Question regarding dirt in hay

[dmkrieg]

Hello everyone,

I really need advice. I got in 70 bales of hay from my hay guy. He normally gets me GREAT hay. I bought 100 bales in the summer last year that he kept for me until I got moved. Anyway, to make a long story short the hay he brought me wasn't the same hay I bought. He apparently gave my hay to someone else that needed it and then baled me some more 4th cutting alfalfa/orchard grass hay since that is what I like to feed.

Here is the problem. The hay is DEFINITELY not moldy BUT, when you shake it, it has a lot of dirt in it. If you shake it you can see the dust come out of it. He just baled it right before I got it. I told him, I can't feed that to my minis. Now there are some bales in there that aren't as bad or aren't bad at all. They are out of what I originally bought. I told him he needs to switch it out. Here is the problem there is no more hay to switch out.

What do I do? Is it going to hurt my babies if I try and shake out the excess dirt from the hay and then feed it to them if I get low?? I am trying to pick through the hay to find the good stuff but its kind of hard to do without opening the bales.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Have you paid for it??

How much do you want to keep this man as your hay supplier

 

[Secret22]

I once head a lady saying that if the hay is dusty then you can spray it with abit of mollasis and water so it isnt so dusty but I dont know if thats right sorry......

 

[Margaret]

Another possibility is to rinse the hay. or soak it, to get the dirt out.. I agree though if you can return it -that would be my first option. I would not feed it straight, in that condition, as there could be sand in it as well.

 

[ibquackers20]

I got hay as well that is dusty and what I do is seperate it all before I add it to their feeders and then toss it in the air and let the wind do the rest - found out the reason why the hay is dusty is because the farmer cut it down to low to the ground. And another reason some say is because the machine the farmer uses when it is hot and dry out kicks out dust and it gets mixed in , then there is a double one where if their field is not all flat and has hills then every time he comes to a different height in the ground the machine takes the top part of the higher ground off and into the hay.

My hay is timothy with a bit of alfalfa and brom mix and they do love it so - I did get hay from another guy and I thought it looked great and did not see no dust in it but for some reason my horses started getting sick on it --- well I went back to my first farmer and now that is the only one I get mhay from -- the other had to high a content of alfalfa in it.

I sure miss the small bales - was easier to carry a flake but for my horses sake I deal with the 900 pound bales that 1 flake of it equales 4 flakes to the small ones.

Anyways I just pull apart onto the ground /shake it all up /throw it in the air - then into the feeder 2 x a day.

 

[Marty]

I wouldn't feed it or take a chance.

I would go bail by bail and try to find the ones that are clean and salvage what you can. You're going to have a lot of waste there but it's not worth going through sand colic over it.

I'd drive way out of my area, to wherever I had to go to get some new hay. It maybe a day trip and on occasions I've had to go out of state in the past, but I just can't go through colics due to lousy hay.

 

[onlyminis]

IBquackers, just a thought on the hay that got your little ones sick, it might have been to much alfalfa OR it could have been chemicals. You have to be VERY careful buying large square bales, many are treated with a chemical spray to dry the hay faster and prevent mold. The majority of this hay is made for dairy herds in our area.

I was discussing this with my Vet just the other day because my neighbors feed this treated hay, they also dump the whole bale in a round bale feeder out in the elements and it gets wet, moldy and NASTY, it would kill my horses! With the neighbors though it's a matter of a greater power protecting fools and drunks

My neighbors horses are geriatric QH's.

And yes the dirt could also be due to hilly land, we have to deal with this with some of our hay (we have 30+ acres of hay fields). Since I know the source of the dirt in my hay I just use this spread and shaken well in the dry lot for the horses, it doesn't go to the stall horses.

KJ

 

[bfogg]

One of my neighbors fed hay like that it was a lot cheaper until the vet had to come in february and put the horse down. But she got a good buy on the hay. not the same as you i know. she wet it down and fluffed it down and fluffed it up and the poor horse got an infection in his respitory system and never stood a chance.

the sad thing is she is still buying hay by the price.

You deserve better hay, you paid money for good quality hay, your hay guy needs to refund your money and find you new hay.

I think you need to listen to your gut,and have faith in your knowledge of what is good for your horses.

Hang tough!

And thank you for loving and caring about your animals.

Bonnie

 

[justjinx]

Some of our 4th cutting hay seemed a little dusty til i looked close and found out there is alot more chaf in it (not dirt nor sand)---which the horses love of course! got me totally green when putting it up in the barn! LOL

jennifer

 

[rabbitsfizz]

It does not matter much what is a=causing the dust.

Dusty hay is not good, that is pretty much the end of it.

You paid for good clean hay.

You have a right to get good clean hay.

Send it back.

Make a fuss.

Is your horses life worth keeping quiet about?

At the very least you could end up with heaves.

ANY sort of dust can cause heaves!!!!!

 

[AJ]

Not sure what is really meant here, BUT a few thoughts of mine:

- dirt and dust are not necessarily the same thing

-road/dry hay dust is different than mold dust

-horses eat dirt all the time

-dust is problem when inhaled due to feeding in enclosed feeder

-mold dust is bad, period

-horses will not eat dirt which will wind up in the bottom/ground , unless they want to

--feed dusty hay(not moldy) in wide open feeders or on the ground/snow if not wet down