Hay protection that works from cutting through storage.
A biological hay preservative built around beneficial Bacillus bacteria. Cooler bales. Less mould. More of the feed value you actually grew.
Estimate your loss →Request a quoteWhat HayRite is
HayRite is a liquid biological hay preservative built around the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DB38 strain. It's applied at the baler — same setup as a propionic-acid sprayer — but it works through a fundamentally different mechanism: instead of acidifying the hay to chemically suppress mould, HayRite establishes a population of beneficial bacteria that occupy the hay's surface, consume the sugars that would otherwise feed spoilage organisms, and produce naturally antifungal compounds that suppress the moulds and yeasts that drive heating, dust, and feed-value loss.
✓ Confirmed Bacillus species are well-documented producers of antifungal lipopeptides — surfactin, iturin, and fengycin — across thousands of peer-reviewed studies on Bacillus biocontrol applications.
⚠ Strain Caveat Most peer-reviewed hay-specific work is on the sister strain H57 (Ngo et al. 2021; Pan et al. 2022). DB38 is from the same lineage and manufactured at the same QUT MRBPP Mackay facility.
✓ Confirmed DB38 was originally isolated from Australian alfalfa under commercial hay production conditions — meaning the strain comes from the same agricultural environment it now protects.
The four outcomes farmers see
Each outcome is tagged with the kind of evidence behind it, so you know exactly what's been measured versus what's still being studied.
1. Cooler bales
◐ Trial Data In Darts Biotech's 2023 field trial, treated bales averaged approximately 30% lower internal temperatures during the critical first 14 days of storage versus untreated controls from the same crop. Conditions vary; results vary.
✓ Confirmed Bale temperatures above 130°F start oxidizing protein into indigestible bound forms; above 150°F, fire risk climbs steeply; above 175°F, combustion is imminent. (Penn State, UMN, Alabama, Virginia Tech)
2. Less mould
◐ Trial Data Same 2023 trial: stem-mould incidence dropped from 33% in untreated bales to 0% in HayRite-treated bales. Leaf mould dropped from 70% to 2%.
⊙ Field Knowledge Visible mould — and the dust that comes with it — is the most common reason hay buyers reject loads. Especially horse buyers, who pay premium prices and won't accept moldy hay at any price.
3. Less refusal at the bunk
How much HayRite-treated hay reduces refusal rates in cattle and horses, versus untreated hay from the same lot, hasn't yet been measured rigorously across operations.
4. Recovered economic value
◐ Trial Data Darts' 2023 trial economics calculated a 567% return on investment when accounting for retained dry matter, prevented mould losses, and avoided heating damage. Specific scenario.
⊙ Field Knowledge Hay storage and feeding losses commonly account for 10%+ of livestock production costs (Mississippi State Extension). Outdoor uncovered round-bale storage typically loses 25–37% of dry matter over six months.