feeding hay

Question
I've just purchased a few bales of Alfalfa/Orchard grass hay.  It smells sweet, looks good, but sticks together and I did find a small moldy spot in the center of only one bale.  I opened up all the bales and am drying each flake now under fans.  It seems a little dusty due to the flaking off of the leaves.  I'm thinking that the hay had too high a moisture content when recently baled.  Am I ok to feed this to my horses provided it still smells sweet or did that little bit of mold ruin all of it?

Answer
Hi Elizabeth,

Thank you for your question.  The mold in your hay is most probably due to having been baled without first being properly dried.  It is a problem that most people encounter at one time or another and the approach to take is sometimes a personal choice...in that if you get rid of all of your hay because of the dust, what do you feed?!?

The mold itself can cause illness in your horse, not in all cases but you'll never know until it is too late.  It can cause gas colic and the mycotoxins (by-product of the mold) can over time cause ulcers and liver damage.  The severity of all of these is directly related to how much the horse consumes.  The dust that comes from disturbing the mold can cause respiratory issues for your horse, but will be seen only after prolonged exposure.  In both cases, the effects of a small isolated amount may go completely unnoticed.  However, lengthy exposure to even low levels can overtime create irreversible damage.  So, you really need to make that choice depending on what you have for resources.  If you only have a few bales like this then throw them out...but if you have a lot of it you'll need to manage your hay.  Inspect your hay carefully and remove all moldy spots...don't feed mold. In some bales the mold may be found only in spots and the rest fed out, some bales may be full of mold. Feed a mycotoxin binder of some sort to eliminate the dangers of stray mold.  Water or soak your hay as you feed it to eliminate the dust and the effects it has on your horse's airways.  If it is something you bought, bring it to your supplier's attention and either switch the type or cut of hay you have been buying from them or find another supplier.

I hope this gives you something to work with.  If you need a mycotoxin binder let me know and I'll make some suggestions.

Thanks, Corlena