Re: Question on Bermuda grass hay

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

The best way to judge whether or not it's weathered and lost it's
nutrients is to judge by the color---if it's still a pale green,
especially in the inside of the bale, it's still fine.  If it's
yellowish, or worse yet, moldy, it's worthless except as cow feed. 
After seven months, your hay is probably still a good feedas long as it
didn't get wet and moldy.

The changes in nutrition most likely to occur as a result of age are
loss of the fat-soluble vitamins---A, D, E and K.  Most of the A gets
destroyed in the curing process anyway, then you'll get a slow, gradual
loss after that until at two years, only about 10% of the original
vitamin A (actually in the form of beta-carotene) is present in the
hay.  Vitamin D, don't worry about it, they'll manufacture what they
need from exposure to sunlight.  Vitamin E content is probably pretty
low in bermuda, anyway, and age can lower that even more, so
supplementing with either a very small amount of alfalfa or another
source of vitamin E might be a good idea.

The energy and protein content of the hay has more to do with the
maturity of the hay when is was cut and baled rather than the storage
time, so I wouldn't worry about that.

BTW, it's not unusual for hay to be stored for as long as yours, or alot
longer, and then fed to horses with no trouble.  The main thing is to
look very carefully for mold and fungus.  Horses are very sensitive to
that sort of thing, so if you break open a bale and find even the
tiniest amount of black, grayish, dustiness or a funny smell, get rid of
it.

Hope this answers your questions. :-)

Susan Garlinghouse

Loribelle1 wrote:
> 
> Hi all -
> 
> I have a surplus of top quality Bermuda grass hay & was wondering how long I
> could store & feed before losing the nutrients.
> 
> I have had this hay 7 mos. & it is stored under cover but not entirely
> enclosed as in a barn.
> 
> Was thinking of selling off some, but if I can continue to feed say after 1
> yr. may as well keep it.
> 
> Thank you for any advise,
> 
> Lori, Phx., AZ