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| Author |
Message |
    
Bunny Delgado
| | Posted on Saturday, Apr 8, 2000 - 7:12 pm: |   |
Hi, does anyone have opinions on feeding last year's hay as opposed to fresh(after curing 3 weeks). I'd like to know how much nutrition is lost during the winter while sitting in the farmer's haybarn. The hay I have in mind is still soft,green and smells good. I don't know if I should load up my barn or wait for June. I have plenty now -enough for a few months.
Thanks,
Bunny |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
| | Posted on Sunday, Apr 9, 2000 - 9:57 am: | |
The amount of nutrition lost over 12 months is substantial but variable depending on many factors some of which are:
1) nutrient value when cut (the higher the value the faster the loss.)
2) moisture content when put up (the higher the value the faster the loss)
3) environmental conditions (the more moisture and heat the faster the loss).
One should be most concerned about the hays freshness where good pasture is not available. If the quality is uncertain it can be tested. By studying the articles on nutrition, forage and roughage you can get a good idea of what is acceptable.
Whenever possible you should buy the freshest hay available. However the futures hay crop can be a uncertain proposition. Perhaps you should hedge your bets and buy some now and then some later.
DrO |
Bunny Delgado
| | Posted on Sunday, Apr 9, 2000 - 2:56 pm: | |
Thanks DrO-I really did just that. I got in two loads this weekend and was going to wait until spring cutting for the rest. I have plenty to last until mid summer. The hay was just so nice that I didn't want to pass it up by not getting another two loads. But, I think I will wait for the fresh hay from the field, store it for 3-4 weeks than begin feeding it as I did last year. Hopefully it will be just as nice.
Thanks as always for your advice.
Bunny |
Helen Weedon
| | Posted on Monday, Apr 10, 2000 - 11:54 am: | |
This is really interesting as here in the UK we try not to feed new hay until at least 6 months after it has been baled. New hay is considered to be very rich and likely to cause colic. The earliest I've ever fed it was 8 weeks after it had been put in the barn so that it had dried out a little more. |
Imogen Bertin
| | Posted on Monday, Apr 10, 2000 - 4:12 pm: | |
Last year I did a riding club national training weekend and took some small square bales from our local livery stable. They were particularly nice hay - lovely smell - but at least 2 years old. The rest was in big round bales so it was the only stuff I could take. Not only did my horse love it but the two in the neighbouring stables kept trying to eat hers in preference to their own which was perfectly OK and supplied by the very good venue for the training weekend.
So it depends on the quality and the storage. I wouldn't have fed it normally but had thought we were required to bring our own. I also had some other bales from the same load that were off and unusable which I didn't use. I pity people with hay fever who can't use their noses to check before feeding older hay!
All the best
Imogen |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
| | Posted on Tuesday, Apr 18, 2000 - 7:54 am: | |
Hello Helen,
Though I have heard this opinion before, I know of no good reason to allow hay to sit for 6 months prior to use. It certainly is more nutritional the fresher it is, but never richer than the grass itself. Would this grass be considered to rich for horses to graze? Of course there would be concern if the hay were suddenly switched from one type forage to another.
DrO |
Helen Weedon
| | Posted on Tuesday, Apr 18, 2000 - 8:10 am: | |
Hello again Dr O. The reasoning behind it baffles me too! The only logic I can see is that freshly baled hay still has quite a high water content and is therefore like lawn clippings in its potential to cause colic. The UK is hardly the warmest, driest place in the world and stacked bales can take quite some time to dry out completely, hence the delay. I also suspect that it is 'traditional' to make it sit for a while and boy, we English just love our traditions!! Removing water from a stable while the horse is feeding is still taught despite that at least 20 years ago it was proved that feed is not washed out of the stomach when the horse drinks. Mine loves a good couple of pints after she has cleaned out the bucket and it has never done her the slightest harm.
Helen |
Horseman
Member
Username: Horse
Post Number: 7
Registered: 8-2000
| | Posted on Sunday, Jun 22, 2003 - 5:16 pm: | |
About feeding new hay, I read where you should let newly baled hay cure for 30 days before feeding becuse it's too gasey while fermenting. Is this true or false? |
Jane Besel
Member
Username: Janieb
Post Number: 14
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, Jun 22, 2003 - 7:18 pm: | |
Dear Friends,
Because of our drought, we are lucky to get any hay at all. My hay may very well be two years old now, and although stored in a pole barn, I am sure it has lost significant nutrition. Also, about 6 bales got slightly damp on the bottom. About 1 and 1/2 inches were affected; they are a little dark and smell a little musty. Is it safe to feed this hay? At $7 a bale, I am loathe to throw it out. Can I cut off the affected area? Please help. I am feeding mules and donkeys who are supposedly easier to please and feed than horses...
Janie} |
SHIRLEY WARNICK
Member
Username: Swarnick
Post Number: 8
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, Jun 22, 2003 - 7:53 pm: | |
Janie,
If faced with the same dilema, I think I'd rather lose $42 by throwing the out the 6 moldy bales than possibly spending hundreds on vet bills.
Shirley |
Colleen Goolsby
Member
Username: Goolsby
Post Number: 27
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, Jun 22, 2003 - 8:49 pm: | |
Just wanted to say I find this post interesting. I have never heard of letting hay cure. What is the reason? I have fed mine hay the same day it was cut and last years hay. I only feed hay in the winter when there is little or no pasture.
Jane, Im with Shirley, If the hay is moldy trow it out. Im sure thats hard at $7 a bale. Is it ususally that high? Im in Tennessee and hate to pay $2 a bale. I try to pick it up in the field for $1.50. I have gotten it for $.90 a bale in the field. |
D. Barry
Member
Username: Cassey
Post Number: 65
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, Jun 22, 2003 - 9:47 pm: | |
Hi Jane,
Rather than just throw it out, are there any cattle around who would benefit from getting this hay? I hope I'm not leading you astray; Dr. O, can cows safely pick through the mold? |
Jerre R
Member
Username: Jerre
Post Number: 29
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Monday, Jun 23, 2003 - 12:15 am: | |
Boy, you guys have a bargain. Local (western Washington hay) is often available at $3-$5 a (60#?) bale, but haying is tricky in the rain belt and quality can vary immensely year to year and farmer to farmer.
It's very standard here to feed orchard grass (from eastern Washington -- more arid and grown under irrigation) at $10-$11 a 90# bale. Alfalfa is about $9 a 100# bale, but is fed less frequently to horses here. Timothy is about the same as orchard grass. |
Elizabeth Donahue
Member
Username: Paul303
Post Number: 356
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Monday, Jun 23, 2003 - 12:26 am: | |
$3.50 to $5.00 (about 40 to 50# bale) plus delivery sometimes in Jersey. We DO give lesser quality hay to the cows.....no complaints so far...isn't it not such an issue with ruminents? Boy, I hope not. |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 8639
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Monday, Jun 23, 2003 - 6:40 am: | |
Donkeys, and mules should not be fed hay with any moldyness and cows should not be fed overtly moldy hay. The question about curing new hay is answered in the April 2000 post above though Coleen restates this.
DrO |
ANN COLLIER
Member
Username: Dres
Post Number: 222
Registered: 10-2000
| | Posted on Monday, Jun 23, 2003 - 10:19 am: | |
California hay is so expensive... we pay up to $14.00 for all grass hay ( bale) at the feed stores, can get it straight from the grower for $7-9 , if you can find it... grassy/alfalfa goes for $12. at the feed stores.. again $7-8 at the growers... for alfalfa $9. at the feed stores, sometimes you can find it at the growers for $5-6..
the land of fruit and nuts costs!!
Ann |
Colleen Goolsby
Member
Username: Goolsby
Post Number: 31
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Monday, Jun 23, 2003 - 11:28 am: | |
Has anyone used the alfalfa cubes or crumbles? I dont know if it would be any cheaper. I paid about 8$ /50lb bag to take on a trip. I thought it would be easier than taking hay bales but my mare wouldnt eat it so I ended up buying 2 bales of hay at the stables. |
Leslie Strouse
Member
Username: Jlmule
Post Number: 28
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, Jun 26, 2003 - 3:39 pm: | |
I am not for certain about this but it was always my understanding that newly baled hay goes through a "heat" and a fermentation process. This is especially true if the hay has a high moisture content. It is the same kind of thing that happens in a compost bin and the compaction (baling) of the forage encourages it (loose hay apparently does not got through this as much). Every year farmers lose barns from spontaneous combustion occurring in their newly baled hay. Last year we had a load of hay baled "too green" already stacked in the barn when we saw it steaming. We had to load it back on wagons and pull it out into the field for fear of fire. |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 8667
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Thursday, Jun 26, 2003 - 6:12 pm: | |
Newly bailed hay at a proper moisture content does not go through a heat. If it does, and therefore bailed too moist, it should be suspect of developing mold spores (dust) and not suitable for horses.
DrO |
Colleen Goolsby
Member
Username: Goolsby
Post Number: 38
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Jun 27, 2003 - 8:44 am: | |
Thanks Dr. O,
I have bought baled hay picked up in the field for about 8 years and had never heard of curing it or any of the things leslie mentioned. I was beginning to wonder how I could have remained ignorant of this all this time.
I dont know how hay is baled in other areas, but here the farmers let it sit a day or two then rake it, maybe let it sit another day before baling. I have grabed bales to put on the truck that were too heavy and green. I leave those in the field.
I have heard stories of barns burning, but all those were blamed on prankster around halloween or fueds.
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Leslie Strouse
Member
Username: Jlmule
Post Number: 29
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Monday, Jun 30, 2003 - 9:46 am: | |
I took this off the Purdue University School of Agriculture site. Of course we all would love to be able to bale the perfect hay but, as the article states, it is not always possible.
Leslie
"Periods of rainy weather during the past few months has, at times, pressured farmers to store wet hay and put their barns at a risk of hay-generated fires, say Purdue University specialists.
Fires blamed on spontaneous combustion of stored wet hay have occurred this summer in west-central Ohio causing losses of property and livestock. The storage of wet hay is the most common cause of hay fires. When the crop is stored wet, microbial action can generate internal bale temperatures well above 150 degrees. After a certain point of heating from the mold growth, other chemical reactions begin to take place, and it raises the heat to a point where the hay can burn.
In general, hay is considered too wet for storage if moisture levels are higher than 20 percent in small rectangular bales, higher than 18 percent in large round bales, and higher than 16 percent in large square bales.
However, persistent rainy weather can give farmers limited choices. In some places great hay is being made, while other places are getting rained on a lot.
Farmers should not be lulled into a false sense of security because they have modern farm buildings made of metal roofing and siding. Once a barn fire gets started, it's very hard to contain. Farmers also can take precautions that will limit damage should a fire occur. For example, they should not attach buildings to each other, unless absolutely necessary. Separating structures helps confine fires to the buildings where they start."
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