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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

? about hot hay

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John/Pa

05-25-2006 18:57:20




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Is hot hay caused by baling before it is fit, or will baling in the evening when hay is tough cause a problem also. This is orchard grass. Had a problem last year. Ran out of hay and mowed the waterways in mid May. It layed 3 days before baling. The next day after it was baled, it was hot and starting to mold. Took it out of the barn and thru it in the dump.




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Randy as in Randy-IA

05-27-2006 12:39:15




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 Re: ? about hot hay in reply to John/Pa, 05-25-2006 18:57:20  
I've been told that no matter how dry it is it will " sweat " . This initial sweat will cause the hay to heat up . If it last's for more than a day then you can figure that it was to wet . For small squares anyway , I don't know about rounds . The sweat is from the compression during baling . Anytime something's compressed it will heat up . Hay is no exception . And since there should be a small % of moisture left in the hay anyway some of it gets sqeezed out ( sweat ) and with the heat of compression the environment for the fungi and bacteria is prime ( dark , warm and damp ) so they keep up the bad work so to speak . It can get real scientific from here , all about how as the bitty bugs and fungus' metabolize the sugars they create heat just like we do when we work and so on and so forth till the barn burns down . Clear as mud ? ...Randy

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kyhayman

05-26-2006 22:00:32




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 Re: ? about hot hay in reply to John/Pa, 05-25-2006 18:57:20  
Heating is caused by microbial growth, nothing more, nothing less. As soon as hay is baled, bacteria and fungi begin to colonize grow until such point as the bales lose enough moisture that dryness alone will stop the process.

Water source doesnt matter. Dew moisture on dry hay will raise the stem moisture through osmosis, but gravity and air flow normally causes this to not be an issue. I check temps of hay in storage at least daily for a month. A rise of up to 120 degrees is ok for cow hay, it will be dusty but not ruined.

You mentioned it was molding on day two? I'm curious.... I rolled some May 5 for wrapped round bale silage and didnt finish wrapping until the next day. It was raining (light rain) when I baled it and was unwilted, at wrapping temps were still under 140 and there was no visable mold. For it to be that hot and already molded something has to be going on. Fog perhaps? Super tight stacks? I have had round bales heat in the barn to the danger point even when I 'knew' they were dry.

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BUFFALO

05-26-2006 20:24:51




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 Re: ? about hot hay in reply to John/Pa, 05-25-2006 18:57:20  
PLEASE BE CAREFUL. WET OR MOIST HAY PUT IN A BARN CAN SPONTANOUSLY COMBUST AND BURN YOUR BARN DOWN. IF YOR LUCKY THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN, BUT YOUR HAY WILL MOLD FOR SURE. IF IT"S NOT DRY DON"T WASTE TIME BALING IT.



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Olivergreen

05-26-2006 03:50:45




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 Re: ? about hot hay in reply to John/Pa, 05-25-2006 18:57:20  
We've had the same problem. Our hay is on bottem ground. Two to four hours less sun a day if there is a breeze on the bottom field there is hurricane force winds on top. We've baled damp to miss the rain. A little salt on each layer of small bales cheap ins. aganst fire. Cows get along good with moldy hay. Sheep& horses don't



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hayray

05-26-2006 02:05:42




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 Re: ? about hot hay in reply to John/Pa, 05-25-2006 18:57:20  
If you are in PA. then what they are doing in Texas does not apply. You can't bale at night if the dew is on and expect it to cure very good. Plan on baling in the day time like everyone else and also try to wait until the hay is actually dry before you bale it like a normal person.



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John/Pa

05-26-2006 06:05:48




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 Re: ? about hot hay in reply to hayray, 05-26-2006 02:05:42  
Like a normal person? It was cut with a diskbine. It was tedded. It was cut on Mon afternoon, baled Thursday afternoon. I was dry. We had baler problems, didn't finish untill later then I like to. Usually dont bale after 6 PM, but only had a couple loads, and wanted to finish before it rained. I always bale dry, not sure what to expect when baling in evening when things are cooling down and the dew is setteling in. Isn't this how "normal" people do it?

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Iowa Jim

05-27-2006 07:26:39




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 Re: ? about hot hay in reply to John/Pa, 05-26-2006 06:05:48  
How did you determine that the hay was "dry"? Did you use a moisture probe (like a Farmex, Delmhorst, or Dickey-John) or did you use the Microwave Method?

I find it hard to believe that the amount of dew that dropped in early evening was enough to cause such a dramatic increase in temperature and mold growth so quickly. A better explanation would be that there was still quite a bit of stem moisture in the "dry" hay.

Jim

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IBorange in TX

05-25-2006 20:26:54




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 Re: ? about hot hay in reply to John/Pa, 05-25-2006 18:57:20  
I agree w/Tim, you can bale at night as long as the grass is dry. If you think its too wet then running it thru a crimper will help break up the stalks or runners Thus decreasing drying time. If the whole laydown is wet, maybe from dew, then run a tedder over it. That will give more air flow thru the lay down. I usually cut one day, lay the next day and then bale the day after, but with this Texas heat it will almost cure in 24 hours. I leave my bales in the field for at least 5 days before moving them to barn. Don't like to see any of them smoking, good luck.....

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Old Pokey

05-25-2006 19:14:11




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 Re: ? about hot hay in reply to John/Pa, 05-25-2006 18:57:20  
"cured" hay will not heat, even if put up a little damp. "UNcured" hay will heat up quick and spoil, even if it is put up on a hot, dry day. Did you crimp the grass, or swathe it?



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Tim Shultz

05-25-2006 19:00:38




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 Re: ? about hot hay in reply to John/Pa, 05-25-2006 18:57:20  
you can bale in the middle of the night so long as it"s dry.. if it gets hot at ALL you got it wet.. if it gets moldy you got it TOO wet.. Tim Shultz



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D boll

05-26-2006 05:23:43




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 Re: ? about hot hay in reply to Tim Shultz, 05-25-2006 19:00:38  
We square baled all of the alf. and grass hay/straw for 40 milk cows and young stock, we did not bale in the heat of the day to save the leaves, thats when we unloaded. WE baled in the morn./early afternoon and eve. If it's cured but tough it will be fine, hot hay is from not being fit, If it was tough we salted. I was amazed at what crap some people fed their dairy animals when we showed at co. and state fairs.

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