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Salting hay

Neighbours I worked for did years ago....don't know of anyone doing it now. Salting hay will not affect the moisture level in any way, but will make tough hay that moulded a bit somewhat more palatable.

Ben
 


I have never salted hay, but I remember doing it once as a kid. Salt will kill the bacteria that comes in contact with it, so molding will take place at a slower rate and won't spread so much from bale to bale. It isn't hard to get a few heavy ones now and then since grass grows heavier in a part of the field where there is more moisture, so it takes longer to dry, and then it can dry but then draw moisture out of the wet ground. A few times I have taken a few and opened them up on a sunny dry portion of the field that they just came from. I know that this is not always possible.
 
I'll do it occasionally if I'm worried some bales are a little heavy. I remember the dairy farm next door to where I grew up would do it sometimes. Have one horse hay customer that said the horse would eat the hay it dropped on the ground? Made me wonder.
 
Well now they use that spray, solution, on it to prevent mold, but my dad did when we stacked yellow blosom sweet clover hay.
 
I do it if I am forced to bale some hay that is at a higher moisture level than i would like. Its like $6 or something for a 50 bag so Ive always considered it cheap insurance whether it works or not. Ive had more than one horse hay customer that has said they wont buy proprionic acid hay (dont ask my why, its just their belief its not good for the horse).
 
We always did at home. Havent touched a small square in years. Cost is nothing as we never had to feed salt in winter. Dad would always bale at 20-22% moisture and if seemed to me the cows loved the hay.
 
Doesnt affect the moisture level, but the salt might keep the heat down enough to keep the pile from goin up in flames.

Maybe.
 
(quoted from post at 15:54:16 08/07/21) Does anyone salt small square bales if they are baled a little wet.
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How much will it cost you to rebuild a barn after it burns down?
 
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