bigballer
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Got some nice hay out of local field but looks a little green and is warm in the middle. What can I do to save it? About 30 bales..
Green Hay
- Thread starter bigballer
- Start date
Clint S
Veteran Member
When hay temperature remains below 120 degrees Fahrenheit it is considered safe. The range between 120 and 140 degrees is considered a caution zone in which the hay should be closely monitored. Even if the hay does not catch fire, heating to this level reduces the nutritional value of the hay. If the temperature rises to 160 or above, a fire is likely.
Maximum heating of hay usually occurs within one week of baling. Three weeks is normally considered the maximum length of time after baling that the highest temperature resulting from microorganism-induced heating would occur. Thus, putting hay into permanent storage after three weeks should be safe.
Hay temperature can be checked by making a probe. Such a probe can be made from a piece of pipe on which one end has been sealed with a sharpened plug. The pipe can then be driven into a stack or bale of hay followed by lowering of a thermometer in the bale or using a temp gun in the pipe. On small bales go through the side and get to the middle for the reading. We salt all hay that we put in that we feel is safe, but still may be a little moist.
We would kill for some green hay around here our last field (which thank goodness was the last of the first cut) was cut, raked and baled in the same afternoon with close to no moisture in it.
Maximum heating of hay usually occurs within one week of baling. Three weeks is normally considered the maximum length of time after baling that the highest temperature resulting from microorganism-induced heating would occur. Thus, putting hay into permanent storage after three weeks should be safe.
Hay temperature can be checked by making a probe. Such a probe can be made from a piece of pipe on which one end has been sealed with a sharpened plug. The pipe can then be driven into a stack or bale of hay followed by lowering of a thermometer in the bale or using a temp gun in the pipe. On small bales go through the side and get to the middle for the reading. We salt all hay that we put in that we feel is safe, but still may be a little moist.
We would kill for some green hay around here our last field (which thank goodness was the last of the first cut) was cut, raked and baled in the same afternoon with close to no moisture in it.
whistlepig
Elite Member
We always stacked bales like this on it's side and then salted the top edge of the bale. The salt sucks the moisture out. Not something you want to do with 1,000 bales of hay. But it does keep the hay from moulding or burning the barn down. Leave a two to three inch gap between the bales so air can get to them. You can stack them but leave the air gap between.
Bigfoot62
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Lockhaven is correct, if it's really green and really hot, it needs to be spread back out on the ground and re-baled when it dries.
If there is ANY white mold growing on that hay, DO NOT feed it to horses. It could kill them. However, it won't hurt cattle.
thank you for the detailed response, i have a digital meat probe on a long cord, i didn't check all of them but stuck it right in the middle and on the ends in about 6-8" most averaged about 85 and the hottest was 92 i'll check again this morning and see where it lands. i also have a temp gun so i'll break open a bale or two to see what it reads. i am more worried about them molding due to the moisture then catching fire but i have read enough about barn fires that i would want to avoid this as well, if the temps are warmer today i'll look at moving them out of the barn into the fresh air but we are looking at potential rain in the forecast today so will wait it out. these were baled on thursday so they are very fresh. we have had a very cool wet spring and finally on July 4th high pressure moved in and has stuck around, all the locals are working around the clock to get their fields cut and baled but now with thunderstorms forecasted and some rain yesterday will be a few more days before more bales hit the ground. this hay is really nice looking and sweet smelling, doesn't have that preservative/chemical smell like the eastern WA hay you buy in the feed stores.
whistlepig said:
like mortons table salt?? i did stack them on their side and left 3-4" between the bales and they are stacked 3 high. i purposefully did this because i read somewhere this is how you should cure hay, no idea if accurate at the time but seemed to make sense, now that you mention this seems legitimate.
Bigfoot62 said:
we're diligent about making sure the horses get moldfree hay, my wife esp has a nose for it and can spot it long before myself and have been down this road before with local hay. had 65 bales stacked in the barn a couple years ago, ended up tossing about 25 of them due to the mold. offered them up to our neighbor who had cattle. but even he said they weren't too interested in eating it..