Moldy Hay Hazard ?

[arkcowman]

If I put some old hay rolls into an erosion area in one of my pastures does this impose any health risk for my cattle ?
If I have plenty of green grass will the cows still try to eat some several year old bad hay rolls ?

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Not much telling what a cow will take a notion to eat. But i wouldn't worry about it.

 

[arkcowman]

Thanks Red Bull..... You just dont know about these cattle... sometimes they dont make good choices... I got plenty of good green spring grass but I kinda figured they'd try to eat a roll even if it was bad....

 

[regolith]

Mine did - not several year old, but exposed to rain and rotting (black and slushy). Builders moved them out to fix the roof of the hayshed and the cows tore into them, aparently not just the good bits from the little that was left.

As far as I can tell it did them no harm.

 

[Cowdirt]

If I put some old hay rolls into an erosion area in one of my pastures does this impose any health risk for my cattle ?
If I have plenty of green grass will the cows still try to eat some several year old bad hay rolls ?

Arkcowman, bovines are weird creatures. If you put the hay in a feeder and wanted them to eat it they'd turn their noses up and not touch it. Now you put it in a ditch and they are supposed to leave it alone, they'll eat it and lick the ground. Naw, I wouldn't worry about a health risk.

 

[djinwa]

I once thought I could use some rotted hay for bedding. Cows then ate some of it instead of the good stuff, without ill effect. I figure cheese or yogurt is partially rotted food and we all like it. Maybe it's the same with bad hay for cows.

 

[Jogeephus]

Never seen moldy hay a cow couldn't eat but horses ..... well they just look for a way to get sick.

 

[rkm]

I have seen eat moldy hay and moldy silage rather than the good stuff. I never worried about it, until last fall when I started feeding hay. We had a bale that the roof leaked on and it was half good, half bad. I told my son to just set it on the ground and let the cows eat what they wanted of it. Killed two cows deader than a door nail! The only other problem I ever had was circling dease from mold in corn silage.

 

[grubbie]

Pull the strings off if you don't want a heck of a mess later. Cows will be fine, unless there is nothing else at all for them to eat.