Ragwort in hay - what to do?!

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Ilovefoals

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I ordered 60 square bales of hay thru an advert in the local free paper. It was my OH that phoned and the guy told him it was lovely fresh green hay. Top quality. It is apart from the fact that every 2nd bale seems to contain at least 3 or 4 ragwort plants!

I paid £320 inc delivery for this hay and the guy refuses to take it back. He claims he told my OH that it may contain a bit of ragwort but my OH is completely obsessive about it growing in our fields - out there in wind and rain pulling it up! So I believe him when he says the guy is a liar.

So what do we do? Chuck the lot? Sort thru it as we open it and get rid of the bits of ragwort? What??? I'm far from loaded so wasting £320 really galls me!

What would you guys do?
 
If the guy wont take it back or give you a discount you may be stuck, you could ask trading standards but it would be your word against his. Sheep don't have too much of a problem with ragwort so you might find a sheep farmer who would take it off you for a much lower price, however probably not until towards the end of the winter. If you're feeding in haynets it will be easier to sort it out. If its straight into the field you've got more work.
If you decide to replace it from another source ask the supplier to show you what its like before you buy, but make sure he cuts the bale open in front of you, rather than a 'ready prepared' ragwort free bale. Its expensive - we've just sold to a merchant at over £4 per bale means he will be selling on somewhere near £6.
 
Trading Standards as its not fit for purpose whatever!!!!!!(And is it DEATHRA that you have to trport growing ragwort to on welfare grounds?Could try the RSPCA as he's selling it for feeding...what else would you do with hay?
 
jinglejoys said:
Could try the RSPCA as he's selling it for feeding...what else would you do with hay?
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Agree. Does the farmer not care about his reputation? A lady I used to know had a similar problem, her OH carted all the stuff back and dumped it, unbaled, right outside the farmers front gates. Not that this resolved anything but it made her feel a bit better
 
kaylouise67 - I'd be tempted to do the same but I don't have a clue where he lives!

He probably doesn't care as he's not a farmer. He told my OH he rents land and grows hay on it to sell. I'm so mad!!! I don't even know the guys name, all I have is a phone number.
 
Firstly bloody hell, how much did you pay!!!!:eek: I can get 60 for £180 delivered and it's lovely. But I'm sorry if ragwort is in it I would not be useing it. If you miss a small plant or two your horse is likely to eat it as drying it for hay takes the bitter taste away. You would see the results over night but could be damageing your horses liver.
 
Don't feed your horses any of it!! Especially your lovely foals.

Horses will happily eat dried ragwort but the damage is still the same - unseen and hidden until it is too late.

Sadly this may just have to be an expensive lesson learnt if trading standards/defra can't help. You may be able to sell to a sheep farmer but you will sadly lose money :(

It makes me mad that these people think it's OK :mad: - How many horse people would say 'Yes' and buy if they had been told it may contain ragwort?? None I am sure.
 
Roughly about £5 a bale in this neck of the woods I'm afraid! The only good thing is as it's green, new cut hay the ragwort flowers are still yellow and haven't dried out yet. I think I'll have to sort thru it all, as some bales don't contain any, and chuck away the ones that do. What a flippin nightmare!!!

Holly831 - you are right. Definately an expensive lesson! The guy is obviously a total crook. Wish I knew where he lived. Luckily, I still have plenty of grass so I'm not in desperate need yet so looks like I'm on the hunt for another supplier!
 
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Please don't use the hay, it's dam near impossible to get every last bit of ragwort out and you would be asking for trouble imo.

I presume the seller knew you were buying the hay for horses yet also knew that it contained ragwort (I gather htis from when he supposidly said he told your husband about it). Although it would be your word against his I think you would have the upper ground as mentioned above, the hay sold was not fit for pupose. Everybody near enough knows you dont feed hay to horses, so why on earth would you want hay that contains ragwort.

Is he selling anymore hay? If so get a friend to ring up and organise to pick up hay from his....therefore getting his address. Also try googling his phone number, you may get something from that.

Hope it works out
 
Def go through trading standards as the goods (hay) is clearly unfit for purpose if sold for horse hay with visible ragwort in it. OK if he wants to sell for cattle or sheep (tho still poisonous to them, not as badly and they tend to die of other things like chops! first).

I would def get TS involved as its one thing him not realising there were a couple of stalks in 60 bales, its another if he is aware and still sells it knowing its for horses.

Do NOT feed it even if sorted through, its just not worth it.
 
I'll take a pic for you later treacle_beastie.

Just so you all know, when I say "sort thru it", I don't mean take out the ragwort and feed the hay to the horses. I mean sort out the bales as some have obviously come from a different field and don't contain any ragwort so are useable. They are all stacked together tho so I'll have to sort the good bales from the bad.
 
Ilovefoals said:
kaylouise67 - I'd be tempted to do the same but I don't have a clue where he lives!

He probably doesn't care as he's not a farmer. He told my OH he rents land and grows hay on it to sell. I'm so mad!!! I don't even know the guys name, all I have is a phone number.
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Don't use the hay. Ask him for a full refund and if continues to baulk say that you are referring him to trading standards and also will be advertising the fact that his selling hay for horses with ragwort. Unfortunately, it may just be that the only positive thing from this is to learn from an expensive mistake - always know where your hay is grown and check the area where it is being grown for ragwort. You could also perhaps ask for legal advice from BHS.

Horse circles are small so word will soon spread but I think you need more than a phone number. Trying googling his phone number or call up from another ;phone and try to get a name and address.

The only off the wall solution I could think of selling the hay would be if small bales - perhaps you could sell them for jumps especially with the bale covers available now. I quite often buy a load of small bales for XC type jumps. It is amazing how many you can use up in that way but once again you need let folks know not to leave them in fields where horses grazing.
 
tradeing standards . id ring this guy and tell him i was reporting him . he must of known it was for horses i take it your OH would of told him that . he may get his finger out then
 
Thanks for all the suggestions guys! A friend is gonna call him to ask if she can collect some hay and once we have his address, we are going to threaten him with TS. I think the safest thing to do is to chuck the hay to be honest and lose the money. Makes me so angry!!!

ETA Yes, he knew it was for horses as OH told him we had 5 to feed!
 
I honestly think that is best but couldn't you put ad in paper and try to sell to a farmer? I know it's a long shot but hey you never know.
Let us know how you get on cause that was way out off line
 
Ilovefoals said:
Thanks for all the suggestions guys! A friend is gonna call him to ask if she can collect some hay and once we have his address, we are going to threaten him with TS. I think the safest thing to do is to chuck the hay to be honest and lose the money. Makes me so angry!!!

ETA Yes, he knew it was for horses as OH told him we had 5 to feed!
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Once your friend has the details you need ask her to ask him if it is ragwort free, see if you can get him that way BUT I would speak to trading standards first as they may want to do that themselves!
 
Don't throw the hay out as then you've no proof, as well as Trading Standards you could also drop Inland Revenue into the conversation, after all I bet he's not declaring the money - keep the advert aswell so you can back it up.
 
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