Balers choice additive

[Massey 6470]

is it safe to put balers choice additive or equivalent on large square bale hay or haylage destined for horses

 

[Derrick Hughes]

No

 

[Massey 6470]

Why not

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Why not

If you are supplying horse yards .the owners wont like it has it has a funny smell and a percentage of horses will reject it

 

[Estuarybeef]

I know a man that supplies Italian rye grass hay to Newmarket... Wouldn't make hay without it.

 

[Goweresque]

If you are supplying horse yards .the owners wont like it has it has a funny smell and a percentage of horses will reject it

Depends how soon you send it out. I wouldn't send out any hay thats been made with significant amounts of additive until its been stacked for 4 months at least, preferably only after Christmas.

The reason being that hay made with additive has almost certainly been baled slightly damp (you don't waste money by putting it on perfectly dry grass), so needs to stacked and left to go through the natural heating and cooling cycle, and for any residual acid to break down. If you interrupt this process the hay will spoil, letting the air in changes the whole process it seems.

I would hazard a guess that if you buy and sell hay, anything bought before Christmas thats been treated will not have completed its full cycle. I suspect the horses are rejecting it not because of the acid so much, more that the hay is 'off' because of being moved too early.

I have made considerable amounts of hay with additive in damp years, and I've sold every bale to horse owners, without problem, including to stable yards with dozens of different types of horses. In fact there have been customers who have specifically chosen the treated hay because their horse liked it better than the 'normal' hay, even though it looked less appetising, being more golden brown colour than green. But you've got to be patient, let it sit.

 

[Angus]

@Goweresque from your experience, what do you think is the maximum moisture level that these additives can be used?

 

[Goweresque]

@Goweresque from your experience, what do you think is the maximum moisture level that these additives can be used?

About 25%. If a field is running mostly up to 25% and you put full rate on it should be OK, even if the odd bale here and there runs to 26/27% but if you're over between 25 and 30% consistently the acid is going to struggle to kill every last bit of mould and bacteria, and it won't be worth anything, for sale at least, might be salvageable if you were using it yourself. Above 30% it'll be total rubbish.

The other thing to bear in mind is its not magic - if you're baling old crap grass then it'll be crap hay, even if the additive does its job. The best stuff I ever made with additive was some June mowed grass when the weather turned on me and it sat being rained on for several days, I had an afternoon window when the weather picked up before the next storm, a drying wind got it down to 25% max, and I baled it at full rate of additive, packed and stacked it and left it in the back of the shed. I didn't sell any the first winter as I had plenty of other nice stuff, the next winter I was short of hay so started digging this old stuff out, it had ended up like haylage, all sort of golden brown, and I sold the lot at £4/bale that winter. And not a bale was complained about.....in fact I got compliments about how much the horses loved it

 

[Angus]

Thanks for the reply @Goweresque, another question, how do you determine the moisture content of the crop please?

 

[Goweresque]

Thanks for the reply @Goweresque, another question, how do you determine the moisture content of the crop please?

The additive system has moisture meters on the baler, they are invaluable. Can't do it without them.