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Is it bad if hay bales get rained on?
If rained-on hay is not again dried fully, mold and mycotoxin growth can occur which can put livestock health at risk. Furthermore, baled wet hay can combust due to the temperature increase caused by microbial growth – putting a producer at risk of barn fire.
How do you save hay bales that has been rained on?
Use net wrap or plastic twine spaced no more than 4 in. apart on round bales to maintain bale shape and provide a smooth surface that encourages water runoff.” Anderson recommends storing hay on elevated, well-drained spots that will prevent the bales from soaking up moisture from wet soil or standing water.
Will wet hay dry out?
For more than a bale or two of freshly wet hay, you can make an attempt at drying it before mold can grow. However, this is going to take some time and space; it may or may not be worth it for your farm. Keep the wet hay in a dry area, where the water can evaporate quickly.
How long does it take hay to dry after rain?
Quality and Quantity Research at Iowa State University found that fresh-cut hay with less than 1 inch of rain took a few more hours to dry, but didn’t suffer much, if any, quality or quantity loss. A light rain on nearly dry hay, though, caused significant losses.
How long does wet hay last?
You can store hay indefinitely if the stack is managed correctly; although, in humid climates, using hay within three years of harvest is ideal. Hay growers need to bale it at correct moisture levels because if it’s baled too damp the hay will generate heat, which leads to molding.
How do you save wet hay?
Cut the bales and fluff them, offering each bit of hay excellent air circulation. Keep the wet hay in a dry area, where the water can evaporate quickly. Turn the bale two or three times per day to keep the evaporation moving along quickly.
How do you know hay is bad?
Signs that your horse hay may be bad include a lack of color or dried-out appearance, a moldy smell, excessive dust, visible mold, or excessive heat towards the center of the hay bale. Because hay provides your horse with so many essential nutrients, you must provide your horse with the best quality hay available.
What do you do with that wet hay?
One way or another we have to do something with that wet hay to minimize the negative impact it can have on our fields. We can bale it but we need to also be cautious of the moisture content of the hay when baled and how we store it.
How do you dry out a hay bale?
Cut the bales and fluff them, offering each bit of hay excellent air circulation. Keep the wet hay in a dry area, where the water can evaporate quickly. Turn the bale two or three times per day to keep the evaporation moving along quickly.
Why do hay bales catch fire?
The bacterial action of wet hay can produce enough heat to really make a fire. This spontaneous inflammation of wet hay has burned down many barns. In order to save the barn, people dropped an amount of rock salt on each layer of bales while stacking.
Can you dry hay before mold grows on it?
For more than a bale or two of freshly wet hay, you can make an attempt at drying it before mold can grow. However, this is going to take some time and space; it may or may not be worth it for your farm. Cut the bales and fluff them, offering each bit of hay excellent air circulation.