# can i feed hay with mold in it



## rjmaines (Jul 18, 2013)

Might be a dumb question but people are always listing moldy hay for goats on craigslist?


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Stay away from it!! Moldy hay is one of the worst things a goat can eat.


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## Parttimepotter (Jul 3, 2013)

I asked the same question recently to the expert goat guy down the road because I too was tempted by cheap hay on cl. 

He said absolutely not! He says they are just like horses...


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## enchantedgoats (Jun 2, 2013)

absolutely not!!


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I ditto that...No Moldy hay or feed or mineral for goats..


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## mmiller (Apr 3, 2012)

Moldy hay would end up costing you more in the long run cause you could very easily lose some goats. Its cheaper to buy good non moldy hay!!


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## rjmaines (Jul 18, 2013)

Sounds like its a bad ideal thank u can I ask one more stupid question lol I read different things about chickens with goats a bad ideal also?


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Chickens _can_ be with goats but 2 drawbacks.
Actually three.
Goats cant have chicken feed so that needs to be locked up.
Water needs to be up where chickens wont poop in it. This means clipping wings.
Poop is always so attractive on goat coats.


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## peachpatch143 (Jul 23, 2013)

If I were ever to consider putting my goats and chickens together that definitely just change my mind!! Lol


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

If I see or smell mold, I will not feed it to my goats, I will take it back to the store or person I buy hay from. Absolutely no mold, not good.


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## peachpatch143 (Jul 23, 2013)

Hay with mold is horrible!! I know in horses it can cause breathing problems and a cough, can't imagine what it does to their bellies. You can even tell if hay is beginning to mold bc when you separate the flakes it's dusty, that's a bad sign!


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

peachpatch143 said:


> Hay with mold is horrible!! I know in horses it can cause breathing problems and a cough, can't imagine what it does to their bellies. You can even tell if hay is beginning to mold bc when you separate the flakes it's dusty, that's a bad sign!


Not necessarily. A lot of dry hay can look dusty and be perfectly fine. You have to use common sense when feeding hay...if it smells and looks moldy, then don't feed it.

The other day, we baled a few big bales in the heat of the day while working on getting the balers going. Well I'm feeding those bales to my horses right now. It's so dry it gives off a "dust" when you're feeding, moving, or opening the bales...100% safe and normal...it's just super dry! No mold whatsoever. So my point is...if it's "dusty"...that doesn't automatically mean it's moldy.


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## peachpatch143 (Jul 23, 2013)

Really, bc my old equine vet told me to watch for the dustiness said that was a sign mold was starting, but I believe you over the vet they aren't always the brightest even though that's what they went to school for right. You learn much more by experiencing things yourself, not reading from a book!!


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I can guarantee the "dusty" hay i'm feeding my horses right now is 100% mold free. We grow supreme and premium alfalfa hay for the local cattle dairies and feedlots.


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## BarrelRacer (Jul 22, 2013)

I wouldn't recommend it goats may be known to eat anything but mold is mold and it may kill them.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

ditto everyone else..................no mold
If it seems dusty I smell it. We got a few bales with some mold a couple years ago. I fed it to the rabbits with no ill effects.

My chickens free range so they get into the goats pen and share the pasture. They do like to lay eggs in the manger.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

The only concern about feeding dusty hay is the dust getting in their lungs. If you feed dusty hay, it would be a good idea to mist down each flake you feed before so the dust doesn't go everywhere, and into their eyes/lungs


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

peachpatch143 said:


> You can even tell if hay is beginning to mold bc when you separate the flakes it's dusty, that's a bad sign!


Your statement is totally untrue! Dusty hay has absolutely NOTHING to do with hay starting to mold. Mold is the result of hay being rained on, stored improperly, or baled too wet. They are two completely different things, so please do some research prior to making sweeping statements like this in the future. Thank you in advance.


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## peachpatch143 (Jul 23, 2013)

It's just simply info my equine vet told me I wrote that in a post, I try to take my vets advice I assume they know what they're talking about, which like I said is not always true.


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## .:Linz:. (Aug 25, 2011)

Yup, no moldy hay. Feeding moldy hay, besides just being a bad idea generally, can deplete the thiamine (vitamin B 1) in their rumens, and cause goat polio. Don't feed moldy grain, either!


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