I’m wondering what everyone thinks of the ingredients in “The Juice” that is being applied to most of our Ontario hay this year? Propionic Acid and Citric Acid.
My horses don’t particularly like the taste but they will eat it. I would much rather get hay with preservative than hay that didn’t cure properly because of humidity/ rain during curing process. But then I am not getting hay from Canada this year - too far away to ship it in.
If I remember correctly U of Guelph did a study on the juice when it first came out, conclusion was it was safe, but they recommended you let the hay cure for a few weeks before you fed it for the smell of the acid to dissipate for piicky eaters.
My horses didn’t like the taste, would waste a lot of hay.
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You might do a search for proprianic acid, see if that brings up several recent discussions we have had using treated hay. My horses eat it just fine, gained weight because such hay does not seem to lose any calories. They liked it fine, did not have any that did not like eating it.
The biggest issue we found is that treated CAN NOT TOUCH any untreated hay. The acid hay will draw moisture from untreated hay and get moldy. Treated hay lasted well into the second year of storage, still bright green inside. Bales will be heavier than untreated bales the same size. Husband says weight comes from those retained calories!
I would buy treated hay again if it was offered.
Anybody that has bought hay esp from re-sellers in growing areas that have high humidity, prone to wet weather and or short baling windows. Has bought and feed hay treated with a preservative without knowing it. Proprianic acid is the most widely used. Depending on the amount used for any particular baling and or how modern the producer’s applicator is. The only thing by and large it “adds” to the hay is a salty taste. After the bales have dried down to storage moisture levels of around 10% most would be hard pressed to “smell” anything different.
The worst thing about it is the name. If it had a nice horse friendly name to it no one would care. Producers learned a long time ago it’s not worth mentioning to “horse people” their way too picky.
“The biggest issue we found is that treated CAN NOT TOUCH any untreated hay. The acid hay will draw moisture from untreated hay and get moldy.”
I have never found this to be true in my neck of the woods.
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My horses sniff it and walk away or stand there and snortle for ‘good hay’.
When I’ve bought it, not knowing it was sprayed, and my horses won’t touch it, I have to load it up and return it.
Maybe my horses are spoiled, but it’s a huge ‘No’ at my place.
Been feeding it for years with no ill effects, horses are fine with it.
I was a bit concerned when I found our hay supplier started doing this, but our boys love the hay.
