Laura -

Eight bales is perfectly fine if they will last you quite awhile. I go through that many in a week.

If you are going to be adding to your hay supply very soon, then I would wait so you can sample your entire supply...unless you are able to sample frequently.

If the hay is coming from different sources, I would be hesitant to sample all as one large sample. While you could conceivably have an average of hay that is *safe*, one of those sources might be too high in s/s, so when feeding it, could be more than your horse can safely handle.

Linda
EC Primary Response
West Coast
May 2004