Hay preservative systems for small squares?

[tcreeley]

If your horses are cheap and auction horse- feed them treated hay- no big deal. If your horses are part of the family, or worth as much as your tractor- don't feed them treated hay. Same reason as you don't just dump anything into your tractor on hearsay.
I buried one horse we had had for 26 years. Sad putting down an old friend. The other was with us just 7 years. You should have seen him looking up at us, in pain, hoping and affectionate -from the ground- unable to do anything to rise. The vet gave him the injection that ended it all.
Everyone said sludge hay was fine, "never heard of a problem". We lost two horses.
Additives are not there in nature. Don't feed them. No one feeds silage products to horses - grass or corn. -Asking for trouble. They are not cows.
Crappy dry hay- is better than additive or silage hay.

 

[Tx Jim]

tcreeley
1st off horses have the most sensitive digestive system of any animal I know of on this Earth. Anything can cause them to colic or founder. I'm not any advocate of hay that has had sludge(human waste) applied but a local feed store sells 100's of rd bales every year to horse owners that has had sludge applied for yrs without having major horse problems. 2nd hay with preservative applied is not even close to silage or baleage.

 

[tcreeley]

You said it- horses have delicate digestive systems. Stay away from the unnatural stuff.

 

[Tx Jim]

You said it- horses have delicate digestive systems. Stay away from the unnatural stuff.

Ya but horses eating natural(organic) feed/hay will colic & founder.

 

[AKfish]

I have never made hay myself. I have bought hay out of the fields and sometimes a barn for over forty years. If the hay has dampness feel to it, it stays in the field or in a "gonna use soon" stack NOT in my barn. All my hay when it goes in the barn gets salted. Layer of bales go on a wood floor that has been salted. Next layer of bales goes on top of the first layer that has salt on top of it. Each layer gets salted including the top.

I have found that this helps ****** mold, keeps the horses thirsty and drinking when they don't want to but should, in the winters. Damp hay will not go in my barn. One of the things I dislike about bale wagons, the only thing, is that the bales aren't touched by humans. When we pick up bales in the field by hand or with a Henry pop up loader, we cull out the heavy ones, ones that seem heavier than the norm. Salt and common sense, vigilance work for us.

We've had horses up here (Alaska) for 10 years. Bought hay for the first 2-3 years and we started to bale our own hay after a year of salting every bale that went in the barn!

We had rock salt everywhere! Granted, the hay didn't get dusty but the time and labor and expense to add salt to every bale...and I did not want to have a situation with "dead" spots here and there around the place from salt "accidents". The stuff is corrosive and over the years... Well, I could see that I did not want to stay on that routine.

We usually make the effort to sort out the heavier bales, too. Gonna have a few it seems, generally from the outside rows next to the trees. With kids helping though... It is not a rigorous, exact process. More hodgepodge and a bit (nah.. It's a lot) chaotic!! So, there's some anticipated "mixing" in the stacks!

If I could eliminate that problem with a bit of preservative - I sure would.

Talking with the cow\calf producer that uses preservative he says -- "you know, nobody raises moldy hay in Alaska on purpose"!

I think that applies pretty much everywhere. Except maybe the mushroom guys.

AKfish

 

[tcreeley]

It is about timing the weather and not cutting more at a time than you can dry and get in. Carelessness can contribute to crumby hay, A "good enough" attitude can do the same.

Horses colic and they have to be carefully managed. Part of that management is feeding them carefully - or buy cheap horseflesh and replace often. It depends on your investment. Nothing invested - feed them garbage, cut your losses, and move on.

 

[AKfish]

It is about timing the weather and not cutting more at a time than you can dry and get in. Carelessness can contribute to crumby hay, A "good enough" attitude can do the same.

Horses colic and they have to be carefully managed. Part of that management is feeding them carefully - or buy cheap horseflesh and replace often. It depends on your investment. Nothing invested - feed them garbage, cut your losses, and move on.[/QUOTEd]

I agree with your observations that it's about "timing the weather, not cutting more than you get off the field, etc."

However, I haven't "perfected" my ability to accurately judge the weather with total certainty! Sometimes I get close or lucky - as the case may be - and get all my hay in the barn without a drop of rain on it. Just not a 100% of the time.

Nonetheless, I've only ever had the vet out a single time for our horses in 10 years. That was after a hunting trip and eating brome pellets. Vet said keep him movin'' around and put lot's of fresh water in front of him. That was it - he turned out just fine.

None of my hay has coliced a horse but I don't want any coughing either. So, when I get caught short by the weather changing quicker than I (or the weatherman) planned for.. Maybe there's an alternative to dusty hay??

AKfish

 

[Tx Jim]

AKfish
What's Brome pellets that you horse ate?
Thanks,Jim

 

[tcreeley]

Ya but horses eating natural(organic) feed/hay will colic & founder.

That is why you have to manage even that- the amount and the richness of the feed- whether pasture, grain, etc.. After the winter you have to ease horses into the pasture- in increments- 15 min, 30, 60, etc. With care you have healthy horses. That is why you have to watch out for hay as well.
Too many apples from drops can also colic or founder a horse.
It is all about proper management. No additives, no sludge. Only living on borrowed time if you do.

 

[Tx Jim]

tcreeley
Do you have ""written proof"" that hay that has had sludge applied is detrimental to horses?? As I previously stated local feed store sales 100's of rd bales every year to horse owners with no apparent after affects!! Talk is easy but the walk is A LITTLE HARDER.