hi, I have just got a foal she is 4 months old, I have been giving her half haylage half hay to see what she prefers and she does not touch the haylage but eats all the hay so im trusting her instincs and sticking with hay, dunno if that will help you :)

Ah don't say that, I really hope I can find hay but if not in the worst case scenario I would have to feed them haylage.

What I want to know is if it is detrimental to their health or will it give them what they need or will I have to give them extra supplements, could this cause collic or should I be ok?

I would feed them it, we give all the horses on our yard that have health problems haylage, probs best to ring your local feed store or vets and ask them there advice, but I thought if mine would only touch the haylage then that was what I was going to leave her on, and tonight she had actually finished the haylage off! So I have given her half of each, so hopefully its bot a problem, her poo seems fine though, I was worried it may be to rich for her and give her the runs but it hasnt :)

I meant not, not bot lol :)

Thanks everyone, that's great, ill be able to get the haylage so and they should be fine. And more experiences of haylage good and bad would be great

Europe feeds a lot more haylage than is fed to horses in the states. Cattle are fed a lot of haylage and silage here in the states. However, It was my understanding that haylage was a very safe feed for horses at 40% of their diet.

Hay is looked on over here as the number one feed for horses, not much knowledge of haylage here and not many would feed silage. Hence my question about it, they will be on it and hard food for a week while I get to know them and just hoping its ok for them, they havent had it before

Is haylage the same as silage? If so - STEER CLEAR!!!

There is bacteria in silage that is fine for a cow - ruminate - but not for a horses delicate gut.

No! Haylage is not silage or else it would be called Silage! Silage is Corn stalks, leaves, corn cobs, and corn cut into very small pieces and fermeted. Haylage is hay put up in an anerobic condition such that it fermets. Many studies have been done showing its safe use as a feed for horses dating back to "feeds and feeding" by Morrison.