Due to all the heavy rain we had in Ohio this spring, our first cutting was 6-8 weeks late and therefore very mature. It is very course and stemmy and horses won't eat it. We have hauled a couple loads back home when the horses wouldn't eat it and had one load rejected. We don't have many cattle around here, so what are your suggestions? Sell it cheap enough so the owners make the horses eat it, sell it at the hay auction and buyer beware or what? Any ideas?
Horses won't eat
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DJ54
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Advertise it as mature cattle, or goat/sheep hay. Goats and sheep love stemmy hay. Horses will pick out the good fine hay, if any, and waste the rest. No use in shooting yourself in the foot for future sales.
Good first cutting hay, as in made dry, and no moldy/musty, even though mature type hay, may be hard to find in Ohio this year. As late as first cutting was made, doubt much 3rd will be made, so hay maybe become scarce, as I'm sure good second cutting is pretty well bought up. How ever you sell it, through classifieds, or at auction, just be honest with the buyer's. I'm sure the price will reflect it at auction, but may be a good way to set the price if you would sell a load there, then go to a classified ad.
A lot of people don't get too excited about buying hay, or firewood, until the weather turns nasty, LOL...
Good first cutting hay, as in made dry, and no moldy/musty, even though mature type hay, may be hard to find in Ohio this year. As late as first cutting was made, doubt much 3rd will be made, so hay maybe become scarce, as I'm sure good second cutting is pretty well bought up. How ever you sell it, through classifieds, or at auction, just be honest with the buyer's. I'm sure the price will reflect it at auction, but may be a good way to set the price if you would sell a load there, then go to a classified ad.
A lot of people don't get too excited about buying hay, or firewood, until the weather turns nasty, LOL...
KevT
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Was it moldy or weedy? You won't get much at an auction if it is that visible. Hay buyers know what they are looking at, so doubt it will pay your gas to get there. I would try to find a dairy to make a deal with, or landscaper to use as mulch
Tx Jim
New Member
If the hay is not moldy just mature horses will eat the hay IF horse owners would not baby the horses. For the most part horse owners I've been associated with act as if they are eating the hay rather than the horses. I have some neighbors with about 20 adopted Mustangs that think their horses should have #1 hay. These Mustang owners can't comprehend that these same horses survived on very poor quality forage before they were adopted.
KevT
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My horses would scarf it down leaving a forest of stems. Have seen them tunnel a hole in a 5x5 bale looking for the surprise in the center. I agree with TxJim, find real horse people and make a deal.
blueriver
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They simply aint hungry enough.
blueriver
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Horsey people and horsey feed A WHOLE new topic!!!! (well maybe not) ...
Is there propionic acid on it ? Sometimes producers apply 'acid' during baling to reduce the chances of modling. (Smells like vineger. Cows love it). My hay is also 4 - 6 weeks late, too, but I'm not having any problems or complaints from customers. Is it more likely that some distasteful or tough weeds have 'cropped up' into your fields and the ponies don't like them ? Did your crimper or rake knock off the seeds and leaves ?
Other than that, keep it stored, raise the price and wait for Spring. Much of the hay that was baled 'on-time' in this region is turning out to be 'bad' ) i.e. moldy. And its yellow. Brown is OK . That's from the heavy dew.
Other than that, keep it stored, raise the price and wait for Spring. Much of the hay that was baled 'on-time' in this region is turning out to be 'bad' ) i.e. moldy. And its yellow. Brown is OK . That's from the heavy dew.
WM75Guy
Elite Member
If horses won't eat it sell it for cow hay. Horses have a very different digestive system than cattle. Horses colic for many reasons, changing feed or bad feed are two causes. If starved they will eat most anything including bark off a tree so the concept that eventually they will get hungry enough and eat it is true, just not very smart. A simple colic can cost from $200-$1000 in vet bills. The last time we did colic surgery was 17 years ago, cost was $7000, and we still lost the horse.
People often talk about horse owners being picky about what they feed. The quality of hay should be a concern for horse owners. You can easily pay more for a performance horse than you do for a tractor so it is a big deal. Look at all the threads about "what brand of hydraulic fluid or oil should I use in my tractor" and substitute hay and horse for hydraulic fluid or oil and tractor. We will also keep the horses longer than the tractors. The last one we put down was 30 years old.
USATODAY.com - Horses have only one stomach
People often talk about horse owners being picky about what they feed. The quality of hay should be a concern for horse owners. You can easily pay more for a performance horse than you do for a tractor so it is a big deal. Look at all the threads about "what brand of hydraulic fluid or oil should I use in my tractor" and substitute hay and horse for hydraulic fluid or oil and tractor. We will also keep the horses longer than the tractors. The last one we put down was 30 years old.
USATODAY.com - Horses have only one stomach
MF283
Platinum Member
Yep, we get good horse hay, if you try to feed it to early they just play with it.
Ronnie
MF283
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riptides
Super Star Member
Hmm... probably not. Changes in hay type and quality for horses should be introduced slowly. Their digestive system is more easily disturbed than most other "farm" animals.
SPYDERLK
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,,,,,:thumbsup:,,,:laughing:
OP, I think youll find your horses will eat it in the winter. ... Also, others horses will too. As well as the cattle goat sheep market mentioned. -- It seems you have good but stemmy hay. It will sell. Hopefully you have room to hold it for a bit.
larry
powerscol
Veteran Member
My first cutting hay has a lot of stems, but this year I hit the jackpot and cut at the right time to retain all the seed heads. I too was concerned about the stems, but one of my vets bought 200 bales of it as it retained the seed heads and her horses eat it just fine. My 1/2 paint/ 1/2 arab will sort through and eat the tops first, and then the left over stems later - not sure how she does it....must be lip control, but the stems fall out of her mouth while the seed heads get gobbled. But then she acts like she is starving all the time....in her mind. Ferrier and vet say she is fat.
Now I have two buyers that only want second cutting as the stems are gone during the second growth. To each their own.
Now I have two buyers that only want second cutting as the stems are gone during the second growth. To each their own.
