Hi all, how would you go about assesing hay for suitability, checking if it has spoiled, what sort of thing do you look for?

Also how do you all store your hay?

For a bit of research :-)

Thank you for your time.

__________________


Take a look at my pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/dslrabi/

well im not sure how to see if it is off apart from it looking a bit diffrent to what it would genrally look like.
At my yard we mainly keep the hay in the hay barn and the liveries keep there hay ther feed room.

Hope that helps :P

Off hay can sometimes go mouldy, With white spots all over it, Try smelling it too.

Hay shouldn't 'spoil' unless it has got wet.

Good hay smells sweet has no dust or mould when shaken up and you could breathe through it without dying lol! Bad hay can kill! White mould that forms clouds of dust can hold aspergillosis mould and spores and they can cause 'farmers lung' or emphysema, broken wind and copd. The mould spores are breathed in and grow in the lungs and can cause irreparable damage to horses and people.

You will know, it is really rather obvious, rancid hay smells yuck, like poo or like nail varnish or alcohol, it means it is fermenting and if fed will cause colic.

If in doubt ask the hay supplier and damp all hay.

I tend to soak hay before giving it to my youngster,(when im out of haylege)

Haylage can spoil too and if it goes bad it is worse than bad hay.

Indeed it can cause more issues than hay, Haylege goes off quite easily, and Sweats up if its not used quick enough.