Nelson Road Veterinary Clinic

10/12/2026

Page 4 of 4 - Feeding Livestock in a Drought

It is unfortunate that Facebook does not allow this final page to be printed here as we have references for hay buying and testing (i.e. at Dairy Authority, 8215 West 20th Street, Greeley) and much more. Seems they do not allow website contacts to be published. We have all of the information provided, and morre, in a single page back to back client education sheet available at the clinic if you wan to stop by and pick one up. Nelson Road Veterinary Clinic, 8875 Nelson Road, Longmont, Colorado 80503

Cumberland Valley Analytical Services (CVAS) is an agricultural laboratory focused on providing feed and forage analysis services. Our technologies support animal production, feed manufacturing, agronomy, biofuel production, water quality, and manure management needs in the U.S. and globally. Our su...

10/12/2026

Page 3
When we have a drought one needs to consider that some pastures and feeding practices can have nitrate and cyanide toxicity concerns, which may complicate the decision on NPN feeding. There are some w**ds which naturally can accumulate nitrates and if stressed the percentage increases. If consumed in moderate quantities these w**ds can cause poisoning. Pigw**d, lamb’s quarters, Kochia, wild sunflowers, thistles, dock, goldenrod, helitrope, nightshade, panicum grass, Johnson grass and Jimson w**d are a few of these plants. "Lowland abortion" is an old term for ruminants that have grazed pastures with w**ds too high in nitrates. Pigs can develop toxicities if the feed contains more than 1800 mg nitrates/kg of feed (NO3), or 400 mg of nitrites (NO2) per kilogram. Pigs can be more sensitive to sodium nitrite toxicity as their body does not break down this compound as quickly. A pink salt used for meat curing has sodium nitrate in it as a FYI and thus can be toxic if fed to pigs. Other crop plants will take up excess nitrates if stressed and/or sprayed with a plant herbicide such as 2,4-D. Over fertilization can also cause nitrate poisoning. Rye, corn, sorghums (i.e. Sudan), oats, barley, wheat, r**e, kale, turnips, flax, soybeans, alfalfa, sweet clover and the brome or witch grasses can all cause nitrate toxicities under the proper conditions. Under rare conditions even the "curbisets" (cucumber, squash and others of the Cucurbitaceae family) and other root crops (beets, rutabaga, carrots, radishes), celery, broccoli, and marigolds can cause a nitrate toxicity. ONLY UNDER SPECIFIC CONDITIONS DOES NITRATE TOXICITY FROM PLANTS BECOMES A PROBLEM. Luckily we rarely see this problem.
If you are feeding baled corn stalks they can have a 40-70% TDN (60% average) and 3-7% protein (4% average). If you bale the corn stalks this will then increase the amount of stover recovered. In some areas the stover can drop to 40% TDN in late winter if left standing. The body condition of the cattle needs to be monitored when grazing or feeding stover. You cannot consider feeding only stover for your livestock’s dietary needs as protein and other nutrients will need to be supplemented. On stover the supplementing alfalfa hay at 0.75 #/150 # ewe, or for a cow it is 5-6 # hay daily (or 2 # of 38% protein supplement or 3.5 # of dried distillers grains can be considered for the natural protein supplement feeding or grazing stover). It cannot be overstated that any stressed corn or similar sorghum family of grains should have not only a nitrate-nitrate test but also and cyanide test performed before feeding. This is especially so with sorghum/oat hay that is questionable hay and/or appears to come from a drought area, etc.

Cumberland Valley Analytical Services (CVAS) is an agricultural laboratory focused on providing feed and forage analysis services. Our technologies support animal production, feed manufacturing, agronomy, biofuel production, water quality, and manure management needs in the U.S. and globally. Our su...

10/12/2026

Part 2 - drought
On average a growing calf needs 12-16% protein, a pregnant cow 7-9% and to maintain a mature cow it is 7% on a dry matter basis (DM). In a normal year we recommend at least 2 # of alfalfa hay to be routinely fed daily per yearling cow with adequate winter pasture in our area. Sheep and goats are similar in their requirements. Dairy/milking animals are different and a nutritionist should be involved in these operations.
Expect the average 1000 # cow to consume ½ to 2 # of a protein tub per day. The harder baked tubs will be 1.25 # or less and the softer poured tubs will be the higher amount. There are liquid supplements that are delivered by a tank trailer type truck and controlling or limiting similar liquid supplements will take more management for the average small producer; we do not recommend these NPN liquid products routinely as their sources are not near us. The first week or two you should expect animals to ingest a higher amount of this novel type food from a natural protein or a non-protein nitrogen (NPN) tub. We do not recommend over 1/3 of the diet as NPN to be fed to ruminants. These NPN products should not be fed to horses and camelids at all or a toxicity will occur. If your calculations or “convenience” indicates that you will be using protein tubs it is better to start now to help save your pasture. (If there is no pasture you will need to buy more hay than tubs). If your animals have experienced a grass tetany (low magnesium), a milk fever (low calcium) or a low phosphorous problem in your herd please ask for our comparison information for these protein tubs and most of the manufacturers have these minerals in the tub if they also included the micronutrient minerals (copper, etc). Pregnant cows should not be on a high level of NPN and it is best to avoid NPN if at all possible as some pregnant cows may eat more than others. The average NPN tub has 8% NPN urea in a 6-10% range which is a 20-30% protein equivalent. 1 # of urea is equivalent to 2.8 # of natural protein yet if you look at the label it is crude protein (CP) and not the % urea, and the urea percentage is rarely given. If a 200 # tub of 24% NPN costs $75 it is $1.56 per pound of protein equivalent, while a 125 # tub of 16% natural protein at $55 this calculates out to $2.75 per pound of protein. If 8% grass hay is at $12 per 40 # bale then the equivalent is $3.75 per pound of protein. If a 16% alfalfa hay is in a 70 # per bale and at $12 this is $1.07 per # of protein. (And in your calculations of what is available you will then need to figure out the weight of a bale and the protein content). Some NPN tubs have a mixture label as 24-16-5 which indicates 24% protein, 16% is from urea and there is 5% fat content. You look at protein first and then the other vitamins and minerals in making a final decision---and one needs to realize that herbivores need fiber as over half of their diet (i.e. hay). Even though alfalfa hay or pellets may seem to be more expensive in some years these legume products are a good, safe source of natural protein for livestock and horses. If concerned or if in doubt use a natural protein (distiller grains, etc) protein tub or block, which are adequate for all livestock, camelids and horses if labeled so. In some areas treating straw with an ammonization process can increase the maximum amount of non-protein nitrogen in the diet, yet using up to 1/3 of the amount as ammonia is a dangerous product to work with and thus this process is not for the average farm as personal protective gear is required. For a method to ammoniate low-quality roughage (straw & corn stalks) one can go to the ag.ndsu.edu/disaster/drought/ or nsdu.edu sites to search for the information. In 2011 it cost $30/ton to treat wheat straw. This straw treatment is only FYI as it is not for the average producer to consider. When calculating your forage, tub, block or etc prices total delivery costs need to be considered. Energy is also a consideration if you are formulating for a complete diet, yet since you will be feeding hay as over ½ of the diet energy should be adequate.
There are also protein blocks available which are similar as they provide protein and usually they have micronutrients similar to those in a tub. A 21 # horse block that is 14% CP if sold at $20 is $6.80/pound of protein, the protein source is usually soybean meal. A 33 # natural protein/distillers grain base for livestock at 20% CP will be $2.27/pound of protein. Many natural protein blocks and tubs are also labeled as ok for horses. Cattle can have 33 # blocks at a 37% protein costing $22 and this is then #1.80/ # of protein---yet these contain urea (a NPN).

10/12/2026

This is part 1 – Facebook only allows one page to be posted at a time and unfortunately with this information it would not do justice to reduce any further the data.

We all know hay will be tight this year with the drought. If you think you will not have enough winter pasture for your livestock consider now purchasing a protein tub to help extend your pasture and hay. Historically you should graze ½ and leave ½ so that the grass will come back healthy next year. If you have already overgrazed consider a fertilizer with phosphorus for next year to help restore the pasture. If your animals are dry lotted still consider such a tub. Initially purchase a distiller’s grain-based type of protein tub (not NPN) which is safe for all livestock and there are some tubs even labeled just for horses. You should try not to rely on such a tub to supplement more than 25% of the daily protein or calorie requirements. Consider it as much of a vitamin and mineral supplement until you do calculations to determine where your winter forage(s) and protein source(s) will come from. If we have a cold winter the need for excess hay/energy can be 10-20% more than what you may anticipate so it is best to consider these protein tubs to help extend the supply since we are already in a drought with low hay storage levels. Feeding excess grains leads to colie, bloat and other problems.

Feeding Non-Protein Nitrogen (NPN) Product to Livestock on Winter Pasture and/or in a Drought

When we have a drought there are many choices to make in order to have the livestock operation survive. Always if there are any questionable and/or older animals these should be culled and taken to market. This information is mostly for cattle, goats and sheep. Equids and camelids are not ruminants and NPN should not be fed to them or a toxicity can occur. At times in a drought hay and/or alfalfa products can be brought in from nearby states and other times this may not be possible or cost effective, as in 2026 we have a widespread drought for 400+ miles east and no relief seen going west, north or south this year. It takes a calculator and forage testing analysis to determine the most cost effective purchase of winter feed, and with protein as the most expensive component as the basis for nutrition protein is the basis of most of the calculations. You may find that buying alfalfa hay or pellets for cattle may be more cost effective than NPN tubs if the price of oil/fertilizer is high. Hay cubs should not be fed to goats, sheep, camelids, horses and/or most livestock under 500-700 # in order to avoid choke.
If you think now that you will maybe be short on pasture this year if we have a cold winter, with high hay prices now increasing monthly due to the drought consider starting with at least a natural protein tub. If you have pigs, camelids and horses in the same pasture you should purchase only a natural protein tub and read the label to ensure alpacas, llamas and horses (mules & burros) can eat this product. Only ruminants can utilize NPN. For ALL protein tubs we recommend them to contain vitamins and minerals as part of their analysis. Vitamin A, vitamin D3, cobalt, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, salt (NaCl, Potassium) and zinc as a minimum. Also many tubs may contain calcium, iodine, iron, phosphorus, selenium, sulfur and Vitamin E. Calcium, iron, selenium and sulfur being the least important for mature animals in our area. If you have a brown mineral salt block with these other nutrients purchase the tub according to the protein cost (still containing micro nutrients and vitamins). For all livestock and for sheep we do recommend a low copper level labeled for sheep. All livestock should have available a brown mineral salt block containing many of the above minerals and we prefer a brown mineral over any white salt block products. Both a mineral salt block and protein tub can be utilized, and both should be considered especially in a drought. If any past diagnosis of a low mineral concern in your animals then ensure the protein tub and the brown mineral salt blocks contain those minerals and/or vitamins.

AS FYI FOR COMMON FEEDS AND THEIR PROTEIN AND ENERGY CONTENT, DM BASIS:
FEED NE maintenance NE gain CRUDE
PROTEIN %
Alfalfa hay -good 0.71 Mcal/ # 0.27 Mcal/ # 20.6%
Alfalfa -poor 0.47 0.09 13.7
Corn stover 0.56 0.26 6.5
Oat hay 0.52 0.18 9.9
Prairie hay 0.49 0.13 8.1
Timothy hay,full bloom 0.58 0.25 8.0
Corn silage 0.73 0.43 8.0
Beet pulp 0.73 0.47 9.6

09/27/2026

HOLIDAYS AND PET CARE

The holidays can be a difficult time for some pets. For the pets it is fortunate that we have reduced the amount of fireworks used for some celebrations. If you feel your pet will be scarred and run away during any of the holidays, we have a flashing strobe light available for less than $5, which will help identify your animal if they get loose. The light will last for many hours. We recommend all pets have collars and identification tags worn at all times for visual identification; microchips are highly recommended as a permanent I.D. Visiting family sometimes have the tendency to leave doors open and/or human medicines left out; puppy proof your house. One should never leave a lit candle around unattended, even if you do not have pets.
In the fall many people add or change the antifreeze in their vehicles. One teaspoon of antifreeze can kill a cat. Antifreeze has a sweet taste, but don't you try it! Clean up and wash down any antifreeze, brake fluid or transmission oil spill. All of the new antifreeze types for vehicle motors are just as toxic as the older green color. In cold weather cats like to curl up under the hood, near a warm engine before going to sleep. Try to get into the habit of banging the hood of your car before starting it, or honk the horn if you forgot and are now inside the car and then remember.
During Halloween pets should be kept indoors and in a back room when the trick or treaters start coming around. Some children will dare each other to jump fences and other harmless gestures, yet some dogs may not be friendly to this idea. Gates may be left open, so it is recommend you accompany your pet outdoors when they need to eliminate. It is rare but some pranksters may catch a black cat for a party or another gag. Always keep all cats indoors at night. The costumes and yelling will scare some animals. If the pets are indoors they may run out the open door when the costumed children surprise everyone. The best scenario on Halloween night is to place all the pets inside closed room(s). If needed we have calming products and tranquilizers that can be mixed into your pet’s food for anxiety issues.
Thanksgiving is a prime time for dogs getting into the turkey carcass and ingesting bones. Dogs should not routinely be fed pork bones, rib bones, poultry bones and/or any bones that can splinter. We have a list of sources of trash cans that are dog to bear proof, if your dog is a "garbage gut" repeat offender.
Halloween, Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Easter and early Spring Holidays are the high season for chocolate poisonings. It is tempting to leave out chocolate for the guests during the holidays, but chocolates are toxic to pets. Put away the chocolates and treats when you are not in the room to monitor the food tray. Bread dough can produce ethanol if allowed to sit and/or be ingested by dogs. Avocados, chocolate, coffee, onions, garlic, gr**es, Macadamia nuts, raisins are some of the holiday foods toxic to pets. If a family member is on a weight diet the products made with the sugar substitute xylitol (birch sugar) are also toxic to pets; xylitol is found in many “sugar free products” from gum and chocolate to peanut butter. The turkey at Thanksgiving should not be accidentally left out and unattended with a pet in the house; the cooked bones are sharp and brittle. Homemade ornaments and decorations using salt dough can cause a Play-Doh like salt toxicity.
There are many plants which can cause poisonings in pets; we have a extensive listing in our Poison Notebook, and handouts for the plants indoors (tropic) and outdoors. The holiday plants of Amaryllis, Christmas Cactus, Holly, Mistletoe, Poisettias and even Shamrock can be toxic to pets. It should be noted that the degree of toxicity varies among each family, such as mistletoe with 40+ species. You should consider all lilies toxic. Some lilies cause heart problems, some kidney problems, and a most affect only cats. We do not recommend you to avoid all of the listed poisonous plants, as some, such as Poinsettias and Christmas cactus are not highly toxic. One can try placing ginger powder and/or a bowl of vinegar in an area to help discourage a cat. Most plants are not very tasty to animals, although you should be aware of these potential problems and remove the item if an animal starts eating it and/or if you have a plant eating cat, a dog that likes to chew on anything, etc. One leaf of an Easter Lily or Lily of the Valley is toxic to a cat. Poison Control’s number is 1-888-232-8870 or 888-426-4435.
The placement of holiday ornaments on the tree is an important consideration with cats and puppies. If the pet swallows items with strings, this may require a surgery. Tinsel is not recommended for households with cats or puppies. You should train your puppy to avoid playing with the tree by saying NO if they are causing a problem, yet avoidance is the best medicine. For cats the use of a water sq**rt bottle helps a lot to keep them away from the tree, but the best medicine is preventive (i.e. no ornaments or tinsel on the lower branches, especially glass ornaments).
Chewing animals should be kept away from the electrical cords. The bubble lights contain a toxic chemical called methylene chloride, also called DCM or dichloromethane; it is a "mild type" of a chlorohydrocarbon.
For New Years Celebration and 4th of July some pets are extremely sensitive to loud noises, such as fireworks. We have a desensitizing handout and tapes/CD’s to help desensitize your pet to these problems, which should be started months before the anticipated noise problem. The best scenario is to be with your pet during these times; we also have tranquilizers which can help.

NelsonRoadVet.com

NEXT MONTH REMEMBER TO PLACE THE CANDY UP HIGH, and thereafter to prevent problems in your pets.

Milk chocolate is in most of the Halloween candies; it takes 1 oz of milk chocolate to be toxic enough to hospitalize a 10 # dog. Baking chocolate has 9x the amount of theobromine (390 mg/oz), which is the toxic compound in chocolate for animals. It is easy to leave the bowl of treats on the table when the trick-or-treaters have gone away for the night. Trembling and seizures or hyperactivity are the signs of chocolate poisoning. If ingested the wrappers can also cause a problem.
For the candies that your children bring home, inspect them to ensure they do not have xylitol. Xylitol (birch sugar) is highly toxic to pets, yet like chocolate is a safe product for humans. Xylitol is used in many sugar free gums and low calorie products. Fortunately most of our typical Halloween sold treats do not have xylitol. Weakness and a low blood sugar are the signs of xylitol toxicity.
Should your dog ingest such products, on our website has the formula to give peroxide to your pet to immediately induce vomiting; look in the pet Library and Poisons In the House. (Resources has the various poison sites instead). Comatose animals should never be induced to vomit, and preferably call the veterinarian first if at all possible for a possible poisoning. If you know the animal has ingested a poisonous compound and two doses of peroxide or ipecac syrup has not induced vomiting in the dog, the patient needs to be seen so we can induce vomiting if it has been under 0.5-1.5 hours after ingestion. If you ever have questions on a product a national pet poisoning hot line is 1-800-213-6680, 1-888-232-8870 or 888-426-4435. If your pet has a HomeAgain microchip their free service is at 888-HomeAgain. This is the microchip that we use. (If you need the human poison control their number is 800-222-1222 or 877-800-5554. The human service will not answer animal questions, while the animal poison control will refer you for human poisonings).

08/31/2026

Benefits of Living With Pets


Dog owners are 24% less likely to die prematurely of any cause than people who don't own dogs, and the benefit associated with dog ownership is especially pronounced among people who have heart problems, a study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes found. Prior studies have come to similar conclusions, and researchers say dog ownership has both physical and mental health benefits.

08/18/2026

Hay Testing, Drought and Hay Fires
Hay Stack and Barn Fires and Preventing Them

Drought is a cycle that will occur every decade or so in our area. We cannot always plan for or predict a drought. Hopefully we can learn from mistakes we have made during the last drought cycle(s).
Feed is a major cost for livestock when one has to supply the forage. Pasture is the least cost method of maintaining and feeding animals if the vegetation is adequate and nutritious. Our cow feeding handout has some information about by-products and alternative feeds, winter feeding on pasture, etc. When hay prices are high some horse owners tend to purchase the Sudan hays, such as oat hay. Sudan poisoning can occur in horses even though this same hay can be fed safely to cattle. Ask for our horse Sudan poisoning handout if you area feeding an oat type hay to horses. We also do not recommend feeding oat hay to male goats, male sheep or male camelids, due to urolithiasis problems.
Protein may need to be supplemented. We do not recommend over 1/3 of the diet as NPN to be fed to ruminants; these are usually tubs of molasses containing urea. NPN should not be fed to horses and camelids. If you have experienced a grass tetany (low magnesium), a milk fever (low calcium) or a low phosphorous problem in your herd please ask for our comparison information for these protein tubs. Even though alfalfa hay or pellets may be more expensive, this legume hay usually is a good, safe source of natural protein for livestock and horses. Never feed moldy hay to animals. Feeding an ionophore (i.e. 200 mg monensin) in two pounds of a 30% crude protein supplement can be considered for cattle on a prairie hay pasture. In a drought, hay testing becomes very important to help balance a ration; reducing the herd to 75% of the carrying capacity of the land should also be considered. If forage is limited, then 6 hours of access to hay can be a minimum level to keep up the cows maintenance level and reduce overgrazing on your pasture. Our winter feeding tips handout discusses the amount of hay lost when you feed on the ground versus in feeders or etc. We have other low cost feeding mixtures if you have the ability for a TMR ration and over 50+ head of cattle to feed through the winter. For most farms we instead recommend the NPN winter range tubs, if they calculate to be cost effective over your own grown or purchased hay crop.
When there are periods of drought we see nutritional problems not normally seen when food is plentiful. Cyanide poisoning can occur when cattle are allowed to graze corn that is drought stressed. If you cannot harvest corn properly let it dry in the field, and be aware of the mature cow who knows how to eat the ears (only) off the corn stocks as she goes through the field; grain overload can then occur. Rotational type fencing helps the cattle to graze only a small, new part of the field each day or so in the late fall or winter. Ensilaging stressed corn can also cause a cyanide poisoning. Nitrate poisoning can also occur in corn during the same type of stressful conditions, and grazing access being limited to the stress corn is crucial. Nitrate poisoning also can be seen with broadleaf w**ds undergoing stress, drought and/or w**d spraying with 2-4 D. If the hay has not been sprayed for insects blister beetle poisoning can occur, especially with stressed hay. Many poisonous w**ds, such as the white hoary alyssum, can thrive in a hay field undergoing stress and drought.
When silage corn is harvested in a drought period it may not ferment properly if the silage was cut with a low moisture content. Listeriosis, aflatoxin, vomit-toxin and other problems can be a result due to improper fermentation and/or feeding practices with silage from stressed plants. Aflatoxin is produced by a mold growing on the corn, especially if stressed. Ensilaging may kill the fungus but it will not kill the toxin. Vomitoxin and other similar toxins can easily develop in feeds grown and processed in a drought. If there is not enough grain to properly ferment the propionic, lactic and acetic acids then butyric acid can develop. Using buffered propionic acid additives should be considered if diluting such marginal silage to feed out with other forages. If one grazes the stressed corn the nitrate and cyanide poisoning problems can occur as mentioned above; and especially the cyanide problem if there has been a recent frost or first freeze. Mowed Sudan (corn, oat hay, etc) which has been left alone for a few days will allow some of the cyanide to escape; yet as to be mentioned below this sitting can worsen a nitrate problem. We recommend testing drought affected Sudan forages possibly before harvesting and/or definitely before feeding to livestock; we have a list of the laboratories which will do forage testing. If the forage has a high nitrate content in the field the silage chopper can be adjusted higher, as the lower part of the stock contains a lot of nitrate. Ensilaging can remove up to 1/3 of these nitrates. Nitrogen oxide is released and can cause silage poisoning in humans which can occur if one enters a silo within 3-4 weeks of filling; turning on the silo fan 15+ minutes before entering helps reduce this problem. Allowing this green chop hay to sit and heat up may cause a higher nitrite level to develop from the nitrates in the hay. Nitrite is 10x more toxic than nitrate. Feeding green chop silage fresh can be the most hazardous method if allowed to sit, yet feeding as fresh chop within a few hours this may be adequate if the nitrate levels are not high and the feed is mixed with other forages or feeds. The nitrogen oxide gasses from high nitrate silage can kill cattle (and humans) within 12-60 hours after harvesting. (As noted above green chop silage after a frost can create a cyanide problem). If the corn is left to dry in the field, and cattle are allowed to graze down the corn, to prevent acidosis and grain overload/bloat you should SLOWLY strip graze the corn as mentioned above for cyanide problems, and feed hay before turning out the cattle into the new small strip. If you think you have a high nitrate forage, we recommend you test the field before harvesting. When cutting stressed, high nitrate corn for silage, remember that the lower part of the stock can have the highest concentrate of toxic compounds; something to remember if you are thinking of turning cattle immediately out onto the corn stover after harvest. This concentration especially occurs during a drought, and also if there is a wet period in the fall before the corn is harvested.
Minerals need to be supplemented in a drought. We strongly recommend the brown mineral salt blocks for all livestock. In a drought phosphorus is also one of the limiting factors, and simple mixing dicalcium phosphate with the trace mineral salt (50/50 mixture) should resolve this problem.
Water should be located every 1/2 mile if possible. When a cow has to walk more than 1 mile to water, a lot of energy is wasted. When placing the salt blocks, one should have the blocks 1/4 mile away from the water source and/or protein tubs. Placing them together will cause the cattle to stay in one spot and create problems by destroying the vegetation. Move these salt and protein supplemental tubs periodically.
Vitamin A is a concern, especially if the forage or supplemental hay is not green in color. It is especially important to give a vitamin A injection to newborn livestock born during a drought.
When there is a shortage of forage and hay available feeding smaller amounts more frequently in a hay feeder will be more efficient, compared to feeding on the ground where 1/4+ of the hay is lost. If one is able to feed a TMR the use of monensin will increase feed efficiency and allow up to 8% less feed/forage needed.
Strongly consider early weaning of calves if the pasture is short on forage. This will allow the mother cows to regain their weights for pregnancy, heifers to grow and the pasture to not be overgrazed.

For testing forages and hay nearby is Dairy Authority, 8215 We 20th Street, Greeley, Colo 80634, 970-351-8102

We have a handout on forage harvesting, moisture meters on the baler and using a microwave to test hay that you have purchase for moisture content. These and more handouts are on our website. Moisture should not be over 16-18% in a large bale or 18-22% in a small bale or you have a potential for a hay fire. The first cutting usually has a higher moisture level. With 1+ month of the inability to cut hay this year, and with a shortage of hay, many hay producers will have to cut as early as possible once the weather cooperates.
We recommend placing a few heat temperature monitors into the haystack, or approximately one sensor per 100' of a linear stack. These should be placed a couple feet inside the edge of the stack. If you take a core sample to test your hay for moisture and nutrient content, consider using a 20-36" long compost thermometer at minimum to place into the core hole of this large bale until the moisture contents of this bale is back. Our website has the hay labs for forage quality testing.
If there is a core temperature of 150 degrees in a hay stack you have a potential for a hay fire; at 175 degrees a fire probably will occur. Moving hay when it is over 175 degrees may create the potential to start a spontaneous hay fire. Hay should be watered if you are attempting to move it out of the hay barn. Always remove the equipment and other valuable items first from the barn. To pump nitrogen or carbon dioxide gases into the hay stack to reduce the oxygen content and potential for fire is not usually very successful unless the hay is in an air proof type of barn or silo. It is best to call the local fire department if you have a reading over 175 degrees Fahrenheit before you do anything. If the hay was baled with a curing agent such as ethoxyquin or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) these compounds can form a deadly cyanide gas if there is a hay fire and you need to mention this to the fireman when you call them about the potential for a hay fire at your place.
To prevent fires in an animal barn do not store hay inside at all with animals if you have large enough facilities and especially if it is not properly cured and/or baled within a month. Place a fire/smoke alarm near the hay inside where animals are housed if their hay is within 50” or inside the same barn. There are some fire/smoke alarms available that will also alert your cell phone.
Botulism in horses does occur in our area. It is usually seen with the large bales and some of the Clostridium bacteria producing this toxin grows in these large bales when the condition is right. These bacteria are normally found and replicate in our soils. Smaller bales do not usually have this issue. This may be a good year to vaccinate your horse for botulism and we can leave out such a vaccine after hours for currently active clients to pick up.

Sources of Thermometers to Prevent Hay Fires:
We recommend that you check Ace Hardware, Budget Home Center and the Flower Bin locally first for the compost thermometers. For some other examples:

Hay thermometers-manual , The 20” size is adequate and found locally. There are also 36” compost thermometers available.
Hay and soil type thermometers-electric (battery) - all traceable (minimum/maximum recall).
Usually have to find on line at www.LSS.com, etc.
With/alarms:
-58 to 158 F @ LSS ( -91825)
Extech portable pocket thermometer w/alarm @ www.mscdirect.com
With heat sensor and remote alarm, wireless:
Oregon Scientific, 100 or a 33' range, low battery indicator
Winland EA 800 - 11-26 V, 8 sensors, 1000' @ Absolute Automation
Watch Dog by Wireless Corporation for greenhouses, 1300' @ Absolute Automation
Dakota Alert, Wireless Alert WPR 3000 = 3000' @ AA battery (for dogs in cars, pager receiver)
Dakota Alert, Wireless Transmitter, WR 3000 open/closed circuit, to use w/Sensaphone,
600 @ Absolute Automation
Sensaphone - FDG 2800, $1075 @ absoluteautomation.com
With sensor and remote alarm, not wireless:
Cooking thermometers, wireless:
Acu-rite oven thermometer, 100' range, AA batteries
Grill Alert, 300' range, AA/AAA batteries
Oregon Scientific, AW 131, 330' range
Others = Outset (120' range), Maverick (100 & 150' range), Nu-Temp (75' range)
Redi Check (120' range)
Taylor makes a 32-392F (0-200C) thermometer w/alarm ( #32-392) for less than
$15 found in many hardware stores (2011)
Taylor makes a Remote cooking thermometer with an alarm, #1479, 200' range
Taylor #532 Connoisseur, 200', AA/AAA batteries
Cooking thermometers with a cable, not wireless:
Polder , Pyrex cooking thermometer
Cooking thermometers with audible alarms (not remote) = President's Choice Infrared
Also LSS.com/lab supplies, www.gemplers.com, www.vwrlabshop.com
** Many infrared thermometers may only have < 24" range **, and infrared only reads the outside of the hay bale and not inside; we do not recommend these on average.

NelsonRoadVet.com

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