This Years Hay

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Shanny

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How long should you keep this years cut hay before you feed it (i.e. cut two weeks ago) before you use it. My friend and I feel it should be kept for a few months, but the chap we buy it from said it should be fine!

I thought I'd ask you experts.

Thanks.
 
i always thought it should be left a few months but due to the fact you can feed haylage which is moister im intrigued to see what others think??
 
we normally leave ours a month before using as can be a bit rich otherwise and make them a bit squity and normally we don't need to anyway as they are out 24/7.
 
We used ours after a couple of days with no ill effect
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we just opened the bale out and fed less(only as it would have been very rich) until their guts got used to it
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As long as you change over gradually (as with any new food- over a period of 10-14 days) you can feed it straight away. Gradually mix it in with the old hay, increasing and decreasin accordingly
 
i have just been to a talk on nutrition and obesity, and this got mentioned, the professor or whatever she was said it should be a minimum of 7 weeks before feeding to reduce the risk of colic. 7 weeks allows the fermentation to cool down...something like that lol!
 
We dont feed ours until Octobewr/November. If you need to feed before it is usefule if you can mix old and new for a week or so. It can be very rich. If it is made right it shouldn't heat.
 
I would not feed new hay until it was at LEAST 3 months old. The trouble is that it carries on fermenting until it is completely dry which runs a risk of causing colic. I remember being told that hay cut in June should not be fed until the following November but I think that in 3 mths it should be ok, as long as it was fairly dry when baled.
 
We normally say 4 weeks to give it chance to hot up and cool down - and then gradually mix it into the bale you are currently feeding
 
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