Newbie Question II - Hay baled too wet, ruined or usable?

[i:dd0b7afbfd](this is a repeat post from the Ford 8N board, so my apologies to anyone who already read it there)[/i:dd0b7afbfd]

While my hay felt pretty dry when we baled (rain predicted that evening), it apparently wasn't dry enough. We narrowly averted a barn fire (hay was starting to steam significantly) by restacking the bales outdoors two layers deep with plenty of air gaps inbetween the bales.

It's cooled down enough that we moved it back in the barn, and I'd say about 10-15% of the bales felt 'light' and looked like normal bales.

The rest, on the other hand, smells "bad," and looks carmelized inside (still putting off some heat in some bales). The outside flakes are okay in some cases, though. There's also some light molding (white) on about half the bales.

Our animals are older (11yo gelding quarter horse, three 2+yo nubian goat 'pets'), and they aren't picky about their feed.

The worst of the hay is going to go back in the field (will break apart and use the manure spreader), but would it be okay to feed out the rest? I'll be mixing in some good quality oat straw (which still has a good bit of grain in it) as noted in my other post.

What I'm interested in, is hearing your real-world experiences with marginal hay - feed it, or pitch it?

Thanks for sharing from your experience,

es

You need to go ahead and feed it. You will learn two things by doing so. #1, its affects on animals. Nothing we tell you will be as convincing as you seeing for yourself. #2, You will learn that (dry) rained on hay is much better than burnt or moldy hay.
I'm glad your barn did not burn down.

It'll get mouldy real quick. Don't breath in the dust!
Chris

Fair enough, Randall... Our hay last year wasn't really good quality, but the animals ate it fine and had no apparent problems - the vet said the horse looked great when he was out in the spring.

I realize you can't see the hay from where you are, but I'm just trying to get a sense of whether any sign at all of mold would be reason to pitch it all (I don't have much budget to replace it), or if folks have been able to get by with marginal stuff with no bad effects (i.e. death, blindness, etc.) on the animals.

At the end of the day, I know it's my call to make - I'm just trying to see what others have experienced in my situation so I can make a more informed decision.

Thanks,

es

I'd carefully feed it to cattle. With lots of other good feed available to them.

I'd not ever feed it to horses.

I don't know enough about your other species to say.


As to the oats straw, I didn't comment there, but my cattle don't really like it, and while they may nibble on it, very little energy in it so they might starve on a full stomach.... It's eatable, but not very much energy for them. I'd be uncomfortable relying upon oats straw for anything more than filler. I can't imagine oats going through a combine & having any real grain left in it. Sounds like others get along fine with this, so must work for some.

Me, I'd not want to mix moldy hay & oats straw & expect any critters to get any feed value from that. Some fiber to chew on -sure. But no feed value.

Now, if you cut & baled the oats when it was at boot stage, before the seeds came out, that makes some real good hay feed.

Just my opinion.

--->Paul

Pitch it in manure spreader & put back in field. Just not worth the chance to feed it. Plus the mold spores are dangerous to breath. I lost over 10 bales when tarp over stack split during storm & bales got wet, & hay is not cheap. But the Vet is even more expensive. Neighbor fed moldy hay to her horses, one died & I would not want her vet bill for treating the others.

Ed, I guess I came across as being some kind of "wise guy"........I truly didn't mean to be. My experience with moldy hay has not been good. I never had anything die from it, but I sure made some calves sick one time. Mostof the time whenever I've gone through hay and thrown out what I thought was the "bad stuff", I should have thrown all of it out. Most of the time what looks "ok" isn't. It doesn't take much mold to cause major problems. The REAL problem comes in that you just never know "how much" is "too much". There have been times when "off hay" was all I had. Guess what, that's what they ate because I couldn't afford to go buy any other. It truly is a judgement call on your part. I"d say that 75% of the time, livestock can handle "some" mold. It's the other 25% when you have to ask yourself, was it worth it? The absolute best use for moldy hay is for mulch in the garden. By the way, a manure spreader just kicks it out one flake at a time. It does a lousy job of "spreading" it.

I got some bales that were rained on before I could pick them up and got a quick 1/2" blast on them.
Got a friend that raises holstien calves. He feeds it to the 6 mo olds or older....carefully.
I would'nt chance feeding any of it to the horses though.

If only some of the bales were green and effected, and the others were dry & properly cured, I wouldn't throw out good hay.

If you have a choice and there is any sign of mold on the hay dont feed it to the horse if he is fed inside. I"ve fed bottom bales for over a decade to outside horses with no problems. The keys have been to not make them eat what they dont want and let them sort it out on the ground. Inside its a different story, it takes very little mold to set up a high colic in a horse. Thats a fast 1000 bucks to treat with a 50/50 shot at the treatment ending in euthansia.

There is a difference between low quality hay and stuff that is worthless.
I wouldn't feed it to anything, you might put the 10 or 15% that looks OK out with some other decent hay and see what happens. But anything that is carmelized or showing any signs of mold would be mulch around here.
I don't believe your oat straw would have any grain on it. Maybe the husks left from where it was threshed. If it had any grain at all you would be overrun with mice and they would have it before you could feed it. Straw is about worthless for feed as far as I'm concerned. You may be able to treat it with urea or something and feed a beefer with it. But there is nothing in it naturally to provide any decent nutrition.

I"ve fed bottom bales for over a decade to outside horses with no problems.

Click to expand...

All our animals are outside animals - the horse and goats all foraged the pasture a good bit last winter in addition to eating hay. They are fed in the south-facing open end of a 1914-vintage haybarn - hay is in the mow and we drop flakes into a rack from above.

Good info - thanks,

es