Can Hay Be Too Dry For Horses?

For best results, hay should not be baled until there is less than 20% moisture. Hay baled too wet might mold, heat, and pose a fire risk. Conversely, hay baled too dry might lose its nutritional value through broken or fallen leaves.

How do I know if my hay is dry enough to bale?

Breaking stems in half or twisting them in a circular motion to see if the stems break cleanly will give farmers the go-ahead to bale. “If all the stems break and crack that’s an indication that the hay is cured and then you can rely on the moisture test that you’re getting from the probe,” Yaremcio said.

How long do you let hay dry?

It basically takes about three days of good weather to cure hay. This can be a challenge in late May or early June. A good strategy is to mow just before or right after a rain, because of the likelihood of good weather for the next few days.

How long should you soak horses hay for?

15 to 60 minutes
Soaking hay for 15 to 60 minutes is a good way to manage these horses, but only soak hay if your preferred hay isn’t available. Feed soaked hay right away to avoid mold growth. Dispose of water in random grassy areas that horses can’t access.

What happens if you bale hay too dry?

When hay is too dry before baling, the leaves of the forage become stiff and brittle, making them much more likely to fall off. In many cases, a significant portion of hay’s nutritive value lies in the leafy portions of the herbs used to make the hay.

How long should you let hay dry before baling?

When preparing to bale hay, the transition from freshly cut, high-moisture grasses and legumes to dry forage is known as curing. This process takes on average 3 days—in good weather.

Can you soak hay over night?

The amount of time for soaking doesn’t make much difference after 1-2 hours IF YOU USE ENOUGH WATER. In a study using 25 liters of water for one flake of hay, WSC, ESC loss maximized after 1 hour. (1) There is no reason for soaking hay overnight.

Should hay be kept dry?

Keep your bales in a dry space where moisture or direct sunlight will not reach it. If hay develops too much moisture, this can lead to mold growing in it. When this happens, feeding horses with such hay can become dangerous. If horses eat moldy hay, they can develop breathing or digestive problems.

Do I need to soak my hay?

Hay soaking for short periods of time (30-60 minutes) is an acceptable management method for reducing respirable particles and certain nutrient concentrations. Feed soaked hay immediately after soaking to eliminate the potential for mold growth.

How much hay should a horse have overnight?

Feed hay according to weight
Horses should consume about 2% of their bodyweight per day according to their condition and workload.

Why do you rub a horse down with hay?

The horse is rubbed or “curried” to help loosen dirt, hair, and other detritus, plus stimulate the skin to produce natural oils.

How long should hay be left before feeding to horses?

So how soon can you feed new hay? If the hay is cut and bailed in perfect conditions with less than 12% moisture in the bale, it should be safe to feed straight away. But due to how hard this is to get accurate; it is recommended to wait 2-8 weeks before feeding.

How do you moisten hay?

Feeding dampened hay. Dipping the flakes or full haynet into a large container of water and pulling it right out will dampen the hay enough to get rid of some dust and fine particles.

Are hay moisture meters accurate?

Even the best-maintained moisture meters may lose accuracy over time. This is why you should run a calibration check on your moisture meter at least once every time you harvest hay. There are several ways to check meter calibration, including: Using a moisture content standard.

Will dry hay mold if wrapped?

A 1-2 inch layer of white mold may develop on the outside of each bale, but any losses associated would be far less than unwrapped outside stored hay. Wrapping hay that is higher in moisture than about 20% will mold more significantly.

What happens if you bale hay too early?

Less Dry Matter and Yield Loss
Even after cutting, plants continue to respirate, leading to up to 15% dry matter losses in some forage species. Overall quality can also be impacted, like starches and sugars—energy—can also be lost in the process.

Does hay heat up after baling?

Most hay goes through one or more heating cycles (a sweat) immediately after baling. It is not unusual for internal bale temperature to exceed 100° F and it may goes as high as 130° F to 140° F if enough moisture and oxygen are present.

How long does hay sweat after baling?

This sweating process is the normal respiration of the cut plants that are still giving off some moisture, carbon dioxide and heat from the plant cells. This process can continue for two days or more after mowing.

What happens if you soak hay too long?

Don’t soak the hay longer or you’ll risk leaching beneficial nutrients. Soaking hay to remove sugars that can exacerbate metabolic conditions such as insulin resistance takes more time.

How long after soaking hay can you feed it?

Soaking To Remove WSC’s
If you have a horse on a low sugar diet, it is recommended to soak hay in cool, clean water for 60 minutes before feeding. Studies have shown that this removes 30-40% of the WSC’s (explained above) present in the hay, without removing other nutrients.

How long can you leave soaked hay in a stable?

In warmer conditions, soaking hay for more than two hours is also likely to result in the hay starting to ferment and this is not desirable for then feeding to horses. Studies have shown that soaking for longer periods such as 9 hours, also increased the microbial contamination in the hay.