# 29% moisture hay not getting hot?



## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

Saturday we had a rain shower while baling so we stopped hay was running 12-14% moisture. So after the storm passed we waited 2 hours and baled the rest at 22% moisture no preservatives used I know to wet . Any way the hay is reading 29% moisture now but bale temperatures is in low 70 degrees so it’s not heating as expected. Is the hay not heating because it was dry before or will it still heat up . I would like to unload wagons but am Leary of putting in the barn. There are about 450 bales and I hate to do double work.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

It's usual that the moisture reading will rise after baling by 10-15 points. Just keep an eye on temps.

Ralph


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

29 is the average? I'd be concerned. If it's all that high I think it will heat some.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

Sometimes it doesn't make sense. I have had hay 16%-18% heat get dusty and moldy. I have had hay read 40% not heat at all. No spoilage came out as green as the day it was baled. 
Lots of factors. How tight the bales are for oxygen in them. How much was surface moisture or stem moisture. Temperature and humidity while baling. Even what the weather is like after baling.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Just had a lab sample come back, I baled at 21-22%, sample showed 21.42%. Moisture meter was above 33%, when I took samples, go figure.

Larry


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

Larry

OK I must ask if moisture meter stated 33% moisture how did you arrive that you baled hay at 21-22% moisture. Is your moisture meter hand held or mounted in baler? How many bales did you send a sample from?
Thanks,Jim


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

I would unload at least one wagon regardless. You might find temps in the center of the load that are worse than the edges. On the other hand it might be fine the whole way through. The only way to know is to dig into it. If you baled it at 22, I would think you could get away with unloading it and not stacking it tightly.


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## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

Still not hot sometimes I just need to roll with it.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Guys, your moisture testers, hand held or baler mounted, are merely tools and are not 100% accurate. They measure “moisture “ by measuring the electrical conductivity of the hay. Lab analysis, microwave analysis or Koester testers are the only true moisture readings. Conductivity probes are really skewed by humidity and also by “sweating “ hay. I had the high dollar harvest tec star wheels on my 3x3 baler and we rarely ever baled hay under 16% on the monitor. If we did, it was a really low humidity day. But, I always sampled bales immediately and compared results to the monitor readings and actual lab results, we rarely ever baled hay over 18%. Stem moisture and leaf moisture also playa role. Most of the time, with our high humidity in southern Indiana, the monitor reads mid to upper 20’s to even low 30’s but the hay was under 18%. Pour the inoculate to it and keep baling. Now if the humidity is really low, 25% or less, then the moisture tester was spot on. I only saw that happen once and that was in 2012 baling at 6:30 AM trying to save leaves and the monitor hit 22% and the lab confirmed it.


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## Hay diddle diddle (Nov 17, 2017)

Temps will rise over weeks......not uncommon here for haysheds to burn 2 months after hay is stacked in it. Crowbar between some bales is the non scientific method......if it's too hot too hold, your in trouble.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

rjmoses said:


> It's usual that the moisture reading will rise after baling by 10-15 points. Just keep an eye on temps.
> 
> Ralph


 yes I would agree it would be absolutely normal if you be able to hang out 22 percent 29 the next day. The moisture tester is not accurate once they starts going into a sweat. I agree with others if the stack is high two long pieces of rebar into the stack monitored every 6 hours... the hay is getting mature it will go into a heating process more slowly.. when it's younger it will heat up quicker


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Tx Jim said:


> Larry
> OK I must ask if moisture meter stated 33% moisture how did you arrive that you baled hay at 21-22% moisture. Is your moisture meter hand held or mounted in baler? How many bales did you send a sample from?
> Thanks,Jim


Meter was reading 21-22% while baling, hand held meter show the same, moisture range. Did test (pulled samples) and check moisture with hand held, showed 33% or high moisture on hand held, a couple of days AFTER baling. Pulled samples from 15-18 bales, via core sampler. Core sampler looks like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Bale-Sampler-Probe-Depth-Drill-Type/dp/B004COSCLY?SubscriptionId=AKIAJWHAE6JFIP54ODDQ&tag=askcom05-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B004COSCLY

If you get one, suggest using a 1/2" drill, seems 3/8" burn up for some odd reason. 

Larry


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## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

Farmerbrown2 said:


> Saturday we had a rain shower while baling so we stopped hay was running 12-14% moisture. So after the storm passed we waited 2 hours and baled the rest at 22% moisture no preservatives used I know to wet . Any way the hay is reading 29% moisture now but bale temperatures is in low 70 degrees so it's not heating as expected. Is the hay not heating because it was dry before or will it still heat up . I would like to unload wagons but am Leary of putting in the barn. There are about 450 bales and I hate to do double work.
> 
> Rain is one thing. Curing is quite another. Sometimes curing won't show up immediately but after a week or so. That's why I leave my rolls sitting in the field where dropped if I am the least bit concerned....then if they pass, stack 'em end to end. Rain will just mildew as will mild curing when baled too green.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

Larry

Thanks for reply. I have a similar type hay sampler that I've had for years that I utilized a hand operated brace on but now due to my nerve damage need an electric drill.

Jim


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## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

Update today we started to unload the hay some bales where okay but most where moldy on the inside and quite a few where hot. So I decided I didn’t want to risk burning the barn down and dumped them all . I was surprised it took a week but they where too hot for me to take the risk of fire.


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## Hay diddle diddle (Nov 17, 2017)

Crop saver acid would have stopped it from spoiling......


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## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

I know we have been talking about an applicator just haven’t done it yet.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Farmerbrown2 said:


> Update today we started to unload the hay some bales where okay but most where moldy on the inside and quite a few where hot. So I decided I didn't want to risk burning the barn down and dumped them all . I was surprised it took a week but they where too hot for me to take the risk of fire.


Hindsight bing 20/20 but they might've survived if only a layer deep and off the wagon. A load on a wagon is just not a great drying situation especially if it was a kicker wagon.


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