What is this type of food? I asked the seller of my new imported horse what he was fed - and they said “horse nuts and silage”. How does this equate to US grain and hay?
TIA
Silage is a type of processed hay and comes close to the chopped hay that is sold by the bag (with or without molasses). Can’t think of the name right now… I have no idea what type of feed “horse nuts” are… (don’t get me started… :-))
giggle I thought you were asking about a Dutch horse named “Nuts and Silage” and I just HAD to see what this horse looked like! :lol::lol:
horse nuts are like pellets
silage is like chaff
I would ask them to send a tag off his feed bag, or send you a link to the food’s website.
I would not describe silage as beign similar to chaff at all, but it could just be international terminology differences.
Silage to me is fermented really wet hay-type stuff, where I would describe chaff as being dry and light, you could blow it off your hand. Silage is primarily fed to cows as far as I know.
I think silage can be a scary thing to feed horses, for various reasons that I dont fully understand, possibly related to silage being a fermented product. I also think that there is baled silage, which isnt quite as sludgy as what you would feed to cows - maybe thats what your Dutch guy is feeding?
Around our area, when it’s in round bale form, it’s called “baleage”.
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/info_haylage.htm
Silage, cut/baled/bagged for horses, is pretty safe stuff.
OP, you might get more information if you have this moved to Horse Care 
Or, do a search there for silage, as it’s been discussed before
[QUOTE=scottishgirl;3063998]
I would not describe silage as beign similar to chaff at all, but it could just be international terminology differences.
Silage to me is fermented really wet hay-type stuff, where I would describe chaff as being dry and light, you could blow it off your hand. Silage is primarily fed to cows as far as I know.
I think silage can be a scary thing to feed horses, for various reasons that I dont fully understand, possibly related to silage being a fermented product. I also think that there is baled silage, which isnt quite as sludgy as what you would feed to cows - maybe thats what your Dutch guy is feeding?[/QUOTE]
Yep that’s been my experience with silage (coming from Ireland).
Nuts is just pellets or grain.
Sassenach, as a total aside, I always mean to ask how you acquired your username!
In the UK bit of Europe
Silage is for cows. Haylage is produced specifically for horses.
We never feed silage to horses over here.
Nuts are pellets or we call them cubes for some lost in the ages reason:)
Paddy
Uhm could this be a language issue?
In which case I understand, coming from that neck of the woods originally.
Literally translated to me this would read as : “Brok & Kuil”
This is VERY standard and basic for any horse in the Netherlands and basically means horse pellets and haylage.
I know haylage is NOT common in the US, but it certainly is in Europe. It’s pretty good stuff and totally dustfree, great for those horses with haydust allergies. You could soak the hay during a transition period. My horses used to be fed haylage overseas, here I soak their hay.
Haylage is comparable to baleage in the US.
Cowsileage is not good for horses and is not fed overseas either.
Why not ask him the brand of “Brok” or horsenuts he’s feeding. It’ll most likely be either Pavo or Havens.
http://www.pavo.nl/producten.html
http://www.paardenvoeders.nl/page25.html
Good luck with your new horse !!!
[QUOTE=scottishgirl;3063998]
I would not describe silage as beign similar to chaff at all, but it could just be international terminology differences.
Silage to me is fermented really wet hay-type stuff, where I would describe chaff as being dry and light, you could blow it off your hand. Silage is primarily fed to cows as far as I know.
I think silage can be a scary thing to feed horses, for various reasons that I dont fully understand, possibly related to silage being a fermented product. I also think that there is baled silage, which isnt quite as sludgy as what you would feed to cows - maybe thats what your Dutch guy is feeding?[/QUOTE]
I think on the whole this is an accurate comment, how it translates into what the Dutch feed, I don’t know. Sileage can be fed to horse, it is very nutritious but as previously mentioned, if not done just right, it can create problems.
[QUOTE=scottishgirl;3064064]
Sassenach, as a total aside, I always mean to ask how you acquired your username![/QUOTE]
:lol: Reading the ‘Outlander Series’ as I was signing up - had one of Gabaldon’s books next to me on the bed
Silage in the Netherlands is NOT chopped. It is hay that is put up green and sealed air tight in plastic. The bales I have used are larger than US bales, do not break off easily into separate flakes, so are usually fed with a pitch fork. Because the hay is fermented and a bit moist, it will spoil if not used in about 2 days. I love the smell of silage! It’s yeasty smelling and very much like Rye Grass hay.
Like someone said, nuts are pellets. The Pavo brand is very popular and they sponsor the young horse championships called De Pavo Cup.
[QUOTE=Fantastic;3064330]
Silage in the Netherlands is NOT chopped. It is hay that is put up green and sealed air tight in plastic. The bales I have used are larger than US bales, do not break off easily into separate flakes, so are usually fed with a pitch fork. Because the hay is fermented and a bit moist, it will spoil if not used in about 2 days. I love the smell of silage! It’s yeasty smelling and very much like Rye Grass hay.
Like someone said, nuts are pellets. The Pavo brand is very popular and they sponsor the young horse championships called De Pavo Cup.[/QUOTE]
Same in Ireland :yes: I actually quite like the smell of silage.
Here we can get a product out of Texas called Chafhay. It is cut, treated with a molasses and bagged. When my imported DWB first smelled it he almost came over the stall door to get at it. He loves it! You can almost hear him moan as he eats it like someone might when getting home cooking after a time away from home. I think it is similar to the bagged hay he got in Holland. His former owner explained to me once how there the hay is cut and wrapped in plastic. I thought at the time that I must have been missing something in translation…
[QUOTE=PaddyUK;3064137]
Silage is for cows. Haylage is produced specifically for horses.
We never feed silage to horses over here.
Nuts are pellets or we call them cubes for some lost in the ages reason:)
Paddy[/QUOTE]
I am with paddy on this one…
We don’t feed silage to horses here either. I think some people in the NE get hayledge and call it baleage.
