Big round bales

[GrantMO]

How long will the hay stay good on a round bale left outside if it's just tied with plastic twine and not wrapped?

 

[unaka]

Grant,

I see from your info you are from the Kansas City area (?). If so, where you live round bales should last 2-3 years left outside, because your climate is relatively dry. Of course, some of this depends on the size of the round bale. Here in the south, I've walked up to round bales that had been sitting on the ground for two years. The outside edge, about a foot or more, was rotted, but reaching my hand into the middle, I pulled out handfuls of good, nice smelling green hay. Getting them off the ground on old tires or pallets helps even more.

Unaka

 

[cowboydoc]

Grant,
I know you feed horses and I wouldn't feed round bales to horses over a year old. The reason being is the mold factor. The bale may still be good on the outside but if the horses eat that moldy hay it could be bad news my friend. If you are going to feed older ones roll the bale out until you get to good hay and then scoop up the bad stuff with that shiny orange loader of yours and let it decompose somewhere out of the way.

 

[unaka]

I will have to concur with Cowboy doc. I raise cattle, which aren't nearly as difficult as horses in terms of nutrition. A little moldy hay won't hurt a cow, but I understand it can be lethal to a horse. About the only thing I have to be concerned with is cherry tree leaves. I've heard it only takes one to kill a cow, but haven't seen this firsthand. Cowboydoc, have you ever heard of this before?

Unaka

 

[cowboydoc]

Yep I have heard that unaka. As far as how much it actually takes I have don't know, but have heard it only takes one leaf as well.

 

[DFB]

I've heard that about the danger of wild black cherry before too.

Animals ingesting the leaves and plant can get cyanide poisining.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/plant46.htm>http://www.vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/plant46.htm</A>

DFB

 

[poorboy]

About the dangers of wilted cherry trees I can attest. My neighbor lost a steer last year to some wilted leaves in a bush pile where he was cleaning out a fence row. Last spring the horse guys in the state lost millons due to the fuzzy, tent worms I think, who would eat the leaves and either spray in defense or eaten accidently by the horses. Big deal around here last spring. Especially since the fence rows either grow up in wild cherries, boxed elders if not choked out by the multiflora roses.

Patrick