question on hay

CocalicoSprings · #1 08/31/10, 03:07 PM

How long does a bale of hay last? At what point does the nutritional value of hay diminish to the point that it should be composted or discarded?

uncle Will in In. · #2 08/31/10, 03:22 PM

I've fed beef cows baled hay that was stored in a barn loft for 23 years. It was good red clover hay when it was baled, and was not showing any signs of mold. It had a pleasant odor that was similar to tobacco. The cows loved it and never showed any signs of not having been fed good hay.
The important thing with aged hay is whether it was put up properly and kept dry in storage.
Open the bales and smell the hay closley for mold. If it smells good, feed it. The feed value may be lower but not seriously.

motdaugrnds · #3 08/31/10, 04:18 PM

I haven't gone nearly as long as uncle will; however, I've had baled hay in my loft a good 2 yrs and it was just as fresh as the day I put it there.

It was properly dried prior to its being baled, was never permitted to get rained on or bleached in the sun. It was stored in the loft with plenty of ventilation (a foot of wire all around at the top of the loft just under all rafters); and we set our bales on top of 2x4 wood that is layed out uniformly on the loft floor, stacking each layer crosswise from the prior layer.

I would agree with will, if it smells good, feed it.

Bret4207 · #4 09/01/10, 04:33 PM

I just finished feeding out the last of our old hay, 5 years old. Seemed fine, smelled fine, not moulds but a bit of dust and chaff like any hay has after being stored. I'm still feeding out last years round bales that were stored uncovered, outside. When we unroll them there's the same 4" of brown stuff then it's right back to greenish hay.

Personally, I think people worry a lot more about hay than they need to. If you're feeding a $40-80K track horse then I'd be concerned over a little discoloration or a bit of dusty hay. If you're feeding heifers, sheep, goats, grade work stock...I wouldn't worry so much. I've seen my stock pass up nice green stuff and go eat some ratty looking garbage that I wouldn't even use for bedding. Apparently they know whats good for them.

Avoid obviously bad stuff, be it hay, grain or whatever, but just because some hay is sun bleached or "got rained on" or is a bit older than we'd like doesn't mean it's worthless. It all feeds out better than snowballs and cold wind as they say up here.

Joshie · #5 09/01/10, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CocalicoSprings

How long does a bale of hay last? At what point does the nutritional value of hay diminish to the point that it should be composted or discarded?

Well, don't think there's an answer for you. Remember that one big thing to consider is the animal you're feeding.

Chixarecute · #6 09/03/10, 10:53 PM

The vitamins in the hay will degrade over time, however protein is stable.

chewie · #7 09/03/10, 11:04 PM

dust matters, if you are feeding horses--i have had to shoot one horse already, and will have to deal with one more soon enough. all because the hay they had was old, dusty, and literally looked like a fire going when dropped into the round feeder. i thought once i got them out of the situation, they'd heal and be fine. not so. be very careful about dust, mold, etc. your nose can tell you if its good or not. open it up, and smell and BREATHE into it. if you gag, choke and gasp, either water it down before feeding to horses, but cattle etc., i wouldn't worry as much.

Windy in Kansas · #8 09/04/10, 08:34 AM

No doubt a question many have pondered from time to time. Some states have labs that test hay if one has need. Our family farm has some in a hay loft that was put there in 1982. A little tough for me to deal with from 150 miles away.

Bret4207 · #9 09/04/10, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewie

dust matters, if you are feeding horses--i have had to shoot one horse already, and will have to deal with one more soon enough. all because the hay they had was old, dusty, and literally looked like a fire going when dropped into the round feeder. i thought once i got them out of the situation, they'd heal and be fine. not so. be very careful about dust, mold, etc. your nose can tell you if its good or not. open it up, and smell and BREATHE into it. if you gag, choke and gasp, either water it down before feeding to horses, but cattle etc., i wouldn't worry as much.

Hay that bad isn't fit for feed. I think part of the problem is definitions. One persons "dusty" hay isn't anothers. I've seen people go ape crap over hay that was perfectly fine, but they saw what they perceived as "dust". Well yeah, when you break a bale open stuff will float around in the air if you shake it! But, they had never made hay, stored hay or seen hay that was bad. All they knew was that the magazine with all the pretty horses said dusty hay is death.

Education is a valuable thing. Practical experience is worth a lot more.

TRAILRIDER · #10 09/04/10, 10:42 AM

It will depend alot of who you are feeding and how you are feeding it. We feed two horses a 5 X 5 round bale of all grass hay once every three weeks. One horse is also getting grain, and they have the bale (not in a ring feeder or rack) out under the run in shed. They waste alot : ( but it works pretty well. we used less hay when the horses were stabled. We use last years and this years hay. Have never had any hay last more than two years so all I can tell you is last years hay is still good feed. Oh, and all our hay is kept off the ground on boards and inside the barn. I wouldn't want to feed hay left out in the weather to horses or goats ( maybe cows though), and you will lose so much hay when its left out.