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Does Hay have a sell by date?

clarebear

clarebear

Mama Doe
Sorry that's probably a really silly question! I only ask because the Excel Hay I buy from my local pet store never seems as nice as the Excel Hay I buy from Pets @ Home.
 
I've been wondering this too but daren't ask :oops::oops:

I have loads of expensive timothy hay from last year I never used, it looks/smells okay but don't really want to risk it. It's probably no use now, but can't bear to throw it out until I know for definite it's no good.
 
Mine is Timothy Hay with Herbage. When I put any in Bramble's run it seems to turn brown really quickly compared to the P@H stuff.
 
Look at it, feel it and smell it, that's the best guide. If there's any signs of damp it needs to be thrown.

Hay never lasts long enough round here to go off in any way!!
 
I have bales of hay instead of using the packets from pet stores - it's far cheaper - £5 per bale as opposed to £3 for the equivilant of 1 section of a bale!
As long as the hay is dry & smells sweet it's fine.
If it's damp or smells musty then don't use it! As long as the bales you buy have been baled once properly dried & then kept in the dry they will last.:wave:
 
So long as its stored somwhere dry and out of sunlight (stops condensation in any plastic bags the hay comes in) it should be fine, if it smells nasty just throw it. I used to buy the compressed hay in plastic from P@H which was fine but I always took the whole lot out and gave it a good shake then put it into a much bigger bag, this let the air circulate so it didn't have a chance of going mouldy, then I stored it in our shed :D
 
Thank you. I take mine straight out of the packet and put it into my cloth Hay bag from The Hay Experts.

It doesn't seem to have bothered Bramble that it goes a bit brown.....it's all gone! It smells lovely.
 
Generally if you think about it, hay get harvested twice a year (both around summertime ish), that harvest will have to last until the following year and behyond a bit (we'll have to see if there's enough to last this year!)

Hannah :)
 
Generally if you think about it, hay get harvested twice a year (both around summertime ish), that harvest will have to last until the following year and behyond a bit (we'll have to see if there's enough to last this year!)
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking. This time last year I think I was still buying the previous years cut but this year due to shortage I'm already buying this years cut. So if you think about it if you buy a bale sometimes they are almost a year old so there's no date on it as such its more important that it is stored properly.
 
Amy104 said:
That's what I was thinking. This time last year I think I was still buying the previous years cut but this year due to shortage I'm already buying this years cut. So if you think about it if you buy a bale sometimes they are almost a year old so there's no date on it as such its more important that it is stored properly.
Click to expand...

Same here.

We use same supplier which is baled hay in boxes and as long as it's kept somewhere dry and warm it will store for up to a year. My farmer only really gets one cut per year so we live on that hay all year until the next summer when the new stuff comes in. I keep my hay in the cardboard boxes it is shipped in indoors in a dry warm room in the house. :)
 
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