Can hay bales go bad?
With too little moisture, hay becomes brittle, loses nutritional value, and is unpalatable for livestock. With too much moisture, hay can spoil while baled hay can experience thermal expansion—causing it to combust and creating a severe hazard.
How can you tell if a bale of hay is bad?
Do hay bales get moldy?
How fast does hay go bad?
Can horses eat year old hay?
If the hay was of good-quality when harvested and stored in a dry place with sufficient airflow, hay is likely suitable for consumption for two to three years. Keep in mind that hay, even premium forage, loses much of its vitamin content in the first few months of storage.
Can horses eat dry hay?
Feeding dry hay. This choice is fine for most horses. Feeding hay from the ground, whether in a stall or in the pasture, allows the horse to carry its head and neck in the most natural way while feeding.
Can horses eat wet hay?
Wet hay typically goes through a fermentative state, of sorts, and it would not be good for the horse to eat it while this was happening,” she continued. Caution should be used in purchasing hay that was wet when baled. Too much moisture affects the quality of baled hay.
Can you save moldy hay?
Moldy hay frequently causes respiratory problems in horses. Recurrent airway obstruction, commonly known as heaves, is a lung disease that compromises a horse’s ability to breathe. It is similar to asthma in humans and is a chronic condition that can only be managed, not cured.
Will horses eat bad hay?
Horses will eat moldy hay, especially if they have no alternative forage, but consuming moldy hay is dangerous and can cause digestive and respiratory diseases. Moldy hay can be fatal for horses; however, eating a small amount shouldn’t cause serious problems.
Can cows eat wet hay?
Cows can eat some wet hay or they just tear it off the outside and get to the dry hay inside. This is not, however, a good plan for feeding horses, who can be sickened by eating wet, deteriorating hay.
Why do horses stop eating hay?
Horses go off their feed for a variety of reasons which can include illness, unpalatable feeds or gastrointestinal disturbances such as hindgut acidosis.
Why can’t horses eat wet hay?
Wet hay typically goes through a fermentative state, of sorts, and it would not be good for the horse to eat it while this was happening,” she continued. Caution should be used in purchasing hay that was wet when baled. Too much moisture affects the quality of baled hay.
Is 10 year old hay still good?
If the hay was of good-quality when harvested and stored in a dry place with sufficient airflow, hay is likely suitable for consumption for two to three years. Keep in mind that hay, even premium forage, loses much of its vitamin content in the first few months of storage.
How long can you leave a horse alone?
Although your horse can be safely left alone overnight, you should never leave your horse unattended for longer than 10 hours. Doing so can have a serious impact on the health or happiness of your equine companion.
Is it bad for horses to eat grass?
Horses can not eat fresh-cut grass because they gobble it down without adequately chewing it, leading to severe health issues. Clumps of cut grass also attract mold and bacteria, resulting in severe and sometimes fatal stomach problems for horses when ingested.
Is grass bad for horses?
Horses thrive in the wild on a diet of grass and other plants. From these foliages, they extract the nutrients needed to grow healthy and strong. Domestic horses are no different; eating grass is essential.
Is it OK to feed horses wet hay?
Wet hay typically goes through a fermentative state, of sorts, and it would not be good for the horse to eat it while this was happening,” she continued. Caution should be used in purchasing hay that was wet when baled. Too much moisture affects the quality of baled hay.
Is my hay moldy?
Look for Mold
Cut open a bale of hay and separate the flakes. Look for the presence of mold in any of the flakes. Moldy hay generally presents as darker areas which are grey or black. If you find mold, refuse the bale – mold indicates that the hay was baled when it was too wet.
Why is my hay so dusty?
Mold and bacteria will grow on hay (without preservative added) at moisture levels above 14% to 15%. The mold growth produces heat, carbon dioxide and water, which further damages the hay. Moldy hay can result in dry matter and nutrient loss and produce spores and dust.
Does moldy hay hurt cows?
Risks of Feeding Moldy Hay
Consuming moldy hay can lead to respiratory and digestive problems such as heaves and colic. Cattle and other ruminants aren’t as sensitive to moldy hay. However, moldy hay can still cause issues such as aspergillosis and mycotic abortions in cattle.