Dusty hay - is there a particular variety that lends itself in square bales to dusting, i.e. alfalfa, orchard grass, Timothy?
I’ve heard Timothy is less prone to dusting - not sure I believe it.
Thanks!
Any hay can be dusty. I think timothy is said to be less dusty is because of the “stalky” nature of it. Less foliage to dry and crumble. Old mold spores can dry and cause dust. Use your nose.
I’ve never really heard anyone call hay “dusty” except when it’s actually mold spores. Some hay has more leaf shatter than others; not sure if that’s what you mean by “dusty?”
I always thought dusty hay was actually dusty - it had been sitting around and was aged - or it was put up incorrectly and the dust was from mold. Either way, did not think it was related to type, just poor management.
Dusty hay is exactly that - dusty. It can be any variety really, and there are factors that increase the risk of dust (storage mainly). Mold is a whole other ball of wax, it can be very visible or hardly noticeable depending on how bad the mold is. Sometimes moldy hay will actually create a cloud of dust when the mold is parted - when you part the flakes, for example. Things that increase the risk for moldy hay is baling it when it’s wet/damp and storing it an area where it can get wet. Even a leaky roof is enough to cause the mold to grow on an otherwise good bale.
But really, how does hay get “dusty?” Just from dust settling on it? That would seem to only affect the top layer…and if you’re feeding it out - how dusty could it really be unless you’re storing 10,000 bales?
I think that a lot of people use the term “dusty” to mean “moldy” or “shattered” - both of which are issues of proper cutting/curing/storing.
So, if you have hay that seems “dusty” - I think you need to check to see whether it’s moldy - if it emits clouds or puffs of fine white/grey “dust” it is typically mold spores.
There’s dusty hay that’s been sitting where things like dusty arena footing blows into it, which is pretty topical, and there’d dusty hay from cutting too close to the ground and baling “too low” when things are dry, and that’s within the bales.
Dust smells a whole lot different from mold and mildew. Dust smells like dirt, mold smells like, well, moldy/mildewy 
[QUOTE=JB;8986153]
There’s dusty hay that’s been sitting where things like dusty arena footing blows into it, which is pretty topical, and there’d dusty hay from cutting too close to the ground and baling “too low” when things are dry, and that’s within the bales.
Dust smells a whole lot different from mold and mildew. Dust smells like dirt, mold smells like, well, moldy/mildewy :)[/QUOTE]
Yes, storing hay in or near an arena would definitely be unwise. I took lessons once at a place that did this. I thought the setup was really great with the arena in the middle of the building and stalls all around it…until I thought about all the horses (and hay) that must be breathing and covered in arena dust. Yuck.
I’m sure there are situations like this that can result in “dusty” hay but they are definitely not related to the type of grass. I’d be much more wary of the farmer that says “it’s just a little bit dusty, that’s all” without an explanation (we cut too low during a dry spell)…more likely it’s mold.
Dusty hay can be dusty on the outside of the bale because of external dust, arena, loft above dusty stalls, etc. But dust inside of the bale most certainly is from mold spores. Usually the moisture content of the hay was still too high when the hay was baled. This is a common problem in areas with high humidity, like here in Southern MD. I also found that annual grass hays are worse. Like Teff, an annual grass, the grass is naturally a much higher moisture grass, takes longer to dry before baling, depending on the weather. I have Teff hay that I have to rinse well before feeding it. This seems to work well enough to safely feed the hay. Otherwise you risk giving your horse heaves which is Permanent Damage to the lungs!!! I learned this the hard way. No dusty hay, rinse/soak/steam the hay and you can feed it.
That “dust” may be mold.
Don’t buy hay that is “dusty.”
Timothy, with it’s thick stems, usually is not dusty nor is it moldy. Usually. Just do not let it get wet either before baling or in storage.
[QUOTE=shezabrazenmare;8987235]
Timothy, with it’s thick stems, usually is not dusty nor is it moldy. Usually. Just do not let it get wet either before baling or in storage.[/QUOTE]
Oh I’ve definitely had moldy timothy before. I don’t imagine there is any hay that is immune to mold if it’s baled improperly.
All hay is going to have some dust in it.Only hay that’s guaranteed dust free is hay that’s been treated. I won’t feed hay that’s been treated to make it dust free. Unless you live in a perfect world with perfect fields and ideal weather all the time you won’t get dust free hay.
All hay is susceptible to being baled improperly and developing mold that can appear like dust or light swirling smoke.
All hay is susceptible to mold forming on the outside of an otherwise well-cured bale due to humidity in the storage environment. That also appears like dust when you handle the bale, but will generally puff up quite dramatically. However, I have found that legume hays like alfalfa and clover tend to draw more moisture and get surface mold quicker and more thoroughly than grass hays - with the exception of crab grass hay, crab grass hay seems to absorb a lot of air moisture as well, even after being well cured.
All hay is susceptible to actual dirt dust settling on the outside of otherwise well-cured bales from the environment - either being stored near a ring/arena or dusty area, or road dust, etc.
All hay is subject to being cut and cured during dry/drought conditions and having dirt dust throughout the bale due to the dryness of the land and machinery kicking up dirt - however, I’ve found that 2nd and 3rd cuttings are more prone to dirt dust as they are cut and baled later in the year when there is a higher chance for drought conditions.
What everyone has said.
Sometimes you find clumps of dirt bailed in the hay. Sometimes you find a whole flake that has dry clay or mud on it.
On some hay, especially alfalfa, the leaf portion dries out and gets fragile. I don’t think you would consider this “dust.”
If you stack a load of hay in a loft, and three months later, when you slap a bale, a cloud of dust rises up: you are seeing the spores of surface mold. If you sniff closely, there will be a mildewy smell. If you toss the hay around (ie, deliver it somewhere), the mold spores will all get knocked off and the hay will seem fine.
I live in a damp climate, and IME, all hay will develop surface mold over the winter if it isn’t tarped very carefully. If it is tarped, or if it is inside the pile, it won’t. I get very well made hay. I’ve never had any problem with mold or clumps inside the flakes. But that very top layer will start to grow “dust.” Occasionally I have tossed out the first flake in a bale. Other than that, with inside flakes, I just shake the flake and it’s fine. It will only be the edge of the flake that was open to the air, usually one edge.
My coach/mentor worked on a hay truck as a teen. She says that most hay in winter storage does this, but when it gets delivered, the mold spore dust is knocked off in transit. So the customer is pleased with the hay, thinks it’s really fresh. And will prefer to get multiple smaller deliveries over the winter, rather than store in their own loft. And then panic when their own stored hay gets spore dust.
So these days I fill up my loft, I stack and tarp very carefully and weight the tarp so it isn’t slipping off the last row of bales in back. I keep everything covered except the open bales I am feeding from. If there is a slight dust or sour smell, I bang the flake around and sometimes toss out a flake or a few handfuls off the edge. And horse has been healthy and happy.
On the other hand, I bought a stack of high quality alfalfa bales very cheaply off a barn friend who saw the shattered leaves and thought the hay was “dusty,” and whose other friend told her to give it away to the cow farmers. Great hay, absolutely nothing wrong with it!
There several reasons for “dust” in a bale of hay.
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If you open a bale and you can see and smell it as it floats on the air you have mold. The hay was baled too soon and in my mind not suitable for any animal to eat.
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You open a bale and smell an " earthy , dirt" smell. The person cutting the hay had it set way too low and scraped up dirt ( soil) along with the grass it cut. you may see dirt or chunks of dried earth in the bale. This is safe to feed, but parts are not very palatable 9 for good reason).
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Baled hay was stored on a dirt or concrete floor and drew moisture off of said floor. It will have a dusty/ dirty side that came into contact with the dirt. Usually it is fine except for the one outside edge and unless the floor was wet constantly and it went up into the bale. If you open the bale it will be fine and no dust comes off the inside.
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If hay is stored where arena dust or blowing dust can cover it over time. This is surface only and will have no influence on what is inside a tightly tied bale.
Any hay grass or legume only shows dust inside when cured improperly.
All hay is going to have some dust in it.Only hay that’s guaranteed dust free is hay that’s been treated. I won’t feed hay that’s been treated to make it dust free. Unless you live in a perfect world with perfect fields and ideal weather all the time you won’t get dust free hay.
Treated how? Proprionic acid? Horses make that all on their own. The acid is used to speed the drying process to help prevent mold. You can’t treat hay to prevent dust.
JB, have no idea what the hay is treated with i don’t buy it. I buy big rounds if it looks good smells good…good enough. If it got some dust then so be it, i have yet to buy hay that didn’t have some dust. Can’t quote or Edit no matter what i do it’s getting really annoying.
If you have no idea what it’s treated with, how do you know it’s bad?
The only thing I’ve ever heard of hay being treated with is proprionic acid, and that’s a completely natural product to make BETTER hay, and a chemical that horses produce all by themselves already.
Didn’t say it was bad just said I won’t buy/feed treated hay. This year’s hay wouldn’t matter treated or not all late cut junk stemmy /dusty hay.
