To ensure you're getting the best hay, ask you supplier these questions.
We'd love to sell you our hay, but we understand sometimes you have to buy it from someone else. In those cases, make sure you know your supplier well.
I took the picture above to prove a point. These bales look like really nice clean, green hay - looks like your horses would eat it up!!
WRONG!! These two bales were thrown on our burn pile. They are completely full of weeds and we wouldn't feed them to our horses.
We have not, nor will we ever willingly sell our customers bad hay! We pride ourselves on being honest about our hay. Here are some questions you can ask your supplier to help you get to know their hay:
Has the hay been fertilized? How much fertilizer?
Has it been treated for weeds? What chemicals were used?
Are there any weeds in the hay? What kinds of weeds? (some are more palatable than others)
What cutting is this hay from? (first, second, third, etc.)
Was this hay rained on after it was cut and laying on the ground?
Was the hay rained on after it was baled?
How much moisture was in the hay when it was baled?
Reputable hay growers should be happy to answer all your questions. The hay may or may not be perfect, but by asking these questions you can find hay that is acceptable for your uses.