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What to Feed A little information on different hays out there. |
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Alfalfa: is one of the most important
legumes
used in agriculture. It is widely grown throughout the world as forage
for
cattle,
and is most often harvested as
hay,
but can also be made into
silage. Alfalfa has the highest feeding value of all common hay crops,
being used less frequently as
pasture.
When grown on soils where it is well-adapted, alfalfa is the highest
yielding forage plant. Its primary use is as feed for dairy cattle—because of its high protein content and highly digestible fiber—and secondary for beef cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. Yields vary with region, weather, and the crop's stage of maturity when cut. |
| Oat Hay:
is a good low-protein feed and
although many do not like it due to wastage (horses occasionally refuse
to eat the straw-like stems) I like it just for that virtue alone.
It is a good "busy food", and instead of eating it quickly and then
being hungry and bored, a horse will pick through the oat hay to find
all the leaves and oats, and eventually will
eat the stems. A very similar hay to oat hay is Barley hay, but is less
frequently available. Oat hay is hay that is made from an oat crop not
harvested for grain. Oat hay is not a commonly used forage in a horse ration however, it can be effective in nutrition programs for older horses. We cut our oat hay when the grain is in the soft dough stage and the leaves and stems are still green. The energy and protein content of good oat hay make it a suitable forage for mature horses at maintenance and early gestating mares. Cattle owners need to be aware of the potential for high nitrate levels in oat hay. Higher levels of nitrate may be present in oat hay if it was grown with high nitrogen fertilization or the plants have suffered the effects of drought. Either situation can cause the accumulation of nitrates in the feed. To prevent problems, it is recommend that owners test oat hay for nitrate levels to ensure the forage is safe. The level of nitrate in the animals total diet should not exceed 0.5 percent. |
| Off Grade or Feeder Hay: Is our lower quality hay consisting of primarily bottom bales, weedy bales and other less desirable bales. These bales can be wet or moldy so we do not suggest storing it in an enclosed area or feeding to animals with sensitive digestive systems. It can consist of any of the types of hay we produce and we can not sort it out. This hay is sold as is and there is no picking. |
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Orchard Grass: is
sweeter than most other temperate grasses because of its high sugar
content. This fine-stemmed grass hay is a good hay for it's constipating
abilities, and this can often counter the laxative effects of alfalfa. (We do not grow Orchard Grass. ) |
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Teff Grass: Teff grass is a summer annual forage for
livestock and commercial hay producers who often need a fast growing,
high yielding crop with competitive forage quality. Adapted all across
the U.S. as hay, silage or pasture for dairy, beef or horses. The growing interest in teff as a forage crop has created a need for a centralized reference site for all “things teff.” With grant support from the USDA, this resource has been created for producers, extension and seed sellers. Use this site regularly to access the expertise and accumulated knowledge of public and private researchers to put teff’s unique ability to produce quality forage fast to work for you. Thanks for visiting today. Teff forage is fine stemmed, leafy and “soft” which is very palatable to livestock. Teff forage does not have anti-quality compounds such as nitrates or prussic acid that are associated with other summer annual species. visit http://teffgrass.com/ for more info
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| Timothy Hay: is an excellent fiber source for small and large animals. Grass forages are important in the maintenance of a healthy digestive system, and provide a natural balance of nutrients for all animals. Timothy Hay forage closely resembles pasture in nutrition and structure. It is commonly grown for cattle feed and, in particular, as hay for horses. It is relatively high in fiber, especially when cut late. It is considered part of the standard mix for grass hay and provides quality nutrition for horses. Timothy Hay is also feed to domestic pet rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas, often making up the bulk of their diet. Because it has the lowest amount of protein available. Timothy is an excellent choice for a horse with a growth problem, or for a slow-maturing breed such as a warmblood. It can also be fed free-choice with great success. Timothy does have a brown leave to it. The four bottom leave turn brown as it grows. There is nothing wrong with this. It is just how the plant grows. |
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