# Dry Hay Preservative



## jdhayday (May 12, 2014)

Does anyone use a hay preservative in a dry form? I have been using Hayguard for 2 years now and I'm not convinced it is the best product. They advertise it as "non" corrosive, but that is very far from the truth. Also on a windy day I end up with more on the tractor and baler than on the hay. I have heard of guys using a granular type preservative but I can't seem to find much information about it.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

jdhayday said:


> Does anyone use a hay preservative in a dry form? I have been using Hayguard for 2 years now and I'm not convinced it is the best product. They advertise it as "non" corrosive, but that is very far from the truth. Also on a windy day I end up with more on the tractor and baler than on the hay. I have heard of guys using a granular type preservative but I can't seem to find much information about it.


Hayguard makes a dry preservative....or maybe I should say that the co. that makes Hayguard makes a dry preservative(Siloguard). Yes, Hayguard is corrosive....I rinse my baler off after each application now. As far as preserving, it seems to work very well for me. If I would have known it blisters your paint I would have rinsed off from the beginning.

Regards, Mike


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Vol said:


> Hayguard makes a dry preservative....or maybe I should say that the co. that makes Hayguard makes a dry preservative(Siloguard). Yes, Hyaguard is corrosive....I rinse my blaer off after each application now. As far as preserving, it seems to work very well for me. If I would have known it blisters your paint I would have rinsed off from the beginning.
> 
> Regards, Mike


Did you start with an acid product first then switched to Hayguard? Hayguard will "un-buffer" propionic. I followed the recommendations on how to clean the baler and system before switching to Hayguard, did it twice to be sure. Basically just baking soda and water to neutralize any propionic that might be left on the surfaces of the baler or in the system.


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## jdhayday (May 12, 2014)

I have never used propionic acid. The baler was new when I started with the hayguard. I do wash the baler off between uses but sometimes I will bale for 2 or 3 days with it and run close to 75 gallon of hayguard through it. My idea of a "non" corrosive product shouldn't require you to wash it off immediately .


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

jdhayday said:


> Also on a windy day I end up with more on the tractor and baler than on the hay.


Interesting, as a FYI: what kind of baler are you using and were are your nozzles located?

Larry


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## jdhayday (May 12, 2014)

569 John Deere .. The nozzles are under the tounge, with big windrows that's the only place I can get product on the entire windrow. I do feel like the product works, just not happy with the corrosiveness. Therefore I will probably try the silo guard in a dry form


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

jdhayday said:


> I have never used propionic acid. The baler was new when I started with the hayguard. I do wash the baler off between uses but sometimes I will bale for 2 or 3 days with it and run close to 75 gallon of hayguard through it. My idea of a "non" corrosive product shouldn't require you to wash it off immediately .


Couldn't agree more. It also disgusts me to no end as my baler was only 3 years old when I got my paint blistered on the pickup area and above. Maybe we should engage in a class action suit. I know of several others that have posted on HT that it was also corrosive for them. What I have to do now to keep it from worsening is to rinse off and then coat with a WD 40 fogger.

Regards, Mike


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Vol, what applicator are you using with the hayguard? I MUST get something set up this winter...


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

mlappin said:


> Did you start with an acid product first then switched to Hayguard? Hayguard will "un-buffer" propionic. I followed the recommendations on how to clean the baler and system before switching to Hayguard, did it twice to be sure. Basically just baking soda and water to neutralize any propionic that might be left on the surfaces of the baler or in the system.


No.

Regards, Mike


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

PaMike said:


> Vol, what applicator are you using with the hayguard? I MUST get something set up this winter...


Dohrmann.....but I did not use their tank. I will use their tank with a round baler when I set up rounds for preservative. I use a 15 gallon tank for small squares but everything is Dohrmann. Did not need a 25 gallon tank on the square baler as 15 gallons is more than I will use in one day. I liked the lower profile to the 15 gallon mainly the way I set my square baler up.

Regards, Mike


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Did you get the speed control or just an on off switch in the cab?


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

PaMike said:


> Did you get the speed control or just an on off switch in the cab?


Yes I got the speed control and I suggest it is well worth it....especially getting your application rate tweaked just right....or lets say you run into a short stretch of shaded hay and the moisture meter climbs to near 30%....you can just reach over and turn the application rate way up and you likely will be covered....when the moisture level drops just turn it back down.

Regards, Mike


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

jdhayday said:


> Also on a windy day I end up with more on the tractor and baler than on the hay.


I fought this for awhile as well, made my own nozzle mounts to get around it. Liked how they were mounted on my NH644, just can't d o that with the different windguard the BR740 has. I went back to the large nozzles as well, wit the small nozzles it did seem to create a very fine mist that floated everywhere. If the large nozzles are applying too much then I either drive faster, or quadruple the rows up.


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## joeberg (Jun 8, 2011)

jdhayday said:


> Does anyone use a hay preservative in a dry form? I have been using Hayguard for 2 years now and I'm not convinced it is the best product. They advertise it as "non" corrosive, but that is very far from the truth. Also on a windy day I end up with more on the tractor and baler than on the hay. I have heard of guys using a granular type preservative but I can't seem to find much information about it.


I use a liquid product called freshcut with JD 467 baler w/ Harvest Tec

here is a pic of my display. Here is the website for the product.

I've never wash my baler since it was purchased 4 years ago, and my baler looks as used as the day I bought it.

When I finished baling, I normally blow it off with my air hose or my backpack blower.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

joeberg said:


> I use a liquid product called freshcut with JD 467 baler w/ Harvest Tec
> 
> here is a pic of my display. Here is the website for the product.
> 
> ...


What are you paying for your product? Could not open your pic.

Regards, Mike


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

joeberg said:


> I use a liquid product called freshcut with JD 467 baler w/ Harvest Tec
> 
> here is a pic of my display. Here is the website for the product.
> 
> ...


Is this not simply buffered propionic acid?


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

This also caught my eye....."to REDUCE metal corrosion"....

"FRESH CUT® Plus contains a blend of organic acids effective against mold and yeast growth. FRESH CUT Plus is also buffered to reduce metal corrosion while improving worker safety. The liquid formulation allows for more complete distribution, dispersion, and penetration into hay."

Regards, Mike


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## jdhayday (May 12, 2014)

That was my original reason for going with a liquid product. I felt that it would cover the hay more uniformly than a dry product.


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## jdhayday (May 12, 2014)

Joeberg, at what rate do you apply the Fresh Cut,? I couldn't seem to find that on their website


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

I used Hayguard the first time this year and also have experienced heavy rusting of the throat and knife area of the baler where the paint is worn off. I realize that any bare metal is going to rust some if it gets wet or just from the humidity but this is rather heavy rusting as if it has set out in the weather for a few years.....I guess it doesn't hurt anything since the hay will wear much of the rust off but I still don't like it. I have my nozzle placed where it doesn't get much if any on a painted surface so I can't say what it does to paint. I do feel that the hay I treated with the Hayguard kept but I haven't actually opened up a bale to see how the inside looks. I know had it not been treated it would have heated and molded. Many of the bales seem to have a sulfur odor and the Hayguard stinks if you spill any on your hands when messing with the nozzle.

With that being said I'm not really a fan of a liquid preservative I have decided. I have decided I'm going to give a dry preservative a try this coming year. If a dry preservative will keep the hay I think I will be more pleased.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

FarmerCline said:


> . Many of the bales seem to have a sulfur odor and the Hayguard stinks if you spill any on your hands when messing with the nozzle.


I know of some that use a dry preservative and they seem to get along just fine....I think maybe the only drawback to dry is that it does not work until it draws enough moisture to activate....but I do like the idea.

I have never noticed the sulphur smell in the bale with Hayguard....but I have noticed the strong smell in my sprayer tank. I really don't think it would stay in the bale long or I think I would have noticed....but maybe my smeller is not too good. 

Regards, Mike


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Silo King, it works.


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## joeberg (Jun 8, 2011)

Vol said:


> What are you paying for your product? Could not open your pic.
> 
> Regards, Mike


1.25 per/lb. from local coop.


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## joeberg (Jun 8, 2011)

jdhayday said:


> Joeberg, at what rate do you apply the Fresh Cut,? I couldn't seem to find that on their website


I don't have that information right now. I'll open up the setting in the havestec tonight and snap a picture..


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## joeberg (Jun 8, 2011)

Vol said:


> What are you paying for your product? Could not open your pic.
> 
> Regards, Mike


Here is the pic


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