Can my horse eat rained on hay?

Question

Ok It's the masoon season here. It rains then itt's all muggy outside.

I had just bought a 8 bails of hay. Every singal one of them got wet from the rain ....how long do I have before it starts to mold?

And how can I keep it from molding to fast that I can't use it?

Answer 1

It shouldn't be used...there is no way to dry it out adequately to be safe, even if you opened up all the bales and laid them out to dry, mold may have already started to grow.  sorry...I know that's not what you wanted to hear.  Also, storing it in your barn is risky, since it can spontaneously combust if the center of the bales gets hot enough.

Answer 2

Hay molds quickly. The best way to tell is if the hay is warm and if it has a musty smell. If you have any doubt at all throw the hay out. It's a lot cheaper to buy more hay then call the vet because your horse is colicky.

Answer 3

When my husband had horses he always kept the hay in the pole barn and Fed them every day and only what he thought they would eat-Most horses will paw through it but even a little mold can cause digestive problems and also breathing problems if the mold is breath into their lungs-YOU also should be very careful around it as my husband had spots on his lungs from the hay and dragging the horse field.

Answer 4

Sorry but DON'T USE IT! its not worth the risk!

Answer 5

I WOULDNT you can but the hay can mold and the tinyest bit of mold can kill any horse it might not be bad for a little while just check for mold

Answer 6

I'm sorry, but you cannot use that hay. Wet hay is garbage. The chance of colic is WAY too high. Moulding occurs almost immediately after it gets wet. Unless your horse was in the process of eating the hay when it got wet, there's no way I would feed that to the horse. Sorry.

Answer 7

it should be okay.....if you break one open and its steaming or smells moldy then dont feed it....if it doesnt....then you can feed it w/ no worries.... and drying it out is not a bad idea....

Answer 8

I would not trust it, no matter how much you spent on the bales of hay throw them away. It is better than spending thousands for your horse's medical bills.

Answer 9

Get rid of it. The center molds faster than the ends, like someone else said here. I'd play it safe and throw it out. I'm not sure where you live, but I live in Southwest Florida and it's rainy season. For one, I important my T/A hay from up north because our hay is litterally c**p. I have one horse, so I only buy like 5 bails at a time because of the mold issue here. I also keep it covered and inside because it's expensive! I feel your pain, I really do, but it's not worth the risk feeding it to your horse. Take Care!

Answer 10

Yea I won't use it either it may cause colic's and if it gets caught by fire it would be very badd.

Answer 11

I would not use it period, it would be hard to know if its molded in the center, which is where it will start first b/c it takes more time to dry inside.. and with the muggy weather, i can guarentee theres going to be some mold somewhere, which can give your horse a bad case of colic. Maybe, if you buy more bales, get hay bale covers (or even a large tarp) and make sure they stay dry.

Answer 12

break them open set them in the sun.. if its not muggy they will dry quick... if they are some what damp that can cause the mold to come right away but you might be able to save some if you dry it out before using it... look for any mold what so ever!

IF you are skeptical even just a little then dont use it... and try to cover it next time before it rains with tarps or something

thats a bad deal I hate when that happens!

Good Luck

Answer 13

You probably don't have long at all, like a day or so. Split the bales apart and let them dry out and you might be able to salvage some, but feed it very carefully. Check it thoroughly to make sure there is not mold or even a musty smell. You're probably going to lose most of it if you can't feed it really soon though. Sorry :(

Answer 14

Well i wouldnt use it. especially if its alfalpha...because if the alfalpha gets wet and the animal eats it...it will split open their belly. im not sure about horses..but thats what happened to our goats..

Answer 15

never use mould products or anything like that.if it was clean then no bother. it should be kept indoors anyway.

You CANT use that hay im sorry.