What to Do with Wet Hay Bales: Don’t Toss Them!

I’ll tell you that it is very upsetting when hay bales get wet.

Whether a popup summer time storm caught you off guard and soaked the hay in your truck bed, or your barn’s roof developed a leak that went unnoticed for weeks…. it’ll really get you down.

Hay isn’t the cheapest farm commodity, and when it gets wet and molds, it’s not acceptable as food for many species including horses, goats, and rabbits.

It’s important to store hay in a way that preserves its quality, but sometimes…

things just happen on the farm; and not in the way that we would hope for.

But, here’s what you can do to attempt to save the hay, or re-purpose moldy hay!





What to Do with Wet Hay Bales in Order to Prevent Mold


If the hay bales were just exposed to water, you have a shot at saving them! Firstly, you can always throw the hay to the animals first, giving them all they can eat within 12 hours.This will eliminate some waste.

For more than a bale or two of freshly wet hay, you can make an attempt at drying it before mold can grow. However, this is going to take some time and space; it may or may not be worth it for your farm.

Cut the bales and fluff them, offering each bit of hay excellent air circulation. Keep the wet hay in a dry area, where the water can evaporate quickly. Turn the bale two or three times per day to keep the evaporation moving along quickly.

This is best attempted on warm days; especially if you can lay the wet hay out on a hot, sunny day.





What Can Eat Molded Hay Bales?


One of the only livestock animals that can eat molded hay are bovines. However, pregnant or nursing cows should not be fed molded hay.

This goes for weaned calves, as well.

Adult cattle that are not bred or ill are the least affected by molded hay. It is still not advisable to feed cattle moldy hay, but if you simply must use the hay as feed, these animals will be the least likely to react negatively.

This is evident by the use of hay rings left out in the field; if the hay is rained on, it will grow mold.

Larger herds may eat the hay before much mold grows, but mold is not a large concern among cattle ranchers.

Rabbits need hay that is dry and mold free, or you could make them very ill.





Other Great Uses for Molded Hay


If you have hay that is far too molded for use as food for your animals, there are a few other uses for it on the homestead. Whether you have one molded bale or thirty, there’s no reason to burn them!

Before using hay for the following applications, I recommend to keep it out of reach of your livestock, unless you know that they will not attempt to eat it. You should also ensure that the hay did not have herbicides or pesticides used on it in the field, as those chemicals could wreak havoc on your garden.





Using Molded Hay as a Temporary Winter Shelter for Livestock


With some t-posts, a cattle panel or two, and some tarps, you can build an excellent winter shelter.

The t-posts serve as an anchor and support system for arched cattle panels, which are then covered with tarps for protection from wind, precipitation, and sunlight.

Then, the molded bales can be used as an insulating, wind breaking wall. If there is concern that animals may attempt to eat the hay, place a fencing barrier between the animals and the hay, and add a tarp between the hay and fencing.





Using Hay As Weed Blocking Garden Mulch for No Dig, Back to Eden, or Ruth Stout Gardening


If you have a garden area, you can save the molded hay for use as mulch. Mulching a garden is one of the best ways to prevent weed growth while keeping the plants cool and moist.

Be sure to layer the hay at least 8″ thick in order to prevent weed growth. If weeds pop up, you can either weed them or apply more molded hay mulch!

As I warned previously, ensure that your hay has no herbicides within it. Certain herbicides, like 2-4D (2-4 Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), can last for 2 or more years in the soil; sometimes, they can linger for nearly a decade in heavy, clay soils.





Composting Hay for Rich, Organic Soil


If you don’t want to apply the hay directly to the garden, you can also compost it! Composted hay makes wonderful compost!

Give the hay between 3 and 12 months to compost, depending on the size of the compost pile, the season, and the proportion of greens and browns. If your compost has too much hay, it will be slower to compost. Keep the pile wet, and turn it frequently!