P’s next Q! Hay

[poiuytrewq]

Help me out here! Bit of a stress!
We make hay every year just for my horses on some old established water meadows. There’s some kind of rule, we can’t cut til a certain date. We sprayed out thistles/docks checked for ragwort etc knowing that was my hay.
A few times it’s been ruined. The weather or whatever, last year the baler broke.
Its usually sufficient though for my needs.
This year we were offered the cut of a field that was planted to grass, not rye but a meadow blend two years ago and never grazed.
It’s cut,made and being baled now.
Now I know it’s got thistles, no ragwort but thistles. I checked it myself before we mowed.
OH has excitedly just called to say it’s amazing, the best hay we have ever done and so on…. (I’m not sure I’ve ever heard him talk about hay with such enthusiasm)
So the problem is he wants to know which hay I want. This or the usual.
How am I supposed to answer that ?‍?
He has a buyer for the whole lot of todays.
My worries are. Will it be too much for my horses?
Being so new and lovely, I have two fat boys, two
Ponies, and a TB who needs little feed.
If I say no it’ll rain on our usual stuff or something will go wrong!
Any recommendations as to getting it tested to see if it’s suitable before I make a decision? What is suitable sugar wise etc?
I’ve never had the choice before ?

 

[Squeak]

If possible I think I'd be keeping it and storing it until the other fields is made and then opening a bale of the new stuff and seeing what it looks like and how it compares.

You could be very stuck if you sell this lot and the other field of hay fails for some reason.

 

[Burnttoast]

Can you get them both analysed? Or, for fatties, pick the lot cut on a cloudy day! I use Forageplus. You can just go for nutritional (sugar and starch) or add minerals in as well (that can be eye-opening - after a few years of analysing everything the boys have eaten locally I've come to the conclusion that the grass round here is designed to make horses sub-optimal so I get my hay from a decent distance and different soil type). A low starch figure is good as you can't soak starch out.

 

[poiuytrewq]

If possible I think I'd be keeping it and storing it until the other fields is made and then opening a bale of the new stuff and seeing what it looks like and how it compares.

You could be very stuck if you sell this lot and the other field of hay fails for some reason.

This is my fear. I’m trying to get him to do that but i think this other guy wants an answer.

Can you get them both analysed? Or, for fatties, pick the lot cut on a cloudy day! I use Forageplus. You can just go for nutritional (sugar and starch) or add minerals in as well (that can be eye-opening - after a few years of analysing everything the boys have eaten locally I've come to the conclusion that the grass round here is designed to make horses sub-optimal so I get my hay from a decent distance and different soil type). A low starch figure is good as you can't soak starch out.

Is Forage plus a good one to use? I don’t think by the sound of it that I have too long to say but figured if this stuff tested ok I’d keep, if it’s too sugary I’d just hold out and hope for the best, nervously!

 

[PurBee]

Thistley hay requires gloves to use as thistle needles are very sharp - brittle when dry. Id be put off for that reason, but if there’s literally 1 thistle every bale i wouldnt mind. That can be removed when using. Loads of thistles means the needles break-off when baling and have the *potential* for sticking in horses gums.
My horses eat fresh small live thistles growing - but not been keen on dried old thistle.

So for me, it depends on volume of thistles.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Thistley hay requires gloves to use as thistle needles are very sharp - brittle when dry. Id be put off for that reason, but if there’s literally 1 thistle every bale i wouldnt mind. That can be removed when using. Loads of thistles means the needles break-off when baling and have the *potential* for sticking in horses gums.
My horses eat fresh small live thistles growing - but not been keen on dried old thistle.

So for me, it depends on volume of thistles.

That’s my other worry. Nothing worse is there. We get the odd thistle in the other lot but very few

 

[rextherobber]

I would do what has already been suggested above, keep this possibly thistly hay and wait to see what your usual hay turns out like. If you're in the south, I can guarantee you'll have no trouble selling the surplus, we have had so little rain, no one has done a first/silage cut, so we're going to be desperately short, last winter it was being bought up from the West Country, so there's no left over from last year either...Not looking forward to winter!

 

[Archangel]

Can you hedge your bets and have half and half?

The other guy may well want a decision today but I dare say he will wait and if not there will be another to take his place.

 

[Squeak]

I'd agree with the others saying that the buyer will either be happy to wait or reckon that you'll have no problem selling it in the future.

 

[PurBee]

That’s my other worry. Nothing worse is there. We get the odd thistle in the other lot but very few

yeah, thistles are the worst. Ive had hay loaded with docks which are easy to pull out, but thistles hurt us and the horses having to deal with lots of them in hay. The more thistles there are the more likelihood of thistle needles sticking in gums. Even with fresh thistles, with softer needles my horses eat them very slowly and gently, positioning them carefully in their mouth. If theyre mixed up in hay nets they cant exert this type of control.

You saw the fresh field - were there many thistles? I’d open a bale or 2 and check out thistle content. If there’s a thistle in every flake, i’d reject it. 1 or 2 thistle in every bale, would be ok. I’d only accept thistle hay is theyre easily seen and removed, and not literally in every flake of hay.

 

[poiuytrewq]

yeah, thistles are the worst. Ive had hay loaded with docks which are easy to pull out, but thistles hurt us and the horses having to deal with lots of them in hay. The more thistles there are the more likelihood of thistle needles sticking in gums. Even with fresh thistles, with softer needles my horses eat them very slowly and gently, positioning them carefully in their mouth. If theyre mixed up in hay nets they cant exert this type of control.

You saw the fresh field - were there many thistles? I’d open a bale or 2 and check out thistle content. If there’s a thistle in every flake, i’d reject it. 1 or 2 thistle in every bale, would be ok. I’d only accept thistle hay is theyre easily seen and removed, and not literally in every flake of hay.

Unfortunately it’s big Heston bales so I can’t open. There was a patch that was bad, the rest just had a few here and there, they were big though. That might not be a bad thing as easier to pull out perhaps.
OH said he knows which bales were from the bad area and I’ll get the others (I won’t need the whole lot)

 

[Pinkvboots]

I'd keep a bit then sell the rest by the time it's sat it will loose its potency and hopefully be OK to feed, I use 2 suppliers for this reason as 1 supplier has rich hay so I won't feed that until later in the year.

 

[Leandy]

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Keep this lot. Especially if you don't have to have the worst thistly bits.

 

[poiuytrewq]

It’s just arrived here so will head out in a bit and have a look.
Having to buy In which is something I don’t budget for was a real stinger last year and has left me a bit nervous!

 

[tda]

Thistley hay requires gloves to use as thistle needles are very sharp - brittle when dry. Id be put off for that reason, but if there’s literally 1 thistle every bale i wouldnt mind. That can be removed when using. Loads of thistles means the needles break-off when baling and have the *potential* for sticking in horses gums.
My horses eat fresh small live thistles growing - but not been keen on dried old thistle.

So for me, it depends on volume of thistles.

If you have to handle the hay, or fill nets I'd let to go , thistle needles are awful

 

[Polos Mum]

Definitely a bonus to have it "in the shed" this year the cost will be high as diesel is so high and yield down if people saved money on fertiliser.

I wouldn't sell hay now on the off chance you might make your own. If you end up with too much then you can 100% be sure you'll sell it later in the year.
For really rich hay you could even leave it a year or two - the sugar levels drop. I used to feed my fatty 3 year old hay (a lovely local farmer used to chuck it out this time of year to clear barns ready for the fresh rich stuff cows need)

Or keep this, get it tested and see about sugar level - if you then make yours you can choose whether to sell that or sell the stuff you've stored for a couple of months.

Making hay is a total gamble and 1 in 3-4 years always ruined (IME)

 

[Burnttoast]

This is my fear. I’m trying to get him to do that but i think this other guy wants an answer.

Is Forage plus a good one to use? I don’t think by the sound of it that I have too long to say but figured if this stuff tested ok I’d keep, if it’s too sugary I’d just hold out and hope for the best, nervously!

I've always had good experiences with FP and I've done about 8 analyses with them over the last few years. Reasonably quick and will do a feed plan if you want one from a mineral analysis, always at the end of email to discuss results.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Just went out too look. It really is lovely, by far and away the best looking and smelling we have ever done (I made that sound like I’m half responsible ?, I just use it)
On first look I decided sod the thistle potential I’m having that…. Then I grabbed a thistle in the hay I’m using and remembered how much it hurts! ?‍?

 

[poiuytrewq]

I've always had good experiences with FP and I've done about 8 analyses with them over the last few years. Reasonably quick and will do a feed plan if you want one from a mineral analysis, always at the end of email to discuss results.

Would I test straight away now, freshly baled or is it best left a little while?

 

[Burnttoast]

Would I test straight away now, freshly baled or is it best left a little while?

You can test now. Sugars won't drop once it's dry enough to bale and the vits etc will be at their best now.

 

[poiuytrewq]

You can test now. Sugars won't drop once it's dry enough to bale and the vits etc will be at their best now.

Fab thank you!