# Hay with weeds



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Is it common to have weeds in hay? The last load I got last year (I supplement my horses through the summer because we don't have enough grass) has quite a bit of weed in it (just one kind, don't know the name but it looks long and thick). So they obviously spread it all around, so I clean up the hay almost every time I give them some (to reduce the waste). On other hand they LOVE this hay and besides the weed it's all gone by the end of the night. I never had such weedy hay before (I deal with just one same supplier for number of years already), so... Should I mention it to him? Should I change the supplier? I mean, it's not fun to trash some as well as clean those out every time I feed.


----------



## mysticalhorse (Apr 27, 2011)

I would ask my supplier what happened with that load. It sucks that your throwing away money via hay but at least your horses arent eating the weeds.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I've seen a weedy field again this year, so when I gonna buy extra I'll tell him I don't need those with weeds. 

I can't really say it's a HUGE waste, still very unpleasant...


----------



## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Yes. Hay has weeds. 
Not unusual at all.

Like everything else (your lawn, your garden, your driveway, the hedge row, etc) hay fields have weeds.

What weeds thrive can change from year to year depending on weather, etc.


----------



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Alwaysbehind said:


> Like everything else (your lawn, your garden, your driveway, the hedge row, etc) hay fields have weeds.


AB, I do understand any grass has weeds (whether it's timothy, orchard, or my backyard). :wink: However from what I was told (by the farmer) they use some kind of weed killer on hay fields to take care of weeds. Does it mean this particular weed is resistant to the killer? I do expect to find _*some *_weeds in hay, but not 1/5 - 1/4 of the bale for some bales.


----------



## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I will use my lawn as an example (it is just easier).
Mr. AB (a lawn person, sigh) puts weed-b-gone on the lawn. Weed-b-gone is a broad leaf killer. This is why it does not kill the grass, just the weeds. But some things that a lawn person considers a weed are not broad leaf. Darn weeds are smarter than we think they are. So the weed-b-gone kills the dandelions and some of the clover but not everything.

If your farmer puts a weed killer on a timothy hay field it is probably some form of broad lead killer. Though it kills many things, it does not kill everything.

Also, there are just some areas that get lots of weeds. Are all your bales full of weeds or just some bales?

One end of my hay field has this grass that Mr. AB and his farmer friend call June grass (no idea what it is really called). Really fine grass that grows fast and dies early. The horses will not eat it. Weed killer does not take it out. For those bales I clean up more waste.


If you truly do not like the hay you got from that field, mention it to your hay guy. I have yet to meet a hay guy who does not know what field is piled where in his barn.


----------



## mysticalhorse (Apr 27, 2011)

I know my hay supplier does her round bales in the weedier areas because those are going to cattle but does sq for horse hay. I know that doesnt help much but maybe it will give you something to ask your supplier about?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Talk to your supplier.


----------



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Alwaysbehind said:


> I will use my lawn as an example (it is just easier).
> Mr. AB (a lawn person, sigh) puts weed-b-gone on the lawn. Weed-b-gone is a broad leaf killer. This is why it does not kill the grass, just the weeds. But some things that a lawn person considers a weed are not broad leaf. Darn weeds are smarter than we think they are. So the weed-b-gone kills the dandelions and some of the clover but not everything.
> 
> If your farmer puts a weed killer on a timothy hay field it is probably some form of broad lead killer. Though it kills many things, it does not kill everything.
> ...


I see. Thanks for explaining! 

Well, looks like the whole load is pretty full of it (like 80 bales or so). Some has definitely a lot, some less, but all do (unfortunately). I NEVER had anything like that from him in past (I buy hay from same guy for 4 years already), and that's why I started the thread in 1st place. But may be the year was not lucky (for weeds) or something. I'll ask him next time I buy why and if I have to expect it this year again.


----------



## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

If the whole load is bad do call him up and talk to him about it. Hay costs good money. If there is a ton of weed that the horses are not eating you are not getting what you paid for.


----------



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Alwaysbehind said:


> Hay costs good money.


Tell me about it!  

The problem is I got it like last Dec, so too late to complain (we just open the shed couple weeks ago). Will see this year. The field next to the road was FULL of weeds this Spring (definitely no killer was used), so asking will be 100% on my list.


----------



## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

I'd call & tell him. He won't be surprised. I don't like weedy hay, besides the extra work I don't want those weeds growing on my place.

Opps, just saw your last post. Maybe he will trade for better stuff.


----------



## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

A weed is a wild flower growing in the wrong place.

In the UK we have ragwort - which is as toxic dead, after being harvested as it is found growing alive. Luckily horses won't choose to eat it, if given the choice of other plants to consume. The danger comes if a horse is hungry because other vegetation is lacking through drought or over grazing.

Grass is a subject all by itself - there are thousands of different varieties, the majority of which are safe for a horse to eat. Some grasses are more nutritious than others.

It is a good idea to know which toxic plants are likely to be found in your area so that you can learn to recognise them. For advice ask the local vet, the local farmer and consult the local branch of the regional horse society. 

Over here we have tendency to repeatedly use the same hay supplier whom we can trust to be selective in which fields they use to grow grass for hay making. A big danger for Brits are the hedgerows which can be a thousand years old in which thrive some plants dangerous to horses such as yew and deadly nightshade.

Grass husbandry and hay production is a subject worth studying by horse owners. Poor hay can be a source of sickness for horses. Ideally soils on which horses graze should be tested yearly and re-balanced with fresh seed or other treatments where necessary. Pastures used for horses should be rotated for grazing by other herbivores - particularly sheep. Horses are harsh users of grass fields - they scuff it up with their hooves, they selectively graze, they defecate on it and thereby alter the PH. 

We horse owners pay a lot of attention to training our horses and we pay out lots of money for additives and fancy treatments but often we don't watch the quality of the grass the horse eats - partly because often the management of the grass is not within our control. 
Ideally - all dung should be collected. The soil tested for ph. The field should be harrowed at least once a year. Certain weeds should be eradicated. A watch kept for notably poisonous plants which should be dug up and burned. Sick or potentially sick animals should be confined away from healthy animals. etc etc etc. So if you have a hay farmer who takes care of his fields, then don't argue about the last few cents of the price per bale. 

I know of several farmers who will willingly make and sell hay but who won't have horses on their grassland.

PS When you have finished studying about grass, pick up a text book on water.


----------



## cakemom (Jul 4, 2010)

We just changed hay suppliers as this years hay we got from our usual supplier was FULL of weedy mess that I won't feed. New supplier was $1.50 more a bale, but well worth it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Production Acres (Aug 26, 2009)

What kind of hay are you feeding? Pure grass stands or pure alfalfa stands should be weed free - within reason. Alfafa/grass mixtures are much more difficult to control the weeds as there are no herbicides available for such a mixture. How big of a hay purchase are you making? It is very easy to get all upset over your hay having leaves in it for example. You stomp and fart and raise your voice about the poor farmers pathetic hay, when in reality, you only bought 20 bales of hay and your 20 bales came from the outside windrow next to the only woods in a field that produced 2000 bales. It was not intentional, it just happened. Yes the farmer, dealer should make an adjustment, but things happen. Need more information - what kind of hay, and what kind of weeds.


----------



## cakemom (Jul 4, 2010)

Well, I had 100 crappy bales, told him and was told "noone else complained".
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Production Acres (Aug 26, 2009)

That is when you fire him.


----------



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Production Acres said:


> What kind of hay are you feeding?


PA, I get straight timothy always. No mix. My last load was 80 or so bales.


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

As long as there's no trefoil. When dry it's stemmy like tumbleweeds and the horses don't like it. As for thistles don't dismiss them as not being good for your horse. Given free range a horse will get in to them like a kid in a candy store. They do drop cow pies for a day or two but that won't hurt them. And the horse's coat will develop a nice bloom. Daisies and buttercups are merely bale fillers, Horses don't eat them either.


----------



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

A few weeds, I don't mind, even in a bale of alfalfa (the wind around here blows seeds and plants all over the countryside and I would prefer not to feed overly herbicided feed to my horses), but if there is consistently a good percentage of each bale that is nothing but weeds, then I would have a big problem with it. I pay for hay, not weeds.

I would talk to your supplier and either request weed-free bales for full price or tell him that you will take bales with weeds for a reduced price.


----------



## Production Acres (Aug 26, 2009)

a straight timothy should be relatively weed free. Your supplier should work with your concerns or fire him.


----------



## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

kitten_Val said:


> The problem is I got it like last Dec, so too late to complain (we just open the shed couple weeks ago).


An approach in working out a problem can drastically impact the end result. Complaining - is simply complaining. Approaching a problem with an open mind and ideas for a solution, will resolve the issue.


----------

