OK. first I'll admit my horses are very picky, and very spoiled when it comes to hay.  if they don't like the hay the'd rather eat the trees,dirt, wood fences.. anything but the hay.  In the past I've left the same hay out there for 2 or 3 days, hoping they'd eat it.. but no luck.   my 27 yr old mare has slight COPD but it's manageable so of course I"m picky about hay too. 

last yr. our hay guy started growing Teff hay.  it's sweet smelling, very clean and the horses liked it.  we got more last month- absolutely beautiful- they ate it fine.   yesterday my husband got a load of newly baled Teff and it looks great but they won't touch it.  I'm wondering if it has too much hay saver or maybe a different type of hay saver??   (perservative spray they have to use here in the heat and humidity)  He's been using hay saver for a while and it's never been a problem- smells sort of like pickles when first applied but after a few weeks the smell is gone.   I've fed hay that's been freshly baled before and they normally eat it fine, even w/ the hay saver.

any suggestions?  thanks!

You feed freshly baled hay? No colic? I let my brome grass/timothy cure for a full 3 months before feeding.

Brenda

I have also feed straight from the field baled hay, never thought I shouldn't.

anyway- I googled teff hay and I haven't found anything that would suggest horses wouldn't eat it.

http://www.horseadvice.com/horse/messages/3/240193.html

Teff

Eragrostis tef

An annual grown widely as a cereal in upland Ethiopia at altitudes of 1 700 - 2 800 m, where it is the preferred grain. It has been tried in many tropical and subtropical countries for hay, since it establishes and grows rapidly and can produce a hay crop in 9 to 12 weeks from sowing, but has only become popular in southern Africa. It can be grown in dry areas because of its short lifespan, which allows it to escape droughts. The only country outside Ethiopia where teff has become an important crop is South Africa, where it is a major hay species, but it is also used as pasture in the southern coastal regions of the Cape. Teff was introduced to South Africa in 1886 and its hay proved very palatable to race horses, so a demand grew. It a rainfed crop. The traditional sowing date in South Africa is November, but trials at Cedara indicate that earlier (September/October) sowing may produce higher herbage yields, as early sowings gave 8 to 9 t/ha DM whereas November sowing yields between 3 and 4 t/ha. It is grown in all but the driest parts of South Africa and is probably the second most widely used hay after Eragrostis curvula; it is grown in pure stands (and as a nurse crop for E. curvula). In the dry Karoo, hay is grown on the bottom lands. Area statistics are not available, but about 1 000 t of teff seed are sold annually through seed companies; this does not include farm-to-farm sales. Teff hay is primarily a horse feed, but is used more and more for dairy cattle and wild animals due to its high palatability and digestibility. All wild game that the Natal Parks Board captures for relocation or sale are fed teff hay while held in captivity.

Teff is a summer crop that is tolerant of most soil types and a wide range of rainfall conditions, provided that it rains during its short growing season. Fertilizer levels in Natal are 10 ppm P and 140 ppm K.

For hay, seed rate recommendations vary considerably: between 5 and 15 kg/ha sown broadcast on a well-prepared, firm seed-bed. The general South African recommendation is that the seedbed should be rolled before and after sowing. Germination and growth are rapid; for hay the crop is not thinned. Teff is a cereal, seed production is therefore easy and yields are high. A seed crop, unlike a hay crop, should be thinned and weeded; the seedlings are tiny, so this must be done with care. The seed threshes without adhering glumes, so cleaning presents no difficulties. It is said to be a self-pollinating apomict.

Teff is mown at flowering and is easy to handle, with thin leaves and stems. The crop should be cut at the flowering stage but before seed set. It is important to mow before it begins to lodge, which is usually soon after flowering begins, depending on weather conditions. Lodged teff is difficult to mow and leads to wastage. Weather permitting, teff can be mown, dried and baled the same day in South Africa. If the stand is thick it may be necessary to turn the cut material once for better drying.

Teff is a short-term crop. In South Africa, early-sown teff is cut several times, while late-sown crops are cut only twice. Crops late-sown after a well-manured previous crop are usually given no fertilizer. However, where several cuts are taken, nitrogen, and probably potash, are required, since large amounts of potash are transferred when the cut material is removed from the field. Excessive nitrogen application only promotes lodging, so any added production due to the extra fertilizer is lost through wastage during mowing.

Is your Teff hay Tuff? I couldn't resist. Since we have had so much rain here, the hay is very stemy since it was bales 6-8 weeks later than normal. And some folks are still baling first cutting and here it is mid-august. We are just not getting a good, dry period to let the hay cure. Humidity is rediculous and now it is like fall... rains showers and low 80s.

I'm wondering if there is some mold in the hay and the horses can smell it since you said it was so humid there. Have you tried other bales deeper in the stack? Do you have male cats that could have sprayed on the bales in the front?

There is nothing worse than buying a load of hay your horses don't like. I'm still on the hunt for orchard grass for my old guy. Bought a couple of bales of super nice brome hay, but he just flat out will not eat it. I hope you find out what is going on with the hay. Good luck.