Hay, small bales falling apart

37 chief · Jul 15, 2020

Daughter keeps her two horses at my place. I feed them in the morning. She had some grass hay delivered. The bales are fairly heavy, but the flakes just fall apart. Almost like the hay went through some type of Schreuder. The hay comes from Imperial Valley east of San Diego.This time of year it is very hot. Probably over 100 degrees. Any thoughts? Stan

Olliejunkie · Jul 15, 2020

Probably was very short when they cut it.

Janicholson · Jul 15, 2020

Might be rebaled from big rounds, or big squares. Jim

GregInCo · Jul 15, 2020

Re-bailed, cut too short, or left out too long and was too dry when it was bailed. Those would be my guesses.

Greg F.

SVcummins · Jul 15, 2020

Baled dry as a popcorn fart . Not a bad thing for horses especially if they’ve been treated like spoiled horses a little dust from mold will about kill a city horse and the owner

rustred · Jul 15, 2020

maybe it was shredded re-baling a round bale don't make any difference as you just re-bale the same swath by unrolling it. what type of hay is that ? brome , timothy? horse people are really fussy with hay. don't know why though. i cant see how a small bale of hay can fall apart once baled. are the twines tight?

Absent Minded Farmer · Jul 15, 2020

Also a vote for re-bales. Seen that a lot at the local horsey farms.

Mike

37 chief · Jul 15, 2020

The hay is Bermuda. Stan

Tx Jim · Jul 16, 2020

I fail to see how re-baling a rd bale into a small sq bale will cause bale to not hold together. My neighbor re-bales rd bales of Bermuda into squares every Winter & sells them to local feed stores & animal owners.

My guess is Bermuda was too low in moisture % when baled.

showcrop · Jul 16, 2020

A hay re-conditioner, just like re-baling, will make it like that.

cannonball · Jul 16, 2020

wonder if re baled from a round baler with a cutter on it..

BarnyardEngineering · Jul 16, 2020

Is it a problem?

Brendon-KS · Jul 16, 2020

If the hay originated from the Imperial Valley I'm fairly sure it did not start out in a round bale - in all my work around El Centro over the years I don't think I've ever seen a round baler there. I'm guessing like some of the others that it was just put up when hot and dry. In that area they will focus on putting up the alfalfa at night when the leaves must be preserved and will do grass hay during the day when it doesn't matter so much.

The 100 degree temperature you reference would be considered a cool day in that area this time of year. I saw the thermometer at 122 when I was working in Yuma, AZ a few years ago. It was brutal!

37 chief · Jul 16, 2020

I guess it isn't a big problem considering what I deal with each day. The problem is handling the hay. Pick up a flake it just falls apart, and end up using a fork t pick it up off the floor. Stan

Ted in NE-OH · Jul 16, 2020

Maybe cut with a Brush Hog

37 chief · Jul 16, 2020

Anything is possible. My woods mower instruction book said one side could come off, and be used to cut hay. Stan

Hay, small bales falling apart

37 chief

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