I’ve been buying the Ametza compressed giant Bermuda bale-in-a-bag. I love it. My horse loves it. But…lots of hay dust. I put it in a small hole hay net. When my horse tosses the net I see the dust around his face. Not good. For me: when doling it out the dust really bothers me. I have a mask I can wear over my nose. Big question. The dumb one: If my nose (sinuses) is protected from inhaling the dust - what about when breathing through the mouth? Common sense would say the dust is still being inhaled into the lungs. Help please. I want to feed this hay. Forgot to mention: I can soak the hay for my horse. Oddly enough when I soak it/put it in a feed bucket he eats it slowly. Slower than the slow feed net. Good for him - but still bad for me. I still have to deal with it dry.
I feel your pain. I use compressed alfalfa and it is very “dusty”. Just the release of the suction opening the lid of the metal garbage can I keep it in sends the small particles flying - everywhere. Makes me sneeze just thinking about it.
I carry a water spray bottle with me, squirt as I open the can, a few more squirts as I take out a hunk of it and a few more as I stuff it in a 3 gallon bucket. Then I squirt as I sprinkle it over my horses hay. I do my best not to inhale while I’m messing with it. I should buy some surgical masks at Walgreens… but I can never remember them when I’m out doing errands. It’s an old age thing I guess.
But to answer your question, no, those small particles (dust) isn’t good for your lungs or your sinuses or your eyes for that matter. If you have hay allergies like I do, whatever precautions you can take are good ones.
Thanks. At first I read that you were spraying the air where the dust was billowing - and I thought - what a great idea !!! Spray the air - knock down the dust. Otherwise maybe a fan to blow it away. (I can just see it - the barn charging me a fan fee for this). I set up the hay for barn guy to feed - days in advance. Don’t think would be good to get it wet and let it sit in covered buckets. Still thinking about this - or trying to - feeling a bit sick from the allergens and effects of allergy pill). There’s gotta be a way to do this. Will try spray bottle for starters. Thanks.
Just a light spritz really - most spray bottles have two settings - spay and stream. I have it on spray. So not really much water. But I am feeding the 3 gallon bucket right away, not storing it for future use. And the spritz or two when I first open the garbage can land on top, which is the hay I’m typically using out of of the can. I’ve never had an issue in the sealed trash can of moldy hay. In fact, the garbage can is outside, in the weather, right next to my senior horses’ pasture (year round). I found trying to carry two 3 gallon buckets and 15 pounds of hay in a hay net from the barn to his pasture was a little too much. So out went the compressed hay into a metal garbage can.
How about using paper bags to store the pre-measured servings? Paper bags are definitely more porous and “breathable”. Or are you using buckets so the barn staff can just add water to soak the hay?
Thanks. The first bag/bale we took the hay out of the bag and immediately stuffed into two trash cans. That made for about six flakes per can. Still not satisfied - the latest idea was to take hay out of the bag place it still strapped in a suitable-sized tote. Cut the straps and let it decompress. (to the point I could barely get it out - tote not quite long enough). My next bag/bale I will leave in the bag - as is probably supposed to be done. Will see if that will make a difference. It might - but probably not by much. Spraying it still sounds good. Not using paper bags. Using Lowe’s buckets with lids. Also using Standlee pellet bags. (the hay is not Standlee’s - don’t tell). Still thinking…being mindful I’m feeding Ametza Bermuda not Standlee T or A. Idea: open one end of the bag. Cut straps. (I have someone else do it now. I even took long-handled clippers to be able to stand back from the explosion of dust once straps cut). Have suitable sized bucket placed lower than end of opened bag. Cut top of the bag back a bit. Use manure fork to push flake into receiving bucket. Run away. Wait. Go back and check.
I’ve gotten bad paper cuts from those $^#*% straps before. And you’re right - just getting it out of the bag and unstrapped is a dust fest. I sit the bag on it’s end on the ground, cut the top with an exacto/box cutter, cutting the straps at the same time so it explodes inside the bag. Then I carefully cut the top off the bag and gingerly pick up one flake at a time and stuff into the trash can, trying not to breathe the whole time.
Unfortunately, the whole bale in the bag stuffed in the garbage can in one piece contorts the can so the lid won’t go on. So the only way is to disassemble the bale one flake at a time. Then it fits perfectly into the trash can. I suppose I could get a larger trash can, but the metal one is sturdy, weather and rodent proof, and besides sneezing for an hour afterwards, works perfectly.
May I ask how long you feel the effects of inhaling the dust? Hours? Days? This is really worrying me. Thanks.
Well, when I’m dealing with stuff I’m allergic to (like any type of hay), I take extra antihistamine pill(s) in addition to my daily allergy medicine (Zyrtec). The neon pink ones you get at Walgreens/Walmart - I forget what they are called. This does help. My allergies calm down about an hour or so after I’ve messed with the compressed hay.
An allergist can really help in this area. I’ve seen one since I was 19, when I went of to college in VA I suddenly sprouted allergies… lots of them. If you’ve just started taking an allergy medicine, it may take a few weeks of taking it regularly to get up to full strength and really start working. Some of them didn’t work at all for me - like Claritin. Didn’t do doodly poop for my allergies.
While a little hay dust here and there won’t be detrimental, as healthy lungs and sinuses are designed to trap and expel dust and small particles, the only way to not get any in your lungs/sinuses is to either wear a surgical mask that covers your nose and mouth or just not touch the stuff (hay). Now if someone had asthma or other serious breathing condition, I would highly recommend the latter. Wetting the hay does help with the dust, but won’t completely eliminate it.
There is dust in so much we deal with in working with horses - think about bedding, sand footing in a ring, hay, dirt on the ground, stone dust in stalls or sheds or driveways… dust is everywhere. And for a healthy person, this typically isn’t an issue but can be a real annoyance if you have allergies.
So my recommendation for you OP is to go see an allergist (or ear/nose/throat Dr.) and discuss your concerns with them. Discuss treatment options for allergies and ways to address contact with dusty hay. 
A friend of mine has immunodeficiency - she uses a VogMask when she’s out in public to filter allergens and bacteria and other things that might make her sick. That might work for you to filter out the dust and particles in the air when you handle the hay? A cheaper experimental option might be those ear loop surgical masks, too. I think Walmart has them?
Thanks all. I, too, have an immune deficiency. Not doing IVIG anymore. Also have Lyme Disease. Allergies worsening. Basically I’m a wreck - still trying to have a horse.
I found my old silk mask - washed it - wore it at barn today and it really helped. I had forgotten that it covers both nose and mouth. It’s an, “I Can Breathe” silk mask. I’m ordering another one. I think the allergens to the new hay dust (it’s awesome hay - I’m just very sensitive) and shedding, dirty, dusty horse - usual barn stuff turned into a resp. infection. I hope that’s “all” it is. Taking Abx.
So…I go through all of this for my horse to have more hay. I soak it for him - and he won’t eat it. This horse will eat anything, including dog food (that’s another story) - so don’t understand why he won’t eat the soaked hay. He, too, has allergies. Not going to risk it with him either. (I also suspect IR with him - testing soon).
I’ve seen the Standlee compressed alfalfa. While my barn friend was feeding it - I had to back away. That stuff really got to me. Very dusty. (leaf fractures, etc). I also saw the Standlee compressed timothy - it looked very nice - and seems to have less dust. But dang that stuff is expensive. I will try it, though. Also looking into the TC Safe Starch Forage. It’s also compressed, but has oil which probably cuts down on the dust. (too bad it’s soybean oil). It’s also expensive. The good stuff always is.
How do people afford feed like the TC/SSF, TC Timothy Balance Cubes, Nuzu’s Stabul, and Speedi-Beet?
To add: Yes, I see an allergist/immunologist. I did the testing and should be doing the SLIT allergy drops. At $100/month - taking for three years or more - I decided to stop doing it. If I knew 100 pct the drops would make a big difference I would still be taking them. I probably should be doing them…but not being able to work - finances tight.
I’ve also tried masks in the past. I reacted to them - especially the carbon ones. Worst than the allergens. I even had trouble with the silk one - so didn’t use it. I guess it is off-gassed enough I can tolerate it now. What I’ve done - in a pinch - when bothered by something in the air - is pull my shirt up over my nose and hold it there. That help - some.
My short answer, since you addressed most in your post.
You should wear a mask if you feed it.
I would worry about the horse too…so I might look for alternatives. At the very least, I would feed it outside and not in a stall.
I’ve used the Standlee compressed alfalfa bales for a few winters now. When my current bale is finished, I’m going to try the Standlee Chopped Alfalfa (also a 50 pound bag). Maybe the chopped alfalfa will be less dusty? It will certainly be easier to dump in the trash can! Anyway, I’m going to give it a go as my TSC just started carrying it. I’ll let you know if its less dusty once I get a bag, probably this weekend.
I researched the Standlee chopped alfalfa. Pretty sure it’s a 40 pound bag. Canola used to keep down dust? Flavored with Rosemary extract? Years and years ago I bought a bag of chopped alfalfa. I don’t remember who made it - but not Standlee. It was about 90 pct “powder” and 10 pct “stalk”. I tossed it out. Yes, would like to know what you think of the alfalfa chop. Tks.
There must be some regional differences, or my high humidity makes the difference. I too use compressed alfalfa, TSC Standlee brand. I stand it on end, circumferential cut the green bag in half. (I feed 1/2 bag at a time for 3 horses). I use my hay knife to press down and cut the 3 cords. No dust flies up. I load the 1/2 bag in my Gorilla cart and take it outside to divvy up.
I leave the other half sitting right there until next feed time. It’s inside in the hay and tool stall. I feed it outside, some dust does fly off if I shake it vigorously on to the ground. I put a layer of less delicious hay on the ground first to protect them from the bare ground/mud. (They get other hay am and pm too, just get alfalfa pm)
If I have to keep them in and feed inside, I put it in a muck bucket and wet it slightly, but that is rare. It really is the only thing to keep wt on the OTTB in Winter. Nobody coughs or sneezes.
At least with the compressed hay brands I’ve used, the stems seem shorter or chopped somehow. I bought it when we had 3 little goats because it was more convenient. But even they seemed to waste most of it. I can’t imagine feeding it to a horse dry. 2/3 of the bale
would end up on the ground.
Adding - I used Chaffhaye brand chopped alfalfa as part of the finish on a couple steer. I was really impressed with it. Very low dust and extremely fresh smelling. It’s slightly fermented, which keeps it moist. (It’s fermented in a way that’s still safe for horses.) Didn’t feed much of it to the horses because they really didn’t need the alfalfa. But they would go ballistic when I put some out “for taste”.
I just took to wearing a dust mask when I did the barn. I’m horribly allergic to hay (yay, me) and just cleaning stalls was enough to set me off. I wore it for stalls, throwing hay, and any time I had to stack hay. I also wore it grooming through spring and summer, when I could see the pollen on my horse’s coat.
I can see the off-gassing of a new mask being bad, especially if you’re sensitive to it. I broke one out yesterday for a deep cleaning of our carpeted stairs (omg, how does the vacuum miss so much pet hair?). The smell of the new mask was pretty harsh.
They are. That’s how the bale gets “compressed” and where all the dust comes from. I don’t like feeding the Standlee bales for that very reason. This winter, I’ve been buying compressed bales of alfalfa produced by Flack Farms (they’re in Indiana, but a local barn orders by the truckload) and have been thrilled with the quality. According to their website, they only cut down/compress the hay once, compared to other brands that do so three times. My experience matches their claims that, as a result, the hay is less shattered. It looks more like typical hay, and the horses seem to waste/lose less of the leaf material this way. Their bales are still 45 pounds but are intermediate in size between typical two-string bales and the Standlee type compressed bales.
All good info. 4Leaf - thanks for pics etc on the chopped Alfalfa. I wish they would do the same for Timothy. I’m trying to back off feeding alfalfa of any kind. I lost my last horse to complications involving a large enterolith. He was fed a diet high in alfalfa. I was just reading somewhere about alfalfa grown in different parts of the country. West coast vs East coast? That alfalfa grown on the west coast has a higher/different mineral content vs alfalfa grown elsewhere in the US? West coast alfalfa is the kind more likely to be involved with enteroliths? I assume that Standlee’s chopped alfalfa - as name implies - Western Forage - is grown on the west coast. California or Idaho? Is there such a thing as a safer alfalfa re: enteroliths?
There are sources available for compressed timothy. Standlee and Flack Farms both offer it, and I’m sure other suppliers do as well.
