Do you use hay straight away?

[poiuytrewq]

Having bit of a drama.
My hay is being baled today.
Id ordered some small 2019 bales to be delivered over the weekend as I was set to run out. It didn’t turn up. Rearranged to today and again he forgot. ?
I’m currently trying to find some that I can go and collect now, will have to be small bales and local which is proofing a little tricky.
How soon would you be feeding new hay? I generally leave it til winter but mainly due to the fact I have a laminitic pony, Shetland and fat cob x
Over cautious or sensible and need to keep trying?!!

 

[Tiddlypom]

I’ve fed it straight away with no ill effects if I’ve been taken short with no old hay left.

Good luck with the baling, ours won’t be ready to bale til tomorrow and rain is due late on...

 

[w1bbler]

I've always understood that if its properly dried then it's ok straight away. If not totally dried then needs to wait.
I thought sugar content remained unchanged with storage, just the nutrients that degrade?
May have that all wrong, but that's what I've gone by.

 

[Orangehorse]

I have fed at the end of July, but I did blend it in with the (last bale) old over a week or so. I had run out, was off to a show to stay away for a few days, so that was all I had to take. Was fine.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I have but I soak it if it's really green especially for fat or laminitis prone

 

[poiuytrewq]

Ok, I soak it anyway. I just remember last year using early when I soaked it it went back to looking like green grass rather than soaked hay!
Ive just got 4 little bales which will keep me going a few days!
I think I just have bit of a mental block on it! It’s been drummed into me not to feed til October which I never needed to do before anyway.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I’ve fed it straight away with no ill effects if I’ve been taken short with no old hay left.

Good luck with the baling, ours won’t be ready to bale til tomorrow and rain is due late on...

Eugh ? hopefully it will blow over? ?

 

[teddypops]

Yes, I always have. If it’s properly made and introduced gradually then it’s fine.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I will never feed new hay to laminitics whether soaked or not.

 

[dorsetladette]

I've fed straight from the field with no ill effects.

 

[HeyMich]

My hay chap described it as Frosties vs All Bran. I opted for the All bran version!

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Depends on the hay. If it was properly dried and baled, shouldn't be an issue.

We recently had this issue here at the yard. YO was waiting on a load of old hay and wouldn't feed the new hay. Many people were insisting that there was a 6 week min.

However, we've had a really dry spring and summer. If the hay was cut and baled right, I imagine it'd be fine. Nothing particularly green. If I reach into the center of the bale and it is not wet or warm, then I'll feed it.

 

[vannersrus]

I always thought you should wait 6 weeks for it to ‘go off ‘ but fed some early in 2018 when we had the hot dry summer as everyone had run out to no ill effect ?‍

 

[holeymoley]

I wouldn’t feed it to a laminitic but then maybe I’m just too over cautious. I’d wait and even then I’d mix it with old stuff gradually. It’s not just laminitis that’s a worry, it can also cause other tummy problems.

But everyone posting here seems to have fed it fine so maybe it’s just me!

 

[Carrottom]

If you only have 4 bales of the old hay left I would start mixing in a little of the new straight away.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Having bit of a drama.
My hay is being baled today.
Id ordered some small 2019 bales to be delivered over the weekend as I was set to run out. It didn’t turn up. Rearranged to today and again he forgot. ?
I’m currently trying to find some that I can go and collect now, will have to be small bales and local which is proofing a little tricky.
How soon would you be feeding new hay? I generally leave it til winter but mainly due to the fact I have a laminitic pony, Shetland and fat cob x
Over cautious or sensible and need to keep trying?!!

I would never feed off the field hay,, I Would always leave my hay at least 3 months.

 

[PeterNatt]

When I change over from one batch to another I mix it for a few days so that the micro-organisms can adjust in their gut.

 

[poiuytrewq]

So what I take from all these replies is that most people will feed straight away unless they have had or have a laminitic so that’s the way I’m going. I’ve got this 4 older bales and will source more whilst using them.
thanks

 

[chocolategirl]

Having bit of a drama.
My hay is being baled today.
Id ordered some small 2019 bales to be delivered over the weekend as I was set to run out. It didn’t turn up. Rearranged to today and again he forgot. ?
I’m currently trying to find some that I can go and collect now, will have to be small bales and local which is proofing a little tricky.
How soon would you be feeding new hay? I generally leave it til winter but mainly due to the fact I have a laminitic pony, Shetland and fat cob x
Over cautious or sensible and need to keep trying?!!

I’ve fed well dried hay straight away on many occasions over the years, never been a problem. The problems can occur I guess if any sweating needs to take place first ?

 

[IngramsRoughDiamond]

Never ever ever feed new hay for at least 4 months even if it looks okay and not green.

 

[teddypops]

Never ever ever feed new hay for at least 4 months even if it looks okay and not green.

Why?

 

[poiuytrewq]

I’ve got a pile on its way.
Never sure if it’s an old wives thing but easy enough not to risk it.
The hay is dry properly but even so.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I’ve fed well dried hay straight away on many occasions over the years, never been a problem. The problems can occur I guess if any sweating needs to take place first ?

You’ve put your finger on it. Well made hay is fine, but I would question whether hay which needs to ‘sweat’ was ever correctly made in the first place.

 

[tda]

I'm even more old fashioned and try to wait til the new year to start new hay. But we don't have indoor storage now so use haylage instead.
I'd feed it sparingly and mix with any old I had left if I had to use new

 

[IngramsRoughDiamond]

Why?

Because until properly dried, the sugar level and protein is too high

 

[teddypops]

Because until properly dried, the sugar level and protein is too high

If it is made correctly it will be properly dried before being baled. If it’s not, it will go mouldy or overheat and catch fire. I’m not sure how you would know what the sugar and protein levels are either.

 

[holeymoley]

I couldn’t understand the sweat comment. It should be dry and not able to sweat? As above too if it’s damp while baled it will heat up and if it doesn’t combust then it’ll go rank rotten. (Unfortunately experienced someone selling bales like this!)

 

[ycbm]

Because until properly dried, the sugar level and protein is too high

Sugar levels should be unaffected by the age of hay. They only drop if the product is fermenting and turning sugar to alcohol. Hay should not be fermenting.
.

 

[rabatsa]

To me the main thing is if you start feeding new hay do not go back onto old hay but stay with the new. Chopping and changing risks colic.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

My Hay farmer normally doesn't sell his new hay for about 6 weeks, this allows it to fully dry out & reduces the chance of hot spots. Horses find getting colic very easy, I don't want to make it easier so 6 weeks after bailing.