Hay - how old is too old?

[BecknSkye]

I've got some hay left(about twenty five bales) that's now about two and a half years old, I'm definitely not going to finish it this winter and my horses just don't want or need hay in the summer. It's really just belly-warmer for geldings, so I wasn't too worried about feeding two year old hay this winter, but by next winter, it's not going to be any good, is it? Do I keep it and just feed it out first next winter(it might last me the whole winter, I have very good grazing! I've fed *nearly* thirteen bales since the start of June ) or should I sell it as cattle hay and buy 20-25 new season's bales? I'm on a tight budget(student), and it was good hay, maybe a little stalky with not much clover, but not from rank or horse-grazed paddocks, when it came off the paddock originally and has been shed-stored on pallets since. The horses also get a flake of lucerne/alfalfa hay every day as well.
If you had two geldings on good grass, getting a flake of lucerne/alfalfa a day as well, would you feed it anyway, or is it just too old to use?

 

[Tizer]

Sell it if you can and buy new in.
I wouldn't use it now at all.

 

[BeachRiding]

Bumping this for you.

 

[Skyhuntress]

Tough to say. Take a good long look at it. Smell it. Break apart a bale and see if there is any mold in it. If not, I'm sure you ca feed it.

If so, I'd get rid of it and buy fresh

 

[BecknSkye]

Well, it still smells good, there's no visible signs of mildew or anything (found some dried-up mice inside a bale when I was moving the stack around to get to the lower bales though - UGH! I threw that bale away )
I'm sending a few samples away to be tested for non-visible funkiness.

 

[Greentchr]

I wouldn't feed it as the only source of nutrition, since it has lost a lot of it's nutritional value over time, but since you are feeding it more as a filler than anything and it is clean and good smelling, I would feed it.

 

[Alpine lass]

good hay bad hay

hay 2years old and wondering if you should use it or not, if its greenish to brownish it should still be ok if its a lil yellow or greyish then it has mildew if its soft and woolly and the slightess bit dusty then you shouldnt use it even if your horses are willing to eat it all cause soft woolly and dusty hay is bad for a pony or horses wind and digestion, have a good smell to see if musty aswell

 

[Alpine lass]

The horses also get a flake of lucerne/alfalfa hay every day as well.


so they are horses not ponies aye?? coz lucerne hay can be to rich for the ponies

 

[artemis]

I fed some 3yr old hay to my shetland one year & it was fine. He has cushings & it was the only hay I could find with a low sugar. I soaked it to reduce the sugar even more, so any dust would not affect him.