Hay quality for 2012 was never likley to be the best!  The late harvest meant that hay had lost its colour and was well through its life cycle.  Nutrients are low but for the majority of the market that is fine for hay.

2012 hay is now being distributed to our customers.  Normally we would expect approx 1% of bales to have issues with dust when at the end of the day we are dealing with a natural product, this year we are finding that percentage to be higher given the conditions when making the hay.

At Smithy Briggs we use a hay preservative ‘Balers Choice’ this product is pH neutral and completely safe and its job is to stop mould growth which subsequently causes dust.  It works up to a moisture content of 27%.  Generally ‘Balers Choice’ cannot combat a ‘wet lump’ which has not dried.  In a year like this given the extreme wet the incidence of ‘wet lumps’ at baling time will be higher and this is the problem.

We aim to supply quality hay and when customers have a significant problem they simply get their money back, or usually a free bale!