Is it possible to use hay that has dried out after being damp?

I sort of know the answer to this one really, but it doesn't hurt to get some extra opinions!

I had ten bales of Dust Free Hay delivered On Tuesday, and to cut a long story short, the DHL driver ignored my (very clear) note asking him NOT to leave the hay outside as I would collect them from the depot, and left them on my doorstep. It rained, and some of the bales got wet :| By the time I got home on Tuesday the hessian sacks felt damp but not soaking, so I brought them all indoors, laid them out to dry and went to drown my sorrows at the Hoppers Group Meeting! :lol: Fortunately Norman wraps the bales up together really well with shrink wrap plastic, so the inner six bales or so were definitely all dry.

By yesterday morning the previously damp bales felt completely dry and there's no obvious difference in colour or smell between the previously damp bales and the dry bales, so I'm wondering if I can use them after all :? (they both smell a LOT better than the stuff I got from the pet shop as back up!)

I'm *very* wary though because Frankie has a sensitive tum and I don't want to make him, or any of the fluffies ill. I think I might just have to write it off as a bad job and compost those and buy some fresh ones. Any thoughts? :?

I think its best to not use the previous damp hay best to be safe then sorry i would complain to the delivery company and tell them they owe you some hay

I would claim from DHL too. They were damaged in transit so to speak and you shouldn't have to recover the loss yourself.

Thanks guys. I put an official complaint into DHL yesterday and they are investigating. The girl I spoke to was really nice, she seemed genuinely horrified that it had been left without a signature anyway, not to mention that it had left out in the rain!

I can only assume that either the driver didn't bother to knock on the door (as he would have seen the note) or that he read the note but as the weather was good in the morning, thought it would be fine and so choose to disregard it. Who knows??! :?

Talking of deliveries gone wrong... i had a delivery person who left my parcels (wrapped in plastic) in the rabbits run which they have access to all day! Thankfully the buns weren't in but the guy couldn't have known that - what would have happened if they'd chewed the plastic bags!!

Morrigan1981 said:

Thanks guys. I put an official complaint into DHL yesterday and they are investigating. The girl I spoke to was really nice, she seemed genuinely horrified that it had been left without a signature anyway, not to mention that it had left out in the rain!

I can only assume that either the driver didn't bother to knock on the door (as he would have seen the note) or that he read the note but as the weather was good in the morning, thought it would be fine and so choose to disregard it. Who knows??! :?

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Hope it all works out good

I call them DH-Hell. I point blank refuse to use them anymore - if they are a companys courier then I arrange delivery myself or buy somewhere else!

Although the bales felt dry on the outside the hay further inside may still be damp & may grow mould / mildew, so I wouldn't use it. (I'm assuming you didn't open the sacks and spread the hay out to dry in your house :lol

Mike

Pepsi's People said:

Although the bales felt dry on the outside the hay further inside may still be damp & may grow mould / mildew, so I wouldn't use it. (I'm assuming you didn't open the sacks and spread the hay out to dry in your house :lol

Mike

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I didn't, but I was tempted :lol: I've pulled open one of the bales since and it does feel and smell OK, but I think it's just too big a risk to take, so it's off to compost heap with it. Grrr :lol:

I definitely wouldn't risk it Tracey - I'll Pm you in a minute with a proposal you might like re Hay

Morrigan1981 said:

Thanks guys. I put an official complaint into DHL yesterday and they are investigating. The girl I spoke to was really nice, she seemed genuinely horrified that it had been left without a signature anyway, not to mention that it had left out in the rain!

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if it is left w/o a signature, you don't have to admit that you receive the item, nor receive the item in good condition. they have rules, and one of them is that you have the right to examine the shipment before signing.

For e.g., say you order a TV and there is a hole on the box, usually the receiver, should deny the shipment and choose not to sign it. Because you don't know the extent of the damage.

You can even claim some bale of hay are missing, that only some arrives. Your job is to do whatever it takes to make the claim go thru. A bale of hay is no different than a TV.

Would someone leave a box of TV in the rain? It's very common sense. If DHL deny your claim, tell them you just make a head count, and half of the hays are missing that you never receive it, and the other half are damaged.

I dealt with this kind of situation all the time, as I receive shipment from various couriers monthly, keep us posted