# How ok is hay that got wet,baled dry?



## ufo_chris (Apr 30, 2010)

I have a chance to buy this hay,small square bales,about 1/2 price. Guy says it got wet but baled dry ,this years,stored inside.
How nutritional is it? I'll check for mold of course.
I was reading on the other thread about older hay and that it is pretty good nutritionally still ,so I put out the word looking for older hay and got this.
I'm in Ohio, would outside round bales from last year still be pretty good if I get them for say 1/2 price?
Thanks,Chris


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## LibertyWool (Oct 23, 2008)

Well, it all depends on when it was cut and when it got wet. Getting rained on right after it was cut is no big deal, getting rained on right before it was to be bailed, you could loose 20% TDN. Also the amount of rain, how long it sat on the hay. Unless you have it tested, you will never know. I would pass on last years round bales stored outside. Too much moisture damage round here. I've bought them when they were 5 bucks, but I wouldn't pay 1/2 price.


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## shagerman (Apr 10, 2008)

depends on what you are going to feed it to. cattle it wont hurt, pigs and horses, id be a little scared,


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## ufo_chris (Apr 30, 2010)

Sorry,it's for Cattle.
Thanks,Chris


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Hay that gets wet right after it is cut doesn't lose much nutritional value, but hay that has dried in the windrow and then gets wet loses much of the nutritional value. DH hays all summer and sometimes he beats the rain and sometimes he doesn't. The most important thing is that it wasn't baled even damp because it will mold. If this is put up in small bales you can break open a bale and check it out. If it is dusty and moldy, you don't want it. If it is brown clear through, then it got wet after it had dried. Big bales are much harder to tell unless the mold is really obvious.


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## ufo_chris (Apr 30, 2010)

Thanks guys,I'm gonna pass on it because I usually use round bales and it's not cheap enough from what you guys say,
Thanks so much,Chris


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