# Old hay



## prairiegirl (Nov 2, 2004)

A relative offered us about 150 bales of hay. It's been stored inside a barn. But, it will be 2 years old this summer. It looks good, but would it be ok for our cows. We've heard from horse owners that they don't feed their horses old hay as it will make them sick. We're wondering if this is true for cows as well.

Just wondering...........we wouldn't want to pass on some free hay.
Thanks

prairiegirl


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

I would not hesitate to feed the 2 year old hay to beef cattle.


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

2 year old hay isn't old hay, as long as it went in dry and stayed dry. There's no reason not to feed 2 year old hay to horses either. 

Last winter we cleaned out the mow of a barn we bought. The hay was put in loose in the late 70s. We chopped it up and used it for bedding but the cows ate a fair bit of it too and they were fine.


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

If you can feed silage to a dairy cow (rotten grain) without killing them, you ought to be able to feed two year old hay without much damage. I'm feeding two year old grass hay right now without any trouble.


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

You can only feed silage to cattle if you do it right Francis. Do it wrong and you'll kill them, or abort them, or any number of nasty things.


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

By the way, there's a difference between "rotting" and "fermenting", ask any beermaker.


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

As long as it's not dusty or moldy I'd feed it to cattle or horses. This whole "horse hay", "cow hay" deal is a real hoot to me. "Horse hay" is just a means the hay dealers have come up with to cut the grass a little sooner and charge more for it. The sad thing is the horse owners have bought into it.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

I've fed 5 year old hay to cattle with no problems. Unless the hay is moldy, go for it.


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## jerzeygurl (Jan 21, 2005)

our 2 year old stuff is tons better than what we put up last year...


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## travlnusa (Dec 12, 2004)

We bought our farm with a mow filled with hay 5 yrs old. I am still feeding most of the bales, now are pushing 10 yrs old. 

Each part of the mow has a different cay crop. Some are heavy, some light, etc. When I get into a new section, I have it tested.

So far, so good for feeding beef.


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## vallyfarm (Oct 24, 2006)

I've fed out hay that was over 20 yrs old. If it was baled right, and stored right, it will be fine. Yes, protein will be down as it gets older, but if it was good hay to start, and stored correctly, it will be fine. By the way, "horse hay" in the old days was the poorest hay. Horses didn't do much until spring plowing. Cows got the good stuff. They are working all winter to produce milk. Horses have, in my opinion, been breed to retardation. Any animal that can't live without a vet and $500+ a year in farrier fees and shots is useless. Holstiens are getting very close to this too. The horses running wild all over this planet would kill for hay that is "unfit" for horses. Don't want to start a war, just my opinion. Mike


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## prairiegirl (Nov 2, 2004)

Thanks. I knew I could count on you all for your honest opinions based on your experiences. Looks like we are set on hay. A bonus - we can keep it stored in their barn and it's only about a mile down the road.

We were wondering about the whole horse/old hay issue. Around here the folks we know only give their horses the best of everything. But, they have paid a pretty penny for those horses, too.

A neighbor wanted to give us a couple of round bales of hay that were moldy. We watched how it was cut and baled and my DH thought this would be the end result. We do know enough that we were sure that moldy hay wouldn't be good for the cattle. 

Thanks again.

prairiegirl


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

The nutrient value might not be quite as high, but if the hay is not moldy, I wouldn't hesitate to feed it.


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

Hey, I'd like to ask if old hay is ok for sheep as well? not sure if there's a variance in their digestive systems enough to make a big difference or not? 

I have some 5 yr old hay I put up and is dry and not moldy, vs. my friend has some hay that he said was a little too moldy to feed to horses but should be fine for sheep. 

From the sounds of it, I think I'd be better to feed my own old stuff, or at least try.... 

I'm so glad this post was started, as I was going to post something sim. on the sheep board tonight. We just ran out today of our supply of hay....

If I feed my older stuff, I'm going to add some grain....

thanks


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## DJ in WA (Jan 28, 2005)

Old dry hay definitely okay for cattle and sheep â both ruminants. 

Iâve heard moldy hay can be more of problem for horses as they are more sensitive to respiratory problems from inhaling the mold (asthma/allergies). More of a concern in horses as they are ridden harder than your average cow, so the ability to inhale freely is good. Of course, most people I know donât ride their horses â useless hayburners.

Fortunately for me, I have a neighbor who likes to leave his hay out in the rain/snow, so each year I get the bad stuff from him. My intent has been to use if for compost, but then I decided to use as bedding after dried out all summer, and let the cows mess in it. Of course, there are parts of bales that are kind of good and part that are bad. They pick through it and eat what they like, and I havenât seen any ill effects. I always make sure they have an alternative of good hay, yet sometimes they seem to prefer the slightly rotten stuff â maybe it tastes like cheese to them.

One concern Iâve heard is that moldy hay may cause abortion, but I assume that depends on dose. If moldy was all they had, might be a problem.


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## vallyfarm (Oct 24, 2006)

Old hay is fine, even hay that has gotten wet is OK, but if it is moldy, then I wouldn't feed it to anything. Not even as bedding hay. Add it to the manure pile and let it finish rotting. Dusty hay is OK for most any TYPE pf animal, but may not do too well for YOUR animal. Sorta like shellfish and people. Mike


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## DJ in WA (Jan 28, 2005)

Mike,

I'd like to learn more. Could you explain reasoning and the risk of some moldy hay getting in with cattle? I mean, if you had some hay that might possibly have a moldy spot in it, would you toss it all to avoid any possible exposure? What is the risk from some mold - can they not choose for themselves if there is good hay available?

If a cow chooses to eat slightly moldy hay, what exactly is the risk?


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