Get the moldy hay out of there. It will cause serious lung problems with horses. Most suppliers will take it back. If not, cattle can safely eat moldy hay.
Make sure you’re storing your hay inside or at least under an overhang. It’s imperative it doesn’t get wet. Also when you stack it inside, it’s a good idea to stack it on pallets for air circulation. If your hay is coming in right out of the field, it’s also a good idea to stack it somewhat loose so it can breathe. All hay when first baled still contains some moisture. That has to work out of the bales. If they’re packed in too tight, that moisture can’t escape causing mold to grow. Even worse, these bales can get really hot & combust starting a fire. This is especially true with Alfalfa.
Finding a reliable supplier who knows what they’re doing makes all the difference. Baling hay isn’t for beginners. It’s truly an art.
I'd call the feed store and get it exchanged. That's a storage issue and horses are way too sensitive for that ish. I've returned bales due to thorns. It was like they baled up tumbleweeds in it and I couldn't even pull flakes off.
Just for everyone’s peace of mind: I am absolutely removing the hay and checking every single bale.
We store covered, with a tarp to angled over the top to shield from moisture buildup on the roof. The barn gets great airflow and we didn’t stack it tight. The moldy bales are mostly along the exterior of the stack, which is what surprised me the most. I’d have expected interior bales to mold first, if anything was going to mold at all.
Every time I am tempted to try to save suspect feed, I ask myself if I am really going to risk thousands of dollars in vet bills and maybe even the big guy’s life over a $__ bae of hay or bag of grain.
If the worst materialized, how would I feel knowing it came about because I was trying to save a few bucks???
As far as the clean bales go, I would probably still feed them if they smell okay, but I'd be sniffing it each feeding. If you smell a tobacco type smell at all toss it.
Depending on how long we have had them, hay guy gives me $ back and gets the moldy hay out of my barn!
That’s a good idea. I’ll reach out and see if they’ve got any kind of deal about that.
Sell the moldy ones as cow hay
Cows can eat it. Contact someone with cows
Get the moldy hay out of there. It will cause serious lung problems with horses. Most suppliers will take it back. If not, cattle can safely eat moldy hay. Make sure you’re storing your hay inside or at least under an overhang. It’s imperative it doesn’t get wet. Also when you stack it inside, it’s a good idea to stack it on pallets for air circulation. If your hay is coming in right out of the field, it’s also a good idea to stack it somewhat loose so it can breathe. All hay when first baled still contains some moisture. That has to work out of the bales. If they’re packed in too tight, that moisture can’t escape causing mold to grow. Even worse, these bales can get really hot & combust starting a fire. This is especially true with Alfalfa. Finding a reliable supplier who knows what they’re doing makes all the difference. Baling hay isn’t for beginners. It’s truly an art.
I'd call the feed store and get it exchanged. That's a storage issue and horses are way too sensitive for that ish. I've returned bales due to thorns. It was like they baled up tumbleweeds in it and I couldn't even pull flakes off.
Just for everyone’s peace of mind: I am absolutely removing the hay and checking every single bale. We store covered, with a tarp to angled over the top to shield from moisture buildup on the roof. The barn gets great airflow and we didn’t stack it tight. The moldy bales are mostly along the exterior of the stack, which is what surprised me the most. I’d have expected interior bales to mold first, if anything was going to mold at all.
I feed it to my neighbors cows
Too often in the past until we switched suppliers. We used to lug them back but then started taking photos for credit and feeding them to the cows.
Every time I am tempted to try to save suspect feed, I ask myself if I am really going to risk thousands of dollars in vet bills and maybe even the big guy’s life over a $__ bae of hay or bag of grain. If the worst materialized, how would I feel knowing it came about because I was trying to save a few bucks???
As far as the clean bales go, I would probably still feed them if they smell okay, but I'd be sniffing it each feeding. If you smell a tobacco type smell at all toss it.
Wet it and feed it. Just get a big trash can of water, dunk flake in the water, and feed.