1st cut green hay, when can it be fed.

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tangosmum

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Just had my hay delivered and unbeknown to me before it was delivered this is green hay, cut only 2 weeks ago!

We have been struggling to get hay and I finally found someone who could deliver and when it arrived it was green!

I have one bale of last years cut left and now this 3 bales of 1st cut VERY green hay.

How long to I need to store it until it can be fed?
 
I fed mine straight off the field alst year. Also supplied PPony Club camp and all 64 ponies had 3 day old hay - they were al lfine.
If your pony is laminitic you need to be careful, and I would mix it with the last of your old hay to make a gradual transtion.
 
I leave it at least six weeks personally.

In the "old" days we used to get it in September and not use it before Christmas!

If Clodagh fed straight off the field with no ill effects I am probably too cautious!

Perhaps you could shake it out to let any heat out for 24 hours or so?
 
thanks for the replies so far...I would also love to hear more opinions.

Shaking it out to make sure it is completly dry/not hot is a good idea...also perhaps mixing it with the last of the old hay sounds sensible for gradual introduction.

What are others thoughts?
 
Hay stacked in a shed undergoes a sort of "maturing" process. I have always found that it comes out better than it went in, if correctly made in the first place.

I have fed some quite new hay in the past, about a month old for instance. I wouldn't recommend it but it didn't cause any problems. It was introduced VERY slowly but I new that horsy had to get used to it as I was practically out of old hay and was off to a clinic which meant a few days away and had to take hay supply. Since he wouldn't be getting any grazing he HAD to be eating the new hay happily.

About a couple of months is more usual.
 
I agree with Persephone, we used to have our hay in say late June and we never fed it until October, used to be the old way to do things, I personally wouldn't want to feed it before at least 8 weeks old. It will be too 'warm' too 'sweet' it needs time to dry.
 
I have fed hay straight off the field before too and been absolutely fine. I would mix it with your old hay to begin with and possibly a bit of straw so they don't gorge on it...
 
We won't be using our hay, which is being baled this week, until September as I have always been told that you shouldn't feed it until it was at least two months old.
 
in my area all the farms are out of hay, so now feeding small bale haylege, and lots of Hi-Fi light or Good doer and will stay on it until the hay is barn made october - november time
 
We have always used ours pretty much straight away as have generally run out of last years! Always introduced gradually & never had any problems. :)
 
I have no problem using new hay.

Make sure you open the bale and let the flaps fall apart so any heat and damp comes out - 24 hours will do it - and then mix with old hay if you want to.
 
Very interesting! Does anyone know the rule for haylage? There seems to be a North/South divide when it comes to forage as we in the North haven't the haymaking weather and it's mostly haylage. I find haylage heats up if fed too new and takes a good two months to stabilise. Of course, if a round bale starts heating up, it's almost impossible to open up and shake out unless you have a carpark!
 
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