# Wet hay question



## stifflej (Aug 11, 2008)

It has been a very wet spring and summer here in PA, making it difficult to get good dry hay. Was just looking at a couple heifers I may buy, and the farmer I was talking to mentioned that he was going to spread some cattle salt over/around his hay in the hay loft to pull moisture out of the hay. Hay any one else ever heard/done this? Does it work?

Thanks.


----------



## copperhead46 (Jan 25, 2008)

The salt will turn to water when it's left out in the moist air, how could it pull any moisture out of the hay. Around here the old timers will put salt on bad hay and the cows will eat it, anyway. I think thats an old wives tale he's giving you, but, I don't know and would be glad to hear the facts from someone who does.
P.J.


----------



## LibertyWool (Oct 23, 2008)

We are having the same problem here in Maine. Too much rain, wet fields, a lot of place you can't even get onto. Was talking to another farmer and he reminded me to use salt between the bales. I did do that a few years ago and it did seem to help. Not sure it takes the water out, but did cut down on the dust (mold).


----------



## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

I've heard you can salt between layers of hay to prevent mold from developing, but this doesn't have anything to do with preventing spontaneous combustion. Putting it on the surface of the mow isn't going to do any good at all.

Jennifer


----------



## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Yes, it does work but not if the hay is saturated.

We had some hay one year than had been baled too green and was therefore wet. When the barn started to heat up big time we rapidly pulled it out, spread in on the concrete floor of the car port and spread salt all over it. Because of time constraints it was left in the car port for some weeks before being loaded back into the barn but the salt had done it's work. We lost a few bales but that was better than losing the lot.

Cheers,
Ronnie


----------



## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

For damp hay, it does work. For completely wet hay, no. 
I remember when I was really young, my job during hay season was lugging buckets of stock salt around the loft and sprinkling each layer as the men stacked it. That was in Ohio where the humidity level makes damp hay very common. Thanks, good memories.


----------



## mamahen (May 11, 2002)

I still don't understand how it works. 

When you spread salt out, it gets wet. How does that dry in between layers of hay? Seems like it would make the bale on top get moisture too?


----------



## RosewoodfarmVA (Oct 5, 2005)

Salt in between layers of hay or incorporated into the bale will draw the moisture out of the hay (and into the salt). Salt thrown on top of the hay will do nothing except pull the humidity from the air around it. Salting damp hay does indeed prevent mold somewhat, though it needs to be incorporated into stacking the hay by spreading a layer on top of each row of hay before placing the next layer on top. It also makes the hay more palatable for the animals as well as helping to meet their salt needs without keeping a salt block out all the time. 

Don't you like your supper better with salt? They do too!


----------

