# moldy chaffhaye?



## grindylo (May 15, 2014)

Is chaffhaye supposed to be moldy?

I read that white clumps are normal but it's the very fuzzy moldy kind of white clump. Is that right? It smells okay but I'm nervous about it.

My mom got a bag of alfalfa chaffhaye for my nursing does to get some more weight on them. Been slowly increasing the amount over a couple weeks and when I went to put some in a dish I exposed the fuzz. It's our first time using it so we don't really know what to look out for.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Yes, it's a fuzzy growing kind of clump. It should smell like vinegar and yeast.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

You want that stuff, it's good bacteria!


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

I bought some of that stuff for my goats & they would not eat it. I tried mixing a little in their food every day, but it just kept getting moldier. I finally took it back to the feed store, thinking at least one of the employees could take it home & use it. The manager happened to walk up. He looked at it & said it would kill anything that ate it! I told him I'd followed the meager instructions on the bag. At that point I got a bit upset & asked politely for my money back (which I hadn't initially planned to do, thinking my goats were just picky) & he said no!!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

It usually takes a week or two before they will eat it. 

Feed store employees normally know very little about their products. I had one manager literally yell at me and tell me I was killing my goats by buying Safeguard horse paste instead of the goat liquid that is exactly the same.


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

The white stuff in there is the yeast...
Just be sure to make sure there is no fuzzy mold and such. Just smell it and I'm sure there is a difference in the good stuff and mold 

I'm with Jill... A lot of feed stores don't know much at all...  I go in some and get funny looks when I ask for certain things...

Luckily, the feed store I work at is very knowledgable, and I am the resident Goat lady haha! There are times I even get phone calls on my days off lol, but we pride ourselves in being knowledgeable and being able to he there and really help out customers. It's hard to find that!


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I have to break up the yeast lumps so all the goats get some or one will grab the chunk and all glory breaks out lol....


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## grindylo (May 15, 2014)

J.O.Y. Farm said:


> The white stuff in there is the yeast...
> Just be sure to make sure there is no fuzzy mold and such. Just smell it and I'm sure there is a difference in the good stuff and mold


I'm confused now... Fuzz bad or fuzz good?
My chaffhaye is VERY fuzzy. Seems like it got fuzzier from when I first saw it. It is white... Maybe I should take it back and see what they think. They're pretty knowledgeable but more so about horses than goats.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

What does it smell like?


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## grindylo (May 15, 2014)

Well, it was pretty bad. Not the right kind of fuzz. Too wet and smelled inedible. But maggots were the main cue. Ick.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

yep..maggots..EEEK big red flag!!....take it back, they should replace it.: )


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## wndngrvr (Dec 10, 2011)

I think chaffhaye needs to be used up quite quickly and also to follow their instructions on closing the bag. They say to fold the top down and put a rock on it -I use it all the time and have never seen fuzzy white mold stuff on it. Only the hard white area. I also use a bale in about 4-5 days. Check their web site and you will get better instructions and there may be a phone number there for questions. I keep mine inside a building and so never outside in the sun.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

I'll never buy it again. I only had 3 goats & they hated it & wouldn't eat it. I tried mixing it in gradually & they picked it out. The bag said nothing about using it up quickly & it went bad even though I kept it closed. Big waste of money. I buy bales of hay in dry weather & bags of pellets or chopped hay in the rainy season.


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## grindylo (May 15, 2014)

I think part of the problem was that we didn't use it quickly enough. The feed store exchanged it for us with a new bag and that one went bad, too. The first bag we had kept inside the house. Kept the second in the garage. We closed both pretty well. Started seeing the bad mold in the second bag about halfway through it, maybe after two weeks. Also, the feed store keeps the chaffhaye outside in part-shade. My girls really like it while it's fresh but we won't be buying it again.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

Mine gobbled it down the first time I showed it to them. Dern near had a riot on my hands! I wish I could afford to feed it to mine herd but it is just way out of my price range.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

grindylo said:


> I think part of the problem was that we didn't use it quickly enough. The feed store exchanged it for us with a new bag and that one went bad, too. The first bag we had kept inside the house. Kept the second in the garage. We closed both pretty well. Started seeing the bad mold in the second bag about halfway through it, maybe after two weeks. Also, the feed store keeps the chaffhaye outside in part-shade. My girls really like it while it's fresh but we won't be buying it again.


At least they gave you a new one-mine wouldn't. The bag should have better instructions or warnings or expiration dates or SOMETHING. I will never buy it again.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Is the "mold" white stuff? If so it's not mold its yeast, and is very good for them... Upon opening the bag it is best to use it up within a few days up to a week.... My crew loves it...


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## grindylo (May 15, 2014)

janeen128 said:


> Is the "mold" white stuff? If so it's not mold its yeast, and is very good for them... Upon opening the bag it is best to use it up within a few days up to a week.... My crew loves it...


No. Saw that stuff but then fuzzy gray mold developed. And maggots.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Oh, then yeah. I use mine in 2 days haven't had a bad bag yet....


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