If it just smells dusty, there shouldn't be a problem. When you can smell mold, definitely check the bale thoroughly. If there's just a little mold on the outside, like on the bottom if it was laying on the ground, just pull that part off the bale. If you can smell mold in the bale, make sure to open the bale before giving it to them. If there is mold on the inside of the bale, throw it away. Usually, horses will not touch moldy hay, unless there is nothing else to eat.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

Great thanks! I don't think I smell mold, but what does it smell like? and I broke it apart and it looked ok. I did shake it out very well when i gave them some because it was pretty dusty.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

Great thanks! I don't think I smell mold, but what does it smell like? and I broke it apart and it looked ok. I did shake it out very well when i gave them some because it was pretty dusty.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

You will know the smell of mold when you stick your nose in the bale - lol

I can't describe it but if you can sniff something that's been in your refrigerator a long time, and know it's moldy, you will recognize the obtrusive odor of mold in hay.

If it's really bad, the hay will often have a gray or black shade the mold spores literally pop up at you when you break a bale open.

How old is "older hay" ?? The older hay is, the less nutrients it has. I have fed two year old hay without issue and I've heard others say three year old hay is good; provided the hay were stored properly and didn't get wet.

If the bales have dust on them from sitting, take them outside and give them a vigorous sweeping (on all sides) with a broom.

I would smell every single flake of hay for mold before feeding. If hay was baled damp, it is not uncommon for only part of the bale to mold.

You can also Google "how to tell if hay is moldy" and get some credible hits.

The bottom line is don't feed questionable hay just to save money as it may be a vet bill in the end.

Hope this helps

 

It's about a year old. I'm definitely checking every flake. I bought a house in April and brought the horses from my moms property to the new one. They had so much pasture I didn't need to feed any hay over summer so forgot about the Hay in her barn. She told me she thinks the hay got wet and is moldy. But most of it is on pallets. So I checked every bale, the ones by the wall looked a bit off in color and probably got wet from a small leak in the wall. But everything else seemed fine. I think she just wanted to keep the rest of the hay for her chicken coop
Posted via Mobile Device

 

Just pull the mold and feed the rest. Hay loses nutrition for the first year it is stored--if not fed before then. After a year the nutrition loss is marginal. THIS is why I prefer, when I can, to buy year old straight alfalfa. Alfalfa is very rich hay and is very nutritious at a year old, or even older, just not as rich. You can tell that there is alfalfa in your hay bc your horses will pee pink. Your horse will not touch moldy hay unless he is starving, anyway, so I wouldn't worry. In the stall it just becomes soiled bedding.

 

I have a pretty good alarm system for mold.....it smells, well, moldy, musty. When you open the bale it should expand once the strings are cut. If it doesn't, there's most likeky mold in there. If it got wet from the outside, it's usually black. If it was too moist when baled, it's greyish-white and white dust will come up.

If you find moldy parts, remove them generously. Mold spores spread out a good 10" from the original spot.
I would not feed questionable or very dusty hay indoors. But I'm paranoid, I had aCOPD horse.

 

I don't have a good place to dispose of old hay so I burn it. For a while I had it sitting in a corner of my pasture, then I noticed my horse trying to eat it. I took the hint, bought him a roll of good hay for his paddock and burned the old stuff to save him from himself.

 

You wouldn't burn it if you were also a gardener. =b

 

All I grow is grass... which is coming up nicely in the spot where I burned the hay!

 

I've caught my horse eating his straw bedding lol he might eat moldy hay the numb-skull!!
Posted via Mobile Device

 

I don't know if it is all that bad that they eat moldy hay. I do know that when they are eating it, they will inhale the spores. That can easily cause heaves, which happened to one of our horses when he was boarded.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

You can also get rid of some of the dust by wetting the hay before feeding it. There are a few horses at my barn that are very sensitive to dusty hay, so they have a big plastic tub that we toss the hay in, pour in a few buckets of water and drain before feeding.

 

If the hay is just brownish, it's ok to feed. Mold has a distinct odor. If too damp it will also have lots of white specs. Hay that is turning yellow will smell like corn. Don't feed either but save it for a summer smudge to drive the bugs away. Don't put hay close to your face to smell for molds. The molds are very harmful in the lungs. If horses have plenty of good hay they won't touch the moldy hay if accidently fed.