What Moisture Should Horse Hay Be?

between 10 and 15 percent moisture.
Horse quality hay should be baled between 10 and 15 percent moisture. Hay baled at over 17 percent moisture is at risk of molding. Hay baled over 25 percent is at risk of severe heat damage and serves as a potential fire hazard.

What is the best moisture content for hay?

In general, hay in small rectangular bales should be baled at less than 22 percent moisture to keep molding and heating to a minimum. Large round bales retain internal heat much longer than conventional bales. Therefore, hay should be less than 18 percent moisture before baling in large bales.

How much moisture should be in a bale of hay?

Keeping your hay baled at less than 20% moisture is one of the key steps to maintaing a safe storage. Please also consider the inconsistencies that may occur due to the humidity in the air. Ensuring that hay is not baled at moisture levels above 20% is a significant step toward safe storage.

How dry should dry hay be?

When forage is cut, it has 75 to 80 percent moisture, which must be dried down to 60 to 65% moisture content for haylage and down to 14 to 18% moisture content for hay (lower figures for larger bales). The first phase of drying is moisture loss from the leaves through the stomates.

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.

Can hay be too dry for horses?

The key to properly cured hay lies predominantly in moisture content. 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 dry should hay be for horses?

between 10 and 15 percent moisture
Horse quality hay should be baled between 10 and 15 percent moisture. Hay baled at over 17 percent moisture is at risk of molding. Hay baled over 25 percent is at risk of severe heat damage and serves as a potential fire hazard.

How do I know if my hay is too wet?

“As a rule, small bales should contain no more than 18-20% moisture, large bales 16-18%.” Moisture levels can be easily tested with a moisture reader that is specifically designed for testing hay.

Does hay moisture increase after baling?

Even hay baled between 15%-20% moisture will experience what is known as “sweating.” Sweating, in regard to hay bales, refers to microbial respiration, which will create heat and result in dry matter (DM) loss. A good rule of thumb is that you should expect a 1% DM loss per 1% decrease of moisture after baling.

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.

Can hay dry too long?

With too little moisture, hay becomes brittle, loses nutritional value, and is unpalatable for livestock. With too much moisture, hay can spoil while baled hay can experience thermal expansion—causing it to combust and creating a severe hazard.

Will 20 moisture hay keep?

The upper moisture limit for large round alfalfa bales is typically 18 to 20 percent. Hay baled much above 20 percent moisture will usually spoil unless chemical preservatives such as propionic acid are added to the hay.

Can hay get a little wet?

Hay with a little extra moisture may not exceed 120 degrees F., whereas, wetter hay can quickly exceed 150 degrees. If the hay rises above 170 degrees, chemical reactions can begin to occur that produce enough heat to quickly raise the temperature above 400 degrees and the wet hay can begin to burn and cause fires.

How do you know if hay is good quality?

Look for the following characteristics: Maturity – High quality hay will have a high proportion of leaves in the bale, with few or no coarse stems or seed heads. Condition – High quality hay will contain little dust or mold. Color & odor – High quality hay generally has a bright green color and a sweet, fresh odor.

At what moisture does hay combust?

Hay fires are a danger at any time in stacked small bales when the hay’s moisture content is 20 percent or higher, and in stacked big square or round bales when the hay’s moisture content is more than 16 percent. Hay fires usually occur within six weeks of baling.

Does hay lose quality over time?

A: Hay begins to lose its nutritional value at the time of cutting and continues to lose nutrients both while drying in the field and while in storage. The nutrients most affected by harvesting and storing are vitamins. Conversely, the protein and mineral content of hay is quite stable.

Should I wet my horses hay?

Many studies have shown soaking hay can reduce respirable particle concentration by at least 88%. Soaking can also reduce the amount of mold present. Nutrient content Some horse owners soak their hay to reduce the amount of sugars, or nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC), in the forage.

Is 3 year old hay still good?

If the hay was of good-quality when harvested and stored in a dry place with sufficient airflow, hay is likely suitable for consumption for two to three years. Keep in mind that hay, even premium forage, loses much of its vitamin content in the first few months of storage.

How many bales of hay should a horse have a day?

A horse can eat anywhere from 15-25 pounds of hay a day, which generally equates to a half of a 45/50-pound square bale of hay per day (~15-30 bales per month).

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.

How soon after baling can you feed hay to horses?

The Question: How long after hay is cut and baled should you wait before using it for feed to a horse? Answer: New hay can be fed just after harvesting. Any hay that has been properly cured and dried before being baled should be stable and can be fed as soon as needed.