Temperature of hay important to keep it useable
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For more information concerning storing or feeding hay, please contact the extension office at 361-575-4581
The recent rainfall has been a true blessing, and it's amazing how our pastures and rangeland have responded. Who would have guessed that we would be bailing hay this fall, after the kind of drought-stricken year we've experienced? Certainly not I.
The reality is that several producers have been harvesting some excess forage as a result of the rains.
One concern that has arisen involves green hay.
If you have baled hay in the last few weeks, you likely experienced a drying problem. Relatively low daily temperatures and high humidity, coupled with rainfall events every few days, have made it especially challenging for producers to get hay put up.
As a result, some hay may have a little more moisture in it, which, depending on the situation, could lend itself to some problems.
If you suspect that hay was put up green, it's important to monitor temperature. If a bale contains reasonably uniform moisture and density throughout the bale, the highest temperature is likely to be in the middle of the bale because this is where heat will remain for the longest period of time.
Several types of thermometers can be used to check temperature in hay. Hay moisture meters with a bale prod work well. Most units will measure both moisture and temperature. Be cautious of inserting a glass thermometer into a hay bale because it may break, and potentially contaminate the hay bale.
Another approach could involve making your own probe. A probe can be made from a piece of 2-inch diameter pipe, on which one end has been sealed with a sharpened plug. The pipe can then be driven into a bale of hay, followed by lowering of a thermometer into the pipe.
Square bales should be probed from the side, and round bales should be probed from the end. You'll need to leave the thermometer there for 10-15 minutes to get an accurate reading.
Heating of hay is caused by the activity of micro-organisms. Dry hay does not heat excessively, because it lacks the necessary moisture to support any significant microbial growth. Overheating is more likely to occur in tightly baled hay, as opposed to loosely baled hay, as it becomes more difficult for the heat to escape.
Research has shown that the maximum heating of hay usually occurs within one week of baling. Three weeks is normally considered the maximum length of time after baling that the highest temperature resulting from microorganism-induced heating would occur.
Thus, putting hay into permanent storage after three weeks should be safe.
Ideally, hay moisture levels should be at 20 percent or less for square bales and 18 percent or less for round bales.
Temperature should remain below 120 degrees. The range between 120 and 140 degrees is considered a caution zone in which the hay should be closely monitored. At 140-150 degrees, microbial growth and chemical reactions generate heat at a more rapid rate. If the temperature rises to 160 or above, a fire is likely.
For more information concerning storing or feeding hay, please contact the extension office at 361-575-4581.
Sam Womble is a Victoria County extension agent - natural resources.
