What to do with it.......

[Scrounger]

My neighbor has 35 bales of molding hay. He took a chance and baled it beofre it was completely dry (it was rained on and more rain was on the way). He wants to get rid of it. I figured I'd take it and maybe try to compost it down. Any ideas?

[amwitched]

It sure would make great mulch for the garden (rows and walkways)!

It is even better if it is FREE!!!!

I would also throw it in my chicken coop. We have had sooooo much rain around here that my poor chickens are swimming. The floor of the outer coop is all mud with standing puddles. I bought 2 bales of hay yesterday and just threw it out on the ground for them. At least they will have something dry to walk on. I hate buying feed hay for that purpose, but I used up all of the leaves that I had collected this past fall (before the garbage men took them away).

[madness]

I wish I had free moldy hay...my chickens are swimming too!

If they are in small square bales you can let them completley dry out and then use them to make a straw bale structure - chicken coop, shed, house, whatever!

[Scrounger]

My chickens aren't swimming, but I did break up 3-4 bales behind the coop for them to scratch around in. They were having a grand time when last I looked.

[Christiaan]

Mulching might be back to bite you next year. There can be tons of seed in that hay that will survive anything. I would compost it, then mulch with it next year.

[Corky]

warning!!!!
Be careful handling that stuff.

I am allergic to moldy hay. The DR called it pneumonitis. I am not sure how to spell that.
I used it in the chicken house and the next day I had a high fever and chills and was talking out of my head.
24 hours later I was fine.
Couldn't figure it out.
Two months later I mucked out the chicken house and spread the hay again.
Next day I was down with an even higher fever and was out of my head for two days.
I woke up in the middle of the night soaked and yelled out. I KNOW WHAT IT IS! ITS HAY FEVER!
DH just thought I was still raving.

When I talked to the doctor about it he told me what it was.
He was so excited to have found someone with this allergy.

He said " don't mess with moldy hay again." I said "what will happen?"
He said you might just die this time. He said it is like being allergic to penicillin.

We still use it in the garden but DH spreads it for me.

[Scrounger]

I just found out - it's 60 bales, not 35......

[HomesteadBaker]

It makes great mulch. Wear a dust mask when spreading it.... and long sleeves (it makes me itchy!). I use it around fruit trees, in garden paths, and in the chicken coop, too.

Kitty

[MaineFarmMom]

I'm envious! I'm looking for old hay bales to make a big compost bin. When I find them I'm going to fill the bin and leave it for a year. By then the bales should be breaking down. I'll empty the compost and start a new pile with the old bales.

[naturewoman]

I got some free hay that was dry, but no good as food. I stacked it outside under a tarp and the tarp blew off in a storm and it got wet and moldy. I won't use it in an animal enclosure now, but I do add it to my compost pile, to layer with hot manure, and to bury the top of the pile to keep it from smelling and attracting flies. I also built the compost bin out of the hay bales...with only the front being open and blocked with a piece of plywood to keep my dogs out. Just don't store it in your barn (or even outside anywhere near a building). It can start a fire. If any of it is dry enough, you can use it for bedding...otherwise, I'd just use it as mulch, or add to the compost.

[comfortablynumb]

stick a tomato plant in each one next spring after they have sat outside all winter in a nice neat row.

haybale pots.

[MELOC]

Originally Posted by naturewoman

I also built the compost bin out of the hay bales...with only the front being open and blocked with a piece of plywood to keep my dogs out.

what an awesome idea!

[minnikin1]

I just posted our old, dry but somewhat mildewy hay on freecycle.
I have at least 50 bales. I didn't get one reply!
Go figure!

[Scrounger]

I think I'll be composting most of it. The "bale bin" sounds like a good idea.
I will probably get it tomorrow. Thanks all!

[avandris]

Minnikin too bad you are not out this way. We have had people asking for moldy hay on Freecycle around here.

[Tricky Grama]

Two falls ago we had some free hay & spread it in our muddy low area where we like to park, helped for a couple years.

[bill not in oh]

For those of you having trouble finding mulch hay.... Ask the folks you buy feed hay from if they know of anyone with old hay/straw they want to get rid of - if anyone knows, they will. I've found almost all of my mulch hay/straw this way.

[All country]

We were blessed with lots of old hay last year. We broke it down by flakes and placed them side by side between rows in our gardens. Almost no weeding at all last summer. After we harvested everything, we just tilled it in. This year our soil looks great and plants are thriving. I wouldn't worry about seed in the hay, we have less weeds than ever before. I wish we could have gotten more for this year.

[Dahc]

Anything moldy is BAD for poultry. If you've used it before and didn't have birds die, you got lucky. I would not use this hay for bedding or feed.

[dare2b]

I'd walk a mile for free mulch hay for my garden and compost pile.... sigh.