Mouldy Hay for Sheep advice needed

[Powerjen]

Morning All.

I got a small field made into hay, late cause of the weather, 6 weeks ago. I'm in Scotland and it was the best we could do but it could have done with drying further. 3 weeks later it started getting grey mould on the cut edge (stored in two different places). I got all the bales out (90) brushed off the mould, sprayed them with acetic acid and heavily salted them (which I'll do every year when stacking now I know about it) and restacked cut end up.

They've not grown anything since and look good, smell fine. I opened a bale last week but there's the white smoke when you shake it out. I have sheep, I know it's not good for horses but if I shake it out and air it before feeding is it okay? I know ruminants are supposed to be less susceptible to the toxins but any advice or experience from you clever lot is gratefully received. I should say I wear a mask when I've been working with it just in case.
Thanks very much.

 

[Agrivator]

Millions of sheep will have been fed even worse hay without any obvious long-term harm. But in the past, the person handling such hay probably suffered health problems, Framers' Lung being the main one. So it would be sensible to at least hold your breath when shaking it out.

 

[Bury the Trash]

 

[Powerjen]

Does that mean that its only good for burning?

 

[Bury the Trash]

Does that mean that its only good for burning?

Its not good for man or sheep really.

I deff. wouldn't pull them about......maybe just put one outdoors as and when and let them tug at it if they want too but deff. not in a forced to eat it situation .

The compost heap is the best place for mouldy hay.

you'll need an alternative forage source to rely on tbh.

 

[Powerjen]

Thanks. This is where I struggle because there is so much conflicting opinion!

I threw away 30 bales last year cause the same happened but didn't know about the acetic acid or salting then and a local farmer said he would feed it to his cows. The sheep are out and the hay is supplementary so not forced to eat it. I guess I'd just hoped everyone would say the same thing! Appreciate all experience and advice though. Every day's a school day.

 

[som farmer]

always told, best for calves, next best for breeders, the rest for stores, about sums it up, except we don.t feed hay to calves. anything with mould, wear a mask, farmers lung, is not nice, and remember, you get out, what you put in to stock. If weather iffy, always the option to wrap, and that certainly can make a silk purse, from a sows ear !

 

[Still Farming]

It will be better than a "snowball", in Winter?

 

[Powerjen]

always told, best for calves, next best for breeders, the rest for stores, about sums it up, except we don.t feed hay to calves. anything with mould, wear a mask, farmers lung, is not nice, and remember, you get out, what you put in to stock. If weather iffy, always the option to wrap, and that certainly can make a silk purse, from a sows ear !

Thank you. I might have to look into small bale wrapped stuff in future. I can't physically manage the big ones, nor can the tractor. I've juts opened another bale and that's barely smoky at all which gives me some hope.

 

[som farmer]

It will be better than a "snowball", in Winter?

always told that as well, used to go over the hay fields, when cleared, with a horse rake, behind the tractor, amazing how many more bales we got. And, the comment, every time, 'better than a snow ball in winter' !!

 

[Still Farming]

always told that as well, used to go over the hay fields, when cleared, with a horse rake, behind the tractor, amazing how many more bales we got. And, the comment, every time, 'better than a snow ball in winter' !!

Same here,Old horse rake behind fergy ,surprising how many bales they got.
Calf hay uncle use to say?

 

[Still Farming]

Thank you. I might have to look into small bale wrapped stuff in future. I can't physically manage the big ones, nor can the tractor. I've juts opened another bale and that's barely smoky at all which gives me some hope.

Don't breath dust in!

 

[puppet]

You should not have to put salt or acid on the hay. You were too late in making it though I agred about weather as we made some poor hay in July though it is going to cows.
90 small bales can be left spread out in the shed rather than stacking it early.
Sheep will eat grass before poor hay unless they are inside. If the bales are just dusty but not totally stuck together then pour some molasses on it and they will eat it.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Thanks. This is where I struggle because there is so much conflicting opinion!

I threw away 30 bales last year cause the same happened but didn't know about the acetic acid or salting then and a local farmer said he would feed it to his cows. The sheep are out and the hay is supplementary so not forced to eat it. I guess I'd just hoped everyone would say the same thing! Appreciate all experience and advice though. Every day's a school day.

It will have a poorer feed value anyway, heating burns energy, any type of mouldy makes it less palatable as well, which is common sense i supose.

I should think well and carefully wrapped and stacked and overed small bales would suit your job.
or big squares wrapped well can be moveable in sections/slices by hand but of course remember that none of that will come out better than what goes in at baling.

 

[Ffermer Bach]

Thank you. I might have to look into small bale wrapped stuff in future. I can't physically manage the big ones, nor can the tractor. I've juts opened another bale and that's barely smoky at all which gives me some hope.

i think the problem with wrapping small bales is the cost per bale

 

[Bury the Trash]

I thought posters with few posts were supposed to be listed as ' New member ' and with that as their signature ?

 

[michael N123]

Quite a few sheep farmers round here get them ‘big’ 4string bales made and wrapped just take half at a time if you need to

 

[matthew]

Don't breath dust in!

What you're seeing is unlikely to be 'smoke' or 'dust'. Baled damp, it's mould Spores. As in fungi.
So wear a mask, if you really must feed it. And watch out for listeria in your sheep.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I do know mouldy spores on haylage can be deadly for sheep

 

[Highland Mule]

Morning All.

I got a small field made into hay, late cause of the weather, 6 weeks ago. I'm in Scotland and it was the best we could do but it could have done with drying further. 3 weeks later it started getting grey mould on the cut edge (stored in two different places). I got all the bales out (90) brushed off the mould, sprayed them with acetic acid and heavily salted them (which I'll do every year when stacking now I know about it) and restacked cut end up.

They've not grown anything since and look good, smell fine. I opened a bale last week but there's the white smoke when you shake it out. I have sheep, I know it's not good for horses but if I shake it out and air it before feeding is it okay? I know ruminants are supposed to be less susceptible to the toxins but any advice or experience from you clever lot is gratefully received. I should say I wear a mask when I've been working with it just in case.
Thanks very much.

Whereabouts in Scotland are you? This was an excellent year for making fodder and the country is awash with it at reasonable price. If you couldn’t make it this year, maybe you’d be best to save your time and energy and just buy it in from now on?