# Hay has carmalized



## nhbaler282 (Oct 5, 2009)

Well that is what I called it,the square bales were baled just a touch green and stacked in the barn with a NH balewagon so they are on edge with plenty of ventilation and taking them out noticed that the bales had turned a carmel color just where they were stacked tight against each other where they weren't touching it was still pretty and green,had a little dust but not too bad,oh well I was trying to beat the rain like we all do, do ya'll think they are alright to feed horses? As long as I don't see any white mold?


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I won't sell any caramelized hay to horse people as most think that any dust they see must be mold.

I have had a few dairy guys in the past actually want caramelized hay as dairy cows will eat it like candy.


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## Bob M (Feb 11, 2012)

I wouldn't sell it for horse hay but as mlappin said some dairy guys love to buy it. I have a dairy and really don't understand why some dairy guys will pay big money for caramelized hay. The heat that made the hay caramelize had to come from some energy source, I would think that this hay would be lower in TDN. The cows do seem to like eating it and usaully get black loose manure.


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## Waterway64 (Dec 2, 2011)

It is much lower in feed value. I have tested it. Don't ask me why cattle crave it as I have know idea. Mel


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Yep cow guys like to buy that stuff for their cows. Horse people not so much. I have no idea if horses actually would eat it or not I just know their owners don't like it. Especially since it will smell kinda musty in addition to being yellow or brown colored.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

This year i think we'll have a few bales that are carmelized thanks to the weather. Sure is a unique smell.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

I have the odd bale of 2nd cut go like that but the weanlings (young horses) clean it up. But im not the typical horse farmer I had cattle for years so im not about to fuss about a bit of not so good hay.


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## DKFarms (Aug 11, 2008)

I lost 460 bales of the last bermuda cutting for the same reason. I had to bale it because of rain forecasted for the next day. The old take-a-chance-or-lose-it scenario. It's happened before under the same conditions, unfortunately (you'd think I would learn my lesson by now  ). Last cutting in late October, bright sunshine, low humidity, and north winds. Prettiest green hay of the year, no sun bleaching. Probably can get an extra dollar for it when inventories are low next February. Not!! Leaves dry much quicker than stems under these conditions so when baling, moisture tests at 10 to 15% per bale. Great, right? Nope. Stem moisture was still very high. Put it up in the barn, let it sweat and heat up a little, and it's ruined in 3 days. The whole stack shrank probably 10% in height compared to the dry hay next to it. Smelled funky. I moved it all out of the barn to an outside covered area. My horse people won't have anything to do with it, and I wouldn't take a chance anyway. I have a cow customer who will buy it all at a deep discount, fortunately. It doesn't seem to bother them, as others here have noted. I think this is also a good reason why all of us bermuda growers should own a mower-conditioner. At least that's the excuse I've been giving the wife to let me buy one. $2800 of lost hay income would have been a good down payment on one. Ya think? I am also going to refresh my memory on how to do the microwave moisture test and start using that as a backup on last cutting. Didn't mean to rant.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Same thing happened to me this year, took a chance and ran 1k bales thru in July cut.....mistake, within a month it reaked of ammonia.....mold all over the bales, part of the problem was too wet (measured at 20%) and storage not aired enuf....I sold it to the road dept for 1$ a bale.....what a waste/mess....we live and hopefully learn....t


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