HayRite® Field Study Program

Open questions, open invitations.

We tell the truth about what we know and what we don't. The questions we don't yet have rigorous answers to, we put up here — paired with active studies you can join. Free product, study reports, and stipends for participating operations.

Browse all studies ↓

Why this exists

HayRite is a young product on top of an old science lineage. The Bacillus-on-hay research the product builds on stretches back decades; the DB38 strain in HayRite was selected from that lineage and manufactured at the QUT Mackay facility (the same facility behind the H57 sister strain). The peer-reviewed work on DB38 specifically — and on HayRite-treated forage's downstream effects on milk, meat, and animal health — is exactly what we're now doing.

Most preservative brands won't put their open questions in public. We do, for two reasons:

1. Honesty is a competitive advantage. Operators who buy farm inputs are tired of being sold features that haven't been measured. Telling the truth about what's measured and what's still open earns trust where competitors lose it.

2. Farmers running real operations are the best research partners. Lab studies are useful but limited. The questions that matter — does this product reduce refusal in our cattle? does treated dairy hay move milk components? — only get real answers from real operations.

How the program works

1. Apply. Short intake form (5–10 minutes). Indicates which study and your operation basics.

2. Review. Darts research team reviews your application within 5 business days.

3. Qualifying call. 30-minute call to walk through study protocol and contract.

4. Onboarding. Study packet, materials, baseline measurements before the study window opens.

5. Study window. Active data collection — typically 6 to 12 months depending on the study.

6. Report. Full study report shared with participants. Aggregate findings published; individual farm data anonymized.

✓ Confirmed Participants own their farm-specific data. Anonymized for publication; participants get the option to be named or stay anonymous in any released materials.

The current studies

Eight active studies. Each is tied to specific OPEN QUESTION tags across the rest of this site.

Study 01 · Dairy

Milk Component Study

Question. Does HayRite-treated forage measurably affect milk fat, protein, SCC, and DMI over 90 days vs. untreated controls?

Cohort: 8–12 dairy farms
Timeline: 12 months
Receives: Free product + lab costs + $500 stipend

Apply →
Study 02 · Beef

Beef ADG Study

Question. Do beef cattle on HayRite-treated stored forage show measurable ADG differences vs. untreated controls?

Cohort: 6–10 farms
Timeline: 6 months (one feeding season)
Receives: Free product + scale rental + $500 stipend

Apply →
Study 03 · Equine

Horse Hay Respiratory Outcomes Study

Question. Do horses fed HayRite-treated hay show different rates of RAO symptoms, dust scores, or refusal vs. control hay?

Cohort: 10–15 facilities
Timeline: 6 months
Receives: Free product + dust meter + optional vet panel cost-share

Apply →
Study 04 · Producer

Wet Baling Moisture Frontier Study

Question. Where is the upper-moisture limit at which HayRite-treated hay still reaches stable storage in different climates?

Cohort: 12 farms (4 per region)
Timeline: 9 months
Receives: Free product + temperature probe kit + $750 stipend

Apply →
Study 05 · Producer

Storage Longevity Study

Question. How does HayRite extend the storage stability window vs. untreated controls under various storage conditions?

Cohort: 8 farms
Timeline: 12 months
Receives: Free product + temperature loggers + $500 stipend

Apply →
Study 06 · Custom Baler

Custom Baler Operator Economics Study

Question. For custom balers, does adding HayRite as a service tier produce repeat-customer rates and per-tonne margins that justify the operational additions?

Cohort: 6 operators
Timeline: 12 months
Receives: Preferred pricing + business case report + cohort networking

Apply →
Study 07 · Producer

Mycotoxin Reduction Study

Question. Does HayRite-treated hay show measurably different mycotoxin loads (DON, T-2, zearalenone, ochratoxin) vs. untreated controls at three storage time points?

Cohort: 10 farms
Timeline: 9 months
Receives: Free product + free mycotoxin panels (significant value) + report

Apply →
Study 08 · Producer

First-Cutting Recovery Study

Question. How much does HayRite improve first-cutting hay outcomes specifically — the hay most prone to spoilage in most regions?

Cohort: 8 farms
Timeline: 9 months
Receives: Free product + report + $500 stipend

Apply →

Apply to a Field Study

Five minutes. We review every application within 5 business days. Qualifying applicants get a 30-minute review call to walk through study protocol and contract.

By submitting, you agree to be contacted by the Darts research team about your application. We never share your information outside the program.

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