Should I return the alfalfa I got that is crunchy and has a decent amount of brown leaves/stems...? I got this stuff where I always get my hay and this time around it was just gross...
This time of year it's hard to find good alfalfa ...mostly what's for sale is last year's 3rd cutting which tends to be the stemmiest...However don't feel bad about returning hay...i return hay anytime whether it's 1 bale or 10 if it doesn't meet the standard...it's just business. ..won't hurt anyone s feelings and better to do that then pay 10 15 bucks a bale for less than adequate quality. ..I'mpaying 17 bucks a bale for alfalfa so when i geteven 1 crap bale i take it back...at the price I'm paying I expect a little quality ya know! I get a load of 50 or so at a time and then I set to the side any bales that get junky so the next time I get a load I give them back what didn't work last time...Most growers have other buyers or buyers feeding livestock they can sell it to..
Posted 2014-03-11 12:10 AM Subject: RE: Quick Alfalfa question...
Yeah the middle is just really stemmy and I'm finding twigs and stuff in there. It's so hard to even pull a part with my hands, where my last bale was falling a part when I picked it up. What should it look/feel like? Lol I've never had one look like this before
Posted 2014-03-11 4:56 AM Subject: RE: Quick Alfalfa question...
IMO .. What you are describing is first cutting and the outside rows in a hay field where there is debris from trees.
4 ways I look at your description >>>>
This past spring a lot of areas never cut hay until late may into july which made everything stemmy due to late cutting.
Then if you add a rain shower while it is laying on the ground and you have to rake it again to help it dry out ... you get that dried out feel and look thru the entire bale with a few leafy green spots ...............
if a load got rained on being shipped to another state ... then you turn bales to dry out and not mold and you get this same crispy over dried situation. ....
4thly ... if they are the outside bales that are stored in dry states or at the perimeter of a barn stacked with hay .... the outside bales may be what you see.
If you are paying for horse alfalfa that should be leafy and bright green on the inside ... then take it back and hope they have some better alfalfa than it ..... your hay supplier already knows this hay is not the high quality he normally would buy to sell ...
This photo is me feeding year old alfalfa that had been stored in my barn in order to clear out the barn in June of the following year .... it is almost as green as the grass it is laying on ...
Posted 2014-03-11 6:56 AM Subject: RE: Quick Alfalfa question...
More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425 Location: Riding Crackhead.
I would have to agree with the above poster but I would want to see a picture of it to be sure what you are describing. The first cutting alfalfa will get whatever was laying in the field from the prior growing season raked up and baled. We like to get growth on our fields before the hard frost so it catches snow so our first cutting gets that cut, raked & baled in with the new hay. Nothing wrong with it but its still in there. I prefer to feed 2nd and 3rd cutting alfalfa because its finer and shorter stems.
Posted 2014-03-11 10:56 AM Subject: RE: Quick Alfalfa question...
The closer to the middle of the bale I'm getting the nicer it's looking. I cannot figure out how to get pictures on this website for the life of me, but I will definitely try and post some.....
Quick Alfalfa question...
