Hay- How long before feeding

[ktk]

Ive not fed hay before as my horses have always been on haylage, so forgive my ignorance!

How long do you have to wait from baling before it can be fed? I know you shouldnt feed it while its still green but thats about it. Any info much appreciated.

Thanks

[sarak]

Well - over the years there have been various threads asking this question. You will get a lot of people saying that you have to wait until autumn, but I have fed new hay at times, as it was the only hay available at some yards when they had run out of old hay.

I always open the bale and make sure that the hay is not damp or warm in the middle. I am about to start feeding hay in the next few weeks that was only baled last month, but will be mixing it in with old hay for a few weeks to get his digestive system accustomed to the new hay.

Hope this helps.

PS Not an ignorant question at all!

[varkie]

Agree with Sara K. In the past I've been told to wait until hay has aged, but year before last, we baled our own, and we fed it quite new - we did same as SK, opened a bale & made sure it wasn't warm or damp, then fed in moderation, and the horses did just fine on it.

[moose]

I've just started feeding hay which was baled this June. Last years hay in my part of the world was disgusting so I'd rather feed the good stuff made earlier this year.

I also feed haylage so mix the two together

[pip]

I started feeding this year's hay in early/mid July - something I have NEVER done before, but I was down to my last few bales of not very nice hay from last year, and with fear and trembling, did the "introduce very gradually" thing and the horses have been fine. I had to get them on to the new hay because I was going to stay away at a show where they would be stabled and only have hay to eat. Mind the hay this year is excellent and we have lots of it.

[Jen]

I have never worried about feeding hay cut the same year, and never had any problems. I can't understand the theory behind storing it for a year before feeding it - when it has lost any nutritional value that it might have had, and added to that possibly got dusty being stored...

Also, when your horse is used to grazing grass all Summer, surely hay is less liikely to cause problems, as it has dried out etc - where as if it were the other way around I'd understand it - changing from old, dry grass (hay) to fresh green grass.

[erarab]

Echo much of the above.

As long as when you open the bale its not warm or damp its fine

We were feeding hay that had only been baled for two weeks, it was cut and turned during those really hot days we had so it was not damp at all nor was warm

Horses love it too ;D

[amber]

Yep,...echo Jen here. We're on the New Hay that was delivered to the yard in big round bales a couple of months ago, fresh off the fields.

My boy gets a small net of it in the morning when he comes in from playing out all night, (which I dampen down a little as he's been used to haylage) and I've had no problems. It's green and dry and smells bootiful!!.. and my boy is very pleased to have it in his net as well!