# Finding Hay preservative nightmare!



## TORCH (Jan 7, 2012)

Spraying acid seems to be the most common and easiest product to get. Looked into Silo Guard, Hay Guard, and also First Response.
Liked the Idea of First Response and Hay Guard as it uses one spray rate with moisture ranging.

All the listed products are not easily obtained in my area.
It is like pulling teeth trying to get set up with a system.

Harvest Tech has systems that seem to be bolt on per balers. When called there tech line always got straight answers. Just don't really want to spray cropsaver acid type product. Because don't want the smell associated with it. Horse foke will know and turn their nose up.

Looks like at this point I'm going to be forced into ordering Harvest Tech system. Using acid unless someone can give me solid advice as to overcome the hurdles.

First response seems to be made from Nurturite but no # to call just force you into email contact only. So the support is not there and the wed site is limited info on it.
Hay Guard has no representatives in Wisconsin. Called there listed local distributors and they don't know anything about the products.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

That's too bad about the reps, I made the acid to Hay Guard switch years ago and have never thought about going back to acid. Have you tried calling the company direct and see if maybe five gallon buckets could be UPS'ed to you?


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## DohrmannEnt (Nov 23, 2010)

TORCH,

Good afternoon. We are an alternative supplier for forage preservative/additive applicators than HarvestTec. We also have a working relationship with ISF in such a way that we modify our "standard" applicators to work with the lower volume spec of the Hay/Silo Guard products. We would be happy to help you out. We are unfamiliar with the First Response product, so I am not sure if we would be a good resource for application equipment for this product. Our equipment works well with Buffered Acids, Water Soluble Inoculants, products like Hay/Silo Guard...

Regarding a lack of Hay Guard (ISF) representation in Wisconsin, I am surprised to read this as I do know one of the ISF sales staff lives in WI, unfortunately I do not have his contact information handy. I can however provide you the contact for their Sales Manager, Greg Noble. Greg can provide you with the contact information for their Rep along with information to dealers/distributors in your area (assuming there are some near by). Greg's number is 574-248-0641.

If you have any questions on application equipment, please give us a call at 320-252-8999 and you can check out our site at www.DohrmannEnterprises.com

I hope that we can be of assistance to you.

Have a wonderful evening.


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## TORCH (Jan 7, 2012)

DohrmannEnt

What goes around comes around! I called Greg and he had his sales guy from Appleton Wi call me. He is coming to my place to personally to go over everything I will need to get set up. Turn key make your head spin service! Wow what a complete opposite experience from what I have gotten in the last month. Will be getting set up with dealer closes to me for Hay Guard I was told. All this has happened within hours of posting on this site.

Looks like your kit DE-25 is the system I would be looking at. Small Square baler. I already use your FX-2018 kit for moisture testing. That kit has been a life saver so far. If everyone in the chain keeps to there word I will have a working setup for first cutting. So far this has been world class service. I hope everything comes together as I was told. Now this is how the word gets spread around the area. I'm pretty sure I would be the only guy around using something other than ACID to us on dry hay. There is only one other guy that I know of who has a sprayer setup on small square baler. When this all gets set up I'm going to call my friend who also makes small square bales. To let him know when he needs high moisture hay made because of rain ect. To call me and I will bale him out! I hope I never need to use but we all know mother nature gives us curve ball all the time. Now I don't have to call Mike to make big squares for me because of high moisture anymore.

This was my last try to get something else other than Acid to use. I almost through in the towel and called to order Harvest Tech system. Thank you for responding this will change everything back to the path I wanted to take in the first place.


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## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

Torch,
For first response, email Edwin Toms,
[email protected]
All of the product gets shipped. PM me and I will give you his phone info.


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

*It can be a puzzle.*

There are 2 different modes of operation. One is using an acid/buffered acid the other is a no room on the crop for mold to take root. The acid actually fumigates the hay and kills the mold.

( piping anhydrous works even better as a fumigant.)

The other have a material to occupy every site on the plant that fungus can take root, holding the fungus just sitting there. If memory serves the material was a bacteria that did no harm to the hay but would keep the fungus out of each site.

My first trial was using a buffered acid, and it did stink. The higher the moisture the more acid needed.

Then I used a Pioneer product that had to occupy every site that supported fungus growth. Just set the flow and let it work for you.

Both systems worked. Pioneer at a high rate cost less than the acid at a high rate. Done correctly the hay stayed a nice green color.

The acid used for a just in case worked at less cost, but much above 30% moisture all cost advantage of the acid was gone. Some Customers did not appreciate the acid's smell.

I understand the bacteria material worked just fine for the New Mexico Climate. The acid was necessary for Michigan. This was reported by University Types.

I went back to using acid. Remember the hay will get rid of a lot of moisture in the barn. High Moisture hay would have the bottom bales squashed almost flat. The hay in the bottom half of the stack Pretty well lost it's shape with above 30% moisture hay. Really pushing my luck resulted in darker hay, some tobacco colored hay and a tobacco smell. Best I could tell the cattle like dark hay with a tobacco smell.

Looking at the weather forecast, today I would have one hour to get all my baling done, but tomorrow I would have 3 hours between too tough to bale and excessive leaf loss.

I have baled with less than a half hour to bale, and be glad to have that.

I hope next year I will have someone else to worry about baling too damp and baling too dry


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## TORCH (Jan 7, 2012)

Well after over a month of trying to get set up with hay preservative form other sources. Even tried to go to local spray equipment company. I contact ISF they hook me up with rep from my state. The guy came to my place and goes over all my questions. I tell him to set me up. Sitting by my front door the next day was a full spray setup from Dohrmann. Wow the service is 180% opposite of the other company's I was trying to get set up with. The Dohrmann kit looks to be turn key setup. All I have to do is install. At this point I don't see anything else I would need to buy outside the kit. Just need to get some Hay Guard and see how the product works.

I called Dohrmann and it seems the customer support will be right there for me. The way the hay is growing first crop will be thick and lush. A good test for hay guard hope it works as good as the service from ISF. Thanks


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