Hay & Feed
Bale First Cutting a Little Too Green and the Stack Heats Itself, Sometimes Hot Enough to Burn
Hay put up above 18 to 20 percent moisture keeps working after it leaves the field. Sometimes it just molds and loses…
Hay & Feed
Put Up Hay a Little Too Wet and the Stack Can Heat, Mold, or Catch Fire Weeks After Baling
Baling first-cutting hay before it's dry enough sets off heating inside the bale that can spoil feed and, in the worst case,…
Hay & Feed
Bale Your First Cutting Too Green and the Stack Heats Until It Cooks—or Catches Fire
Wet hay doesn't just mold. Bales put up above safe moisture can heat past 150 degrees, lose feed value, and in a…
Hay & Feed
Bale That First Cutting Too Wet and the Stack Will Heat Until It Smokes
Hay put up a few points too green keeps working after it leaves the field. Learn to read moisture, stack for airflow,…
Hay & Feed
Bale the First Cutting Too Wet and the Stack Can Catch Fire Three Weeks Later
Hay put up above safe moisture keeps heating in the stack long after you've left the field, and by July it can…
Hay & Feed
Bale It Too Wet and the Stack Cooks Itself From the Inside
Hay that goes in the stack a few points too wet heats, molds, loses feed value, and in a bad year lights…
Hay & Feed
Bale It Too Wet and It’ll Cook: Watching Moisture on the First Cutting
Hay put up a little green feels like a win in a short weather window, but bales stacked too wet heat, mold,…
Hay & Feed
Wet Hay Heats Up: How First-Cutting Bales Catch Fire in the Stack
Baling first-cutting hay a little too damp can cook your stack from the inside out — and start a fire weeks after…