January 29, 2003

Guess What I Saw?

I recently delivered a load of hay to one of the better run stables in my trade area. I needed to wait to talk to the owner. As I was waiting, I watched a horse eat some alfalfa grass hay. I was intrigued by the horse's ability to pick the stems, which fell from the hay feeder, out of the sawdust. It was like watching a vacuum cleaner vacuum up only certain particles and leaving the rest. I have indicated in the past, that I believe that the old timers were keen observers of animal habits. The horse will tell us a lot if we are willing to listen and all new and old ideas are on the table for review all the time.

The hay was good quality and very palatable. There was no mold and the hay had been baled very dry. I did notice that the horse did not eat any sawdust, fine dust (ground up leaves) or leaves. The hay started out in a good hay feeder but the horse pulled it out and shook it. This separated the stems and leaves onto the ground.

Shortly after that I was asked my opinion of recompressed bales of hay. I have a very good friend in Idaho that produces 40# recompressed bales of alfalfa. Because of the dry conditions in Idaho, hay dries very fast and keeps its green color much better than hay in Minnesota. I believe that this hay is excellent quality and very nutritious.

The individual asking the question was going to show someone a slice of this hay. He said he would probably have to bring the whole bale because when he cut the plastic straps on the bale all the leaves fell out of the hay. I said that happens all the time. The hay is harvested off the field in bales that measure 4'x4'x8' and weigh about a ton. To bale the hay in that size of a package and not spoil or mold it needs to be very dry. When time permits, the large bales are brought to a central processing facility and sliced to a size containing about 40#. It is then recompressed and tied together with plastic straps.

The producers of these recompressed bales have been wrestling with this leaf loss problem for years. Some have tried to put the recompressed bale into a plastic bag to keep the leaves in and reduce the mess in feed stores. As many of you know, plastic bags in hot damp weather sweat and eventually the hay would spoil in the bags.

Like I indicated earlier, this is very good quality hay and a very good feed for horses. If you decide to feed dry hay, you must put it in some type of container that will keep the leaves from falling into the sawdust or on the ground. The leaves have most of the nutrients and are one of the reasons that you feed hay.

If you take a core sample of this hay and have it tested; you will be testing leaves and stems not just stems. It you do not give the horse a chance to also eat the leaves, the balanced ration you developed will be way off if the leaves are not consumed.

This is not true of just recompressed bales but of all types of hay that has a good supply of leaves. The hay producer tries to harvest good quality hay and you want to buy the best hay for your horse. Why waste it just inches from its destination?

A quick thank you to all you readers that sent e-mails from last months article. Keep them coming; I learn from those that agree as well as those that disagree. Only politicians believe they only learn from agree or yes! Would you believe that you could feed cubes on the ground or in the sawdust and not loose the leaves?

Please consider feeding your horse on a clean plate. Your hay should be fed in some type of container that keeps the leaves available to your horse to eat at some time. In most cases of dry hay, the dust you see is probably a leaf that has been ground to dust. I do not buy the idea that horses can vacuum hay dust out of sawdust. Do your friend a favor and make their eating an enjoyable experience. Don't leave your horse asking, "Where's The Beef"?