Green hay - what to do?

[crashbox]

Baled 40 acres of bay a bit green, to avoid impending rain... which never came.

Bales now 5 days old and reading 24% on moisture meter.

How bad will it be? Wads clogged together like carpet?

Plan to leave it stacked in 2 wide x 1 deep x 6 high stacks outside to let the air get round it... How long do I leave it outside stacked up for, till it can go on a barn?

Any info appreciated.

 

[Welshram]

can’t you wrap them it’ll make nice stuff if it’s wrapped it’s going to be like brown tobacco if it heats up in the bale

 

[4course]

what size bales?round or square ,still not too late to wrap it ,failing that stack it in as near singles as you can on pallets or at a pinch clean stone/hardcore ideally in a shed not touching each other

 

[HasthorpeGrange]

Do you have a grain shed with drying floor?
stack it on that with the fans running

 

[Still Farming]

Rounds leave out.
Smalls and square's different issue.
If you got plenty of room in sheds put in single and keep an eye on it.
Don't want any barn fires?

 

[crashbox]

Thanks all, big deep 6 stringers so too big to wrap, alas...

And well need as much barn space as possible in a minute for straw!

Always disappointing when you put all the work in and don't end up with a quality product but hey that's farming...

 

[spin cycle]

Thanks all, big deep 6 stringers so too big to wrap, alas...

And well need as much barn space as possible in a minute for straw!

Always disappointing when you put all the work in and don't end up with a quality product but hey that's farming...

could spread them out in sun a re bale them....lotta/hassle work....but so is disposing of 40ac gone off hay

clamp them as a stack as you can't wrap

clutching at straws but good dose of salt on top of bale as you stack?

 

[som farmer]

Thanks all, big deep 6 stringers so too big to wrap, alas...

And well need as much barn space as possible in a minute for straw!

Always disappointing when you put all the work in and don't end up with a quality product but hey that's farming...

we had 20 6 stringers, baled a day early, spread out in the silage pit. But, get the air round them, that's about all you can do. They will go on top of some silage, we hope to make soon, that heat usually helps. Touch wood, never had any go up in flames in 50odd yrs, come close mind.

 

[Bury the Trash]

leave them out even if it rots put then in stacked and your shed will burn down.


hay that is'nt fit is a waste of time cord and diesel machinery wear and tear, leave it in the swath and ted out and when black let it grow back in the ground for organic matter nutrient value, and if anyone says that's waste, well its far less a waste than baling and just making shite in bales which is no good to man and beast.

45 yrs experience has taught me that

 

[DRC]

Thanks all, big deep 6 stringers so too big to wrap, alas...

And well need as much barn space as possible in a minute for straw!

Always disappointing when you put all the work in and don't end up with a quality product but hey that's farming...

We’ve wrapped 6 stringers no problem . Surely there’s a contractor who could do it for you .

 

[Wisconsonian]

How hot is it now?

best would probably be clamping it. If you're trying to dry it still, prop them up, one end up on a block, the rest tilted against the next so most of four sides are exposed. Don't stack them in the shed until they're cool inside, sharpen a thick wire, poke it into the middle of several bales. MARK the end sticking out so you can find it and remove. If you can't hold the wire when it comes out it's over 140F and getting iffy, 180 is getting bad but it's outside still. if you can hold the wire, it's fine for now, not lighting up yet.

 

[DrWazzock]

Stack them tight out in a field well away from buildings or dry crops in case they go up in flames. They will get a hell of a heat on but if they don’t go up in flames then they might have some feed value by winter. We’ve opened up hay like tobacco in the winter. It’s belly fill but cattle ate it. If you let oxygen in and around every bale it will just rot and mold basically, so I’d stack tight to keep oxygen out. Salt each layer if you can. The outer layers won’t be good but the insides will be like dry silage if it doesn’t burn.

 

[Nithsdale]

Making and Storing Quality Hay | MU Extension

Properly making and storing hay and greatly reduce dry matter loses. Visit our site to learn about Making and Storing Quality Hay. | Jimmy C. Henning and Howell N. WheatonDepartment of AgronomyThe most important factors affecting the quality of hay areMoisture content at baling and time of...

extension.missouri.edu

I didn't know so went looking. Hay should typically be 18-22% moisture content. So 24% isn't terribly higher and I wouldn't be worried... just check whether it's heating or not

 

[Anymulewilldo]

This is why I’ve pretty much given up on hay already, and I’m only 31!
Wraps cheap compared to crap hay

 

[Bury the Trash]

This is why I’ve pretty much given up on hay already, and I’m only 31!
Wraps cheap compared to crap hay

gains shed space as well, infact could say its best to plan to do it in this country right from the start , better than last minute descions anyway.

 

[Werzle]

Stack them in a field with a sheet over for a few months, its a hassle but better than burning a barn down or letting them get wet

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Depends what grass it was , Ryegrass will catch fire quicker than meadow grass
I would stack it outside and put a sheet on it , well away from buildings , put a steel rod in leave it in for a bit then see if it's hot when you pull it out ,,yih just don't know to he honest 24 Is not than high , but it could be 84 in another week , them you start seeing smoke , sorry not much help ,but I did almost lose a big shed last year, lucky we saw a but of smoke and pulled the hay out , it was on fire next day

 

[Bury the Trash]

baled some hybrid ryegrass the other day ,mowed with flails ,boy , that got the juice out of the stem in good time he was cut in 2or 3places for a start, interesting experiment like when grass goes through the combine ,soon dries ,on top anyway. loose a bit of sugar/energy but hey ho, water is the real enemy in the first instance......

 

[d williams]

We’ve wrapped 6 stringers no problem . Surely there’s a contractor who could do it for you .

Probably to long 6ft about as long as you can go

 

[davidroberts30]

Baled 40 acres of bay a bit green, to avoid impending rain... which never came.

Bales now 5 days old and reading 24% on moisture meter.

How bad will it be? Wads clogged together like carpet?

Plan to leave it stacked in 2 wide x 1 deep x 6 high stacks outside to let the air get round it... How long do I leave it outside stacked up for, till it can go on a barn?

Any info appreciated.

I wouldn't trust a meter now
If its a quick heat it may cool in a few days
Worst for catching fire is hay that heats in 2 to 3 weeks time ( so I been told)...