Round bails

[ROCKSPRINGS]

I see round bails of hay sitting around that is half flat. Looks to be last years or even older. My question, Is this hay still good for cattle ? How long can you leave hay laying around before it is no good for feed ?

Thanks

 

[TLCfromARK]

We're feeding some of last year's hay's that been sitting outside the whole time. On some of it the outer 3-4" is pretty weathered but once you get past that it's hard to tell it's that old.

As for how long it will stay good, it depends on how much rain you're getting ( not much in S.W. Arkansas lately ) and how it's stored.

;-)

 

[dun]

Those bales that flatten out a lot after a couple ofmonths were usually put up not tight enough or the hay wasn;t adequately dried when it was baled. The former means that moisture can penetrate better and you'll lose more of the hay to weathering and the guality will be lower, the latter means that the hay has already deteriated from.

dun

 

[G&L Cattle]

If its in the way, let me know

Glen Wells

 

[MrBilly]

Hay left outside looses about 30% of its quality - well documented.

If there is enough time before it is sold to someone else, get core hay samples and have it tested for qualiyt. Buy one and unroll it and see what's in it like inside - mold? weeds? etc.

Find someone who has hay in a barn and that will be much better!

It is bales, not bails!

Billy

 

[dun]

It is bales, not bails!

Billy

I figured he was going to use it to get out of jail

dun

 

[ROCKSPRINGS]

I see round bales of hay sitting around that is half flat. Looks to be last years or even older. My question, Is this hay still good for cattle ? How long can you leave hay laying around before it is no good for feed ?

Thanks

 

[bigbull338]

theres nothing rong with the hay.its just settled an gone flatt.as for as how long its feedable.you can feed 5yr old hay.its like cotton candy to the cows.an they will clean the bunk down to the ground eating it.

 

[stocky]

Bales that have gone flat were not baled tight enough and will have some waste. Unroll the bales and see how much good hay is there. The cows will eat the good hay and leave the rest for bedding. That is perfect hay to feed on a snow cover. Many times I have bought 2-5 year old hay for 3-5 dollars per bale. Last year, at one farm, I bought his 4x6 new bales for 10 dollars each for 200 bales and he gave me 175 bales of 2-3 year old hay. Last year there was alot of hay here and there were alot of bargains, this year hay is real scarce. You can usually make out real well on it, just dont pay regular price for it.

 

[flaboy+]

theres nothing rong with the hay.its just settled an gone flatt.as for as how long its feedable.you can feed 5yr old hay.its like cotton candy to the cows.an they will clean the bunk down to the ground eating it.

I agree with bigbull on this one. My neighbor bought some Cuban hay and left it outside for about 2-3 years through several hurricanes. Cows wouldn't touch it fresh. Went I leased that property I took the tractor and pushed over to a burn pile. Later towards winter I put out barn kept, never wet Bahia. The stupid cows went over and ate the old Cuban bale before eating mine.

My 80 something dad said after it goes through a few cook cycles cows just love it. Not any protein in it though. They finally killed it and eat mine now. I saw the neighbors cows eating his old Cuban hay for week now that he was going to burn. Go figure.

 

[johndeerefarmer]

They should have used a John Deere baler.

Flat bales have more surface area on the ground, they therefore soak up more moisture. More waste..............

 

[buckaroo_bif]

They should have used a John Deere baler.

ditto
and make sure it was dry!