Wet hay

[klasqh]

Cut our first cutting of alfalfa - was really thick so gave it two days to dry - teddered twice - got about half of it baled and it rained about 0.2
- sun came back out and we waited about 3 hours to bale the rest - have about 100 squares that were pretty wet - laid them out single layer
in the barn and salted them - Question - should we use these bales for our horses if not moldy when we use them, and if not, can the hay be
sold to feed to cattle - dairy/and or beef?

 

[Son of Butch]

Wet hay bales heat up and mold fast. I would want to feed them up as fast as I could or sell them to someone that could.

 

[gildehbc]

Since you have them laid out in in single layer have you considered getting some rock salt? You and throw some salt over the bales and it will help draw the moisture out. Not ideal but it helps.

 

[skyhightree1]

Not good to feed to horses after its gotten wet better to feed to cows and be safe than create vet bills.

 

[pricefarm]

You will be suprise how good the salt will work I was bailing some alfalfa a few years back and it was a little wet I put it in the barn and salted the heck out of it. That next winter feed it to the cows there was no mold and they ate it like candy.

 

[klasqh]

We did salt it - on both sides - 5 days apart - main question was will it hurt cattle if we sell it as such?
Think we will check a few bales for mold - then decide whether to sell it and replace with the 2nd
cutting for the horses. Only have 3 so don't think we can feed it up fast enough to avoid the mold.

 

[skyhightree1]

No it wont hurt cattle I got free alfalfa bales that were rained on and redried and baled I feed it their still kicking. I would get rid of first cut and keep 2nd cutting personally.

 

[hurleyjd]

After all that tedding was there still leaves on the plants.

 

[klasqh]

Yes, amazingly there was - I was sure he would knock all of it off.