Dry/Dusty hay - would you complain?

[JackDaniels1]

Can't seem to find any decent hay around here!

Eventually found a guy who would deliver round bales of hay for 20 pounds per bale. I've had 3 bales off him so far, first one was fine, second was very dusty and now the third one is also dry/dusty. Horse turns her nose up at it! I'm having to soak it.

Would you phone up and complain or keep quiet and hope the next one is better? I would change farmers and get it off someone else but as I say I can't find anyone who sells decent hay that would deliver to us

This current bale seems quite a bit smaller than the last two as well

 

[Destiny95]

Maybe the farmer doesn't realise? I wouldn't just change supplier without giving the farmer the chance to rectify it? Making good hay is quite a skill - and you can get excellent and not so good bales from the same field

As you are buying them one by one, you should raise the issue with the farmer and hopefully he will take care to pick out a good one next time?
Might be worth approaching it from the angle 'my horse won't eat it' rather than you think its dusty - might get a better response?

 

[Annagain]

I normally feed haylage but I would always soak hay anyway, and expect it to be a bit dusty. If it's really bad though it might be worth mentioning it and asking for an "extra good" one next time as your horse won't eat it!

 

[Fransurrey]

Ask him if it was from a different batch to the first one. Just explain that your horse has been refusing since you moved onto the second bale and you're not sure if it's due to dust or something else.

He might have switched blades/tractor or even fields and be unaware that it's baling too close to the ground. Depending on the ground, there may be bumpy bits of the field where the mower is cutting too close. Just be honest. It's in his best interests to not have dusty hay, after all!

 

[Mike007]

Basicly there are two sorts of dusty hay.One is hay that has been baled a bit damp and gone musty.The other is hay that has been made in very dry conditions and has "leaf shatter". The thin leaves crumble to dust.It seldom has anything to do with soil contamination, because unlike haylage ,hay is turned enough times to shake this out.A lot of very good hay was made this year ,but it is very dry.