How do I get my horse hay tested?

​How to Take a Sample in 5 Steps IMPORTANT TIP: Insert the probe at the end of the bale (not from the side) a minimum of 12”-15”. Insert the probe at the end of the bales. ​​3. After you have cored 2 bales of hay, disconnect the probe from your drill and empty the contents into the clean plastic bucket.

How can you tell the quality of hay from a horse?

Horse hay needs to be of good quality. Horse hay should be bright green, leafy and fine textured, with a fresh, pleasant aroma. Musty hay or other indications of mold or heating, and dust, weeds and other foreign material in hay can be unhealthy for an animal.

Do hay nets work?

Using slow feed hay nets is one of the most effective ways to reduce hay wastage. It’s also linked to a lot of benefits, including improvements in horses’ physical and mental health. Net types of slow feeders are safe, durable, easy to fill, and can be used anywhere.

How much does hay analysis cost?

Quick facts. A basic hay analysis costs about $20. Optimum horse hay moisture ranges from 10 to 15 percent. ADF values under 45 percent are generally good for horses.

How do you know if hay is good quality?

Look for the following characteristics: Maturity – High quality hay will have a high proportion of leaves in the bale, with few or no coarse stems or seed heads. Condition – High quality hay will contain little dust or mold. Color & odor – High quality hay generally has a bright green color and a sweet, fresh odor.

Are round bale hay nets safe for horses?

If round bales are the only option, consider using round-bale feeders with small mesh sizes to keep the hay off the ground, minimize wastage, and decrease the chances horses will plunge their muzzles into the bale, which is less than ideal for respiratory health.

How do you take a hay sample without a probe?

There are two ways you can take hay samples: with a hay probe or by hand. Regardless of the technique used, the sample should be representative of the entire lot. This means that you should sub-sample around 10% of the total bales in the lot from a minimum of 10 corings and/or hand grabs.

How do you use a hay moisture tester?

Therefore, the general rule is to fill a bucket with hay that is tightly compacted. Then simply insert the tester probe and let it do its thing. Once an initial reading has been obtained, mix up the hay and pack it down again. Then take another reading.

When feeding horses hay What are some signs the hay is poor quality?

In addition, free access to hay and/or forage can help to reduce gastric upset, especially in horses prone to equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS)5. Poor-quality hay may be damp and moldy with a musty or fermented smell. Hay that appears weathered, straw-like, or brown is likely low in nutritional value.

What is the most important indicator of hay quality?

Ash not only measures the portion of hay crops that provides no energy to the animal, it is an excellent indicator of soil contamination, which also dilutes the energy in hays. Fiber is the major organic component of hay crops that affects intake and digestibility.

What happens if a horse eats moldy hay?

Moldy hay can kill a horse. It’s a cause of colic that can be fatal, and some types of mold are toxic to horses. And inhaled mold spores enter horses’ respiratory systems when they eat, causing heaves or other chronic respiratory diseases. Feeding moldy hay to horses is dangerous.