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Is it OK for horses to eat moldy hay?
Don’t feed moldy hay to horses. Most moldy hay problems are from mold spores, which can produce respiratory disease in horses. Many of the common mold toxins develop in the field during a delayed harvest.
What can moldy hay cause?
Moldy hay can also cause colic. Botulism is a concern for horses consuming hay, particularly large round bales. If animals or carcasses of small animals, such as mice, are caught up in the bale during harvesting, they can infect the hay with Clostridium botulinum bacteria as they decay.
What happens if a horse eats moldy feed?
When ingested by a horse in significant amounts, fumonisin causes a neurological condition in horses, equine leukoencephalomalacia (ELEM), also known as moldy corn disease. ELEM causes degradation of the white matter of the equine’s brain, with symptoms including blindness, incoordination and death.
How can you tell if hay is moldy?
Look for Mold Cut open a bale of hay and separate the flakes. Look for the presence of mold in any of the flakes. Moldy hay generally presents as darker areas which are grey or black. If you find mold, refuse the bale – mold indicates that the hay was baled when it was too wet.
How do you know if horse hay is bad?
Signs that your horse hay may be bad include a lack of color or dried-out appearance, a moldy smell, excessive dust, visible mold, or excessive heat towards the center of the hay bale. Because hay provides your horse with so many essential nutrients, you must provide your horse with the best quality hay available.
What happens if baled hay gets wet?
However, if hay bales are too wet, mold can grow and give off heat, creating a fire hazard. You can reduce this risk by not stacking the bales. “That’s why some people make bales and let them sit out individually until they have “cured”.
What is the best hay to feed a horse?
If the horse cannot eat hay (leaves wads of hay by feeder): Feed complete feed with highly digestible fiber.
Why do horses like hay so much?
Please take advantage of the cooler times of the day to exercise,and take frequent breaks to allow him to catch his breath.
How do I know if Hay is moldy?
Hay that is turning yellow will smell like corn. Don’t feed either but save it for a summer smudge to drive the bugs away. Don’t put hay close to your face to smell for molds. The molds are very harmful in the lungs. If horses have plenty of good hay they won’t touch the moldy hay if accidently fed. 1 – 15 of 15 Posts.
What do horses eat besides Hay?
Grass. Horses are herbivores and need to graze on grass or eat other plants to digest their food correctly.