Hay out there
Growing up on a farm in South Dakota, we grew a lot of food for ourselves and our animals. Every year my dad and brothers would bale hay to feed our livestock. The hay that we grew on our farm in South Dakota was Alfalfa. Alfalfa is very high in fiber making it ideal for most animals.
The alfalfa we grew was harvested just before it began to flower. To prevent white mold from growing, it was very important to cut the hay when it was not forecasted to rain. Ideally, hay should be baled when dry, baling hay while it’s moist can cause certain types of mold to grow. The three main groups of fungi that start to grow on hay in storage are Aspergillis, Fusarium, and Penicillium. The type of mold I recall seeing on hay was white in color.
Feeding moldy hay to animals can cause serious health issues for the animal. Horses can develop colic and a respiratory condition called COPD (also known as heaves). If you are purchasing hay for your livestock, there are several things you can look for to ensure you are buying quality hays. First, the appearance of the hay should by leafy and not contain a lot of stalks, weeds or branches. Next is the color of the hay, it should be green. Green hay contains a lot of nutrients essential to your animal’s health. Last is its smell. Alfalfa has a wonderful sweet smell. If you take a whiff of the hay and start to cough or sneeze, chances are your animal will react the same way. If you need assistance determining what type of mold you have in your hay, contact Executive Restoration at (704) 545-0098 or visit us online at www.gotmoldinnorthcarolina.com