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Heated Hay – What’s your stack temperature?

Look for steam condensation, mould growth and acrid fumes

By DPI - 7th January 2003 - Back to News

Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Pasture and Fodder Conservation Specialist, Frank Mickan, advises farmers to "Keep an eye out for signs that your haystack is heating." Steam condensation on the roof, mould growth, acrid fumes, and hot and humid air at the top of the stack are all good indicators. When building stacks with suspect "wet" hay, always stack the bales loosely to allow air movement through the bales. It’s also a good idea to spread the stack over a wide area, ie over several bays, thereby reducing heat build-up.

Most heating will occur over the first one to two weeks but has been known to reach "flash point" up to eight weeks after baling.

How can I determine stack temperature?

Monitor the stack temperature regularly from when heating is first noticed. Do this using a pipe or crowbar inserted into as deep as possible into the stack. A thermometer lowered down the pipe will give you an accurate and quick reading of the internal stack temperatures. The crowbar, when pushed into the stack and left there for two hours, can be felt by hand to give you a rough guide of the internal stack temperatures.

The temperature is up to about 50°C if you can hold the bar without discomfort. It is up to 60°C if the bar can be held for a short time only and up to 70°C if the bar can be touched only briefly. If you can't hold the bar, temperature is above 70°C and fire is a real possibility. Treat the stack with caution!

What can be done if hay heats to danger levels?

Pull the stack apart as quickly as possible. Avoid walking on the stack if possible because the extremely high temperatures may have charred the centre of the stack. This won't be seen from the outside. Your extra weight on top of the stack might be enough to cause the top of the stack, and you, to collapse into the extremely hot centre. Be aware that as the bales are pulled out, especially in a tightly built stack, that oxygen can now get to the hot spot more quickly, and may actually result in starting a fire. Have the local fire brigade on hand, and if not at least a fire cart and other people for safety reasons!

The Scratching Dog

Many dogs suffer from fleas in summer. Some dogs are more susceptible and can be extremely irritated and develop severe skin conditions.

Fleas only spend 5 per cent of their life on the dog. They lay eggs in the dog’s environment or on the dog which then drop onto the ground. These eggs hatch into larvae that then develop into adult fleas. The full life cycle can take only three weeks in summer. Each adult flea can then start the cycle again and multiply the flea population. As summer continues flea numbers explode.

Skin irritation is caused by flea saliva. Flea saliva is an allergen. Some dogs become sensitised to this allergen with each bite causing major irritation. The dog bites and licks which results in hair loss and skin damage. Over time the skin becomes thickened and discoloured. Secondary infection can also occur. Young dogs with very heavy infestations can become anaemic.

Treating fleas is not just a case of spraying or washing the dog. This only kills the adult fleas that happen to be sitting on the dog. The day after the flea rinse, other fleas in the dog’s environment will be ready to bite the dog.

A flea control program needs to kill fleas in the environment as well. The dog’s environment includes the bedding, the kennel and any area where the dog especially likes to lie. Washing the bedding and spraying the kennel will help. If your dog has a favourite dust bed under the shed it is worth blocking access to such areas. All dogs and cats in contact with the allergic dog need to be treated, as they can be a source of fleas.

If you have a dog that is allergic to fleas it is worth talking to your vet about the different products available. Allergic dogs need a product that kills the larval stages of the developing flea. These products reduce the number of fleas reaching adulthood and therefore reduce the number of fleabites. The use of these products needs to start before the summer flea season to prevent a flea explosion.

Not all itchy dogs with hair loss and dermatitis have a flea allergy. Mange is another skin disease that can cause similar symptoms. Mange is caused by mites. There are two types of mites that affect dogs. One type is transferred to pups via the bitch and shows up as a skin disease later in life. The second type of mite that affects dogs is that which transfers to dogs from foxes or wombats. Itchy dogs that do not have fleas should be examined by a vet to ensure the correct diagnosis and treatment is achieved.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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