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Pre 2022 material from the old website

Risk of Spontaneous Combustion of Wet Hay

Information sourced from an article published by Steve Fransen and Ned Zaugg, Washington State University The recent flooding in Boulder County requires close monitoring of stored hay for signs of spontaneous combustion. Dry hay (stored at 15 percent moisture or less) is safe for long-term storage. However, if the hay has become wet the quality has been permanently changed and there is an increased potential of a fire hazard from spontaneous combustion. As microbial  organisms grow in wet hay they produce heat while drying out the surrounding surfaces of the hay for energy. More drying surfaces produces more microbial growth and different types of microbes live and die as the internal bale temperature climbs. When the bale temperature reaches about 150 Fº the hay is on a one-way street and going the wrong direction! The larger the haystack and the more densely packed the hay is the longer it may take to show signs of internal bale burning. Internal bale temperature may take several weeks before reaching 150 Fº, but from this point on more heat resistant bacteria start a process of chemical change that rapidly increases temperatures to the point of spontaneous combustion.Chemical reactions and microbial growth in hay occur because of the change in availability of moisture, oxygen, and pressure to create heat to the point of ignition and fire. Early warning signs are: Steam rising from bale surfaces and condensing on the roof and eves of the barn. Often molds will start to grow on all these surfaces too. An acrid, hot, tobacco […]

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USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund seeks donations for Colorado horse owners

From The Horse Channel: Edited Press Release Historic flooding across Colorado has destroyed thousands of homes and farms. Thousands of horses have been displaced or are stranded across 4,500 square-miles of flood-ravaged terrain. This area is densely populated with horses, including many large breeding and training facilities all along the Front Range. Hay and feed are being airlifted to hundreds of stranded farm owners and delivered to hundreds more in dire need of feed for their horses. Recovery from a disaster of this magnitude will be arduous and ongoing, but not impossible. When the flooding stops, the recovery is only beginning. The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is calling on the equestrian community to aid fellow horse owners by donating to the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund. With the support of USEF CEO John Long, the USEF asks that equestrians, equestrian fans, and all people who share a love for horses make a donation to the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund. These recent storms have struck the heart of Colorado’s horse country and have made the cost of relocating, feeding, and caring for horses overwhelming. With the support of the community, the fund will help make sure horses are not overlooked, forgotten, or abandoned, and help to relieve the burden of affected horse owners and caretakers in this, and in future, times of crisis. This fund was established with the goal of delivering aid in the most effective manner possible. “It is important to understand this fund is a dollar in and a dollar out,” says

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Our hearts go out to all in the Boulder area after the floods

A bit if sunshine has appeared after all this rain. I only hope the livestock in Boulder County has survived this historic event. We have been happy to house a dear friend isolated from her partner at the top of Pinebrook Hills. We just got word and a photo that the Boulder Valley Ranch horses (where I board) appear to have survived and are happily grazing this morning. The ranch house has been flooded and the area around the house was a lake. We hope that the Lover family is doing well after all this devastation and their losses minimal. Do not attempt to drive down Longhorn Road at this time it is washed out and extremely muddy. Many others have flooded barns, basements and hopefully their hay is high and dry. I hope those at the fairgrounds are safe and if the Boulder County Horse Association can be of any help by providing trailer transport please contact us and we will try to assist you in any way we can. Dry in downtown Boulder, Linda P

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