Does rain ruin fresh cut hay?

Quality and Quantity

Research at Iowa State University found that fresh-cut hay with less than 1 inch of rain took a few more hours to dry, but didn't suffer much, if any, quality or quantity loss. A light rain on nearly dry hay, though, caused significant losses.

What happens if fresh cut hay gets rained on?

If rained-on hay is not again dried fully, mold and mycotoxin growth can occur which can put livestock health at risk. Furthermore, baled wet hay can combust due to the temperature increase caused by microbial growth - putting a producer at risk of barn fire.

Does rain ruin cut hay?

Rainfall reduces dry matter yield

Wisconsin researchers found that: 1 inch of rain on alfalfa after 1 day of drying caused 22 percent dry matter loss. Similar hay dried without rain damage lost only 6.3 percent of the starting yield. 1.6 inches of rain on alfalfa over a few days caused 44 percent dry matter loss.

Can you leave hay in the rain?

Unfortunately, rain can damage hay in several ways. Rain leaches soluble nutrients and keeps the moisture level high, thus increasing the likelihood of decay and mold. Hay rained on during field drying of course damages legume hay more than grass hay and the drier the hay when rain occurs, the greater the damage.

Can you leave hay bales in the rain?

Never stack round bales during the rainy season unless they are covered or unless they will be fed very soon. And avoid placing bales in a row with the twine or wrapped ends touching one another.” He says the best way to store round bales is to make sure there is 1 ft.

Dealing With Rained on Hay

How do you protect hay from rain?

Carefully place the tarp or plastic covering over every inch of the hay you are not currently using. Tie it down to keep it in place and secure it from the elements, such as the wind, rain, and snow.

Can horses eat hay that has been rained on?

Rained on hay is actually beneficial for horses prone to laminitis and other metabolic disorders because of its reduced carbohydrate content. Analyzing forage for nutrient content is recommended, but can be especially useful when determining the quality of rained on hay.

How long does it take for cut hay to dry?

It basically takes about three days of good weather to cure hay. This can be a challenge in late May or early June. A good strategy is to mow just before or right after a rain, because of the likelihood of good weather for the next few days.

How long can you leave cut hay before baling?

Subject: RE: How long does your hay lay to bale dry? Cut first thing in the morning, ted about 2-4 hours later, do nothing the next day, rake as soon as dew is off (-48 hours after cutting), let dry about 3 hours, and bale. Sometime takes an extra day to dry or occasionally a day less if perfect weather.

Does hay lose nutrients when rained on?

What happens to quality for rained-on hay? The majority of the damage from untimely rains is the loss of soluble nutrients from the hay (the sugars). Even before rain damage, we lose some sugar during plant respiration that occurs from the time forage is cut until it reaches about 50% moisture content.

How soon can you cut hay after a rain?

Seems like 3/4's of the time we make hay, we cut the day after a rain. That's just how it is here, small windows to make hay. If the ground is real wet, we drop it down narrow, wait a few hours because the ground will dry out real fast , then come back and ted.

Does raking hay help it dry?

Raking tends to roll the wetter hay from the bottom of the swath to the outer surface of the windrow, which improves drying. Following the initial improvement, the increase in swath density can reduce drying rate, so the crop moisture content at raking is important.

Can you bail wet hay?

If wet hay is baled while it is too wet, microbe populations will flourish and intensify the heating process. This results in hay that is lower in nutritive value and dry matter availability. Allowing cut hay to dry (or cure) will slow down the respiration process.

How do you make hay dry faster?

Make A Wide Windrow

Swath width is an easy adjustment that has a big impact on drying time. Lay the crop as wide as practical. Do not cut hay into a tight windrow. A wider swath will dry faster, because more drying area of the hay is exposed to sun and wind.

Can hay dry in 2 days?

Since haylage is preserved at higher moisture contents, it is a lot easier to get it to a proper dry matter content for safe preservation than it is to make dry hay. Proper dry matter content for chopping haylage can often be achieved within 24 hours as compared to three to four days for dry hay.

How soon after cutting hay can you feed it to horses?

So how soon can you feed new hay? If the hay is cut and bailed in perfect conditions with less than 12% moisture in the bale, it should be safe to feed straight away. But due to how hard this is to get accurate; it is recommended to wait 2-8 weeks before feeding.

Can you feed hay straight off the field?

In perfect conditions — where the hay has been baled at less than 12% moisture and is very dry — it is safe to feed straight away, but this isn't often the case, Tim explains: “The main reason for allowing a period of anywhere between two and eight weeks before feeding freshly made hay is to allow for a process called ...

What time of day is best to cut hay?

Though starches and simple sugars accumulate during the day, a substantial amount of these carbohydrates are used up during the night for growth and maintenance (via the processes of respiration). Therefore, cutting the crop at night will likely maximize the sugar in the crop, at least at the time of cutting.

How do you know when hay is dry enough?

Breaking stems in half or twisting them in a circular motion to see if the stems break cleanly will give farmers the go-ahead to bale. “If all the stems break and crack that's an indication that the hay is cured and then you can rely on the moisture test that you're getting from the probe,” Yaremcio said.

Can hay be too dry to bale?

When hay is too dry before baling, the leaves of the forage become stiff and brittle, making them much more likely to fall off. In many cases, a significant portion of hay's nutritive value lies in the leafy portions of the herbs used to make the hay.

Is it OK round bales get wet?

A heavy downpour is far less damaging than a long drizzle. If a light shower is expected, the increased density of the large squares will prevent excessive water ingress and it may be possible to leave them where they lie. Round bales, if tightly baled and netwrapped, will shed much of the rain.

Will wet hay hurt a horse?

Too much moisture affects the quality of baled hay. “If the hay is put up with too much moisture, there is risk for mold and dust proliferation. Hay with severe 'water damage' can be discolored, usually yellow or brown, and can be nutritionally empty for horses,” Crandell explained.

Will wet hay mold?

However, if hay bales are too wet, mold can grow and give off heat, creating a fire hazard. You can reduce this risk by not stacking the bales.

Can you leave hay outside?

If hay is to be stored outside, it is desirable to locate the storage site close to the feeding area because bales become more difficult to handle as they weather. It is easier to move them a greater distance when they are new and tightly wrapped. Well-drained upland storage sites are best.

How do you store fresh cut hay?

Keep Hay Protected

This can be done by using appropriate cover and also making sure the hay is sufficiently protected from ground moisture. This can be done by placing the hay on a bed of gravel, using old tyres or using pallets. It is important that a waterproof layer is used when storing outside.