Hot hay bale

[holeymoley]

I bought a large round hay bale a few weeks ago . It's this years hay and smelt lovely. The last few days I noticed it slightly warm to the touch and then this evening it was roasting at certain parts , getting hotter the more you went into the middle. So , Yo and Yo's husband spent the evening rolling it out in the barn to cool it off, so the barn now resembles a giant hay stack!

I read previously that it can happen when the bale is rolled wet but I don't know how this could be as I seen the field cut and rolled while we had 3/4weeks of 20•c+ ! Yo thinks it hasn't been turned . Will this affect it at all? Should I be phoning the supplier ?!

 

[pootleperkin]

It's not uncommon for hay to sweat like this. However, As you say, you would have thought that given the recent weather it should be completely dry. If you aren't wanting to feed it straight away then generally you can just leave it as is and let it dry out on its own, though it might end up dusty. If the supplier will take it back, then probably better.

In the last few years when it has been a challenge to get hay completely dry, we have had hay sweating quite a bit in our barn to the point where you can see hot air coming off it. It's what causes hay to occasionally spontaneously combust - there was a barn fire on a large scale in the news last year from this cause.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

I read about hay catching fire in America due to slight mould/heat building up. Scary idea. I think rolling it out was a very good idea.

 

[Spring Feather]

I read about hay catching fire in America due to slight mould/heat building up. Scary idea. I think rolling it out was a very good idea.

There's often hay barn fires over here. For one, people are sometimes too quick to bale, and then to bring all the hay into the barns. Barns which are often in excess of 45c temperatures and often without good ventilation. Combined with super hot temperatures outside too hay has to be baled and stored properly or it does risk going on fire. Not me, I'm paranoid about hay in our barns so I moisture and heat test all of our hay.

 

[Lyle]

Personally, I'd say it hasn't cured properly. There is excess moisture which is causing the bale to begin to ferment, resulting in heat. This can lead to the bale combusting, so you have done the right thing opening it up to let it dry!

Chances are, had the bale been left it would probably have gone mouldy.