Hay can be classified into three general types: legume, grass, and mixed. Mixed hay is usually defined as a blend of grass and legume plants, though some hay producers and horse owners may define it as a combination of several grasses. Like most horse owners, Kathleen Crandell, Ph.
What are the general categories of hay for horses?
In general, horse hay falls into two broad categories – legume and grass. Legume hay is generally higher in protein, energy, and minerals than grasses harvested at the same maturity.
What is the most common hay?
- Timothy Hay. Timothy is a type of grass hay, mainly for the horse market. …
- Orchardgrass. Orchardgrass is slowly becoming a class favorite for the hay to feed your horses. …
- Oat Hay. Oat hay is full of benefits for a majority of livestock for several reasons. …
- Triticale. …
- Alfalfa.
What are the types of hay?
There are quite a few different types of hay that people feed to horses, but hay generally falls into one of two categories – legumes and grasses. Alfalfa hay, sometimes called lucerne hay, is the most popular legume hay fed to horses in the U.S., while timothy and orchard are popular grass hay choices.Is hay a type of forage?
Hay comes from two main growing sources, Legumes and Grasses. A third type is from grain, commonly called straw, but can be used as a forage if cut young and before the grain is harvested. … Hay from grasses contains less calories (energy) and a lower protein amount, usually 6% to 10%.
What is good quality hay?
Good quality hay should be bright green in color with little fading. A bleached, yellow, brown or black color may indicate aged hay, mold or poor storage conditions. Storage condition and age have a significant effect on vitamin content of hays.
What is TDN in hay?
Energy (TDN or NEm): • TDN (total digestible nutrients): This is the sum of digetible fiber, protein, lipid, and carbohydrate components of the feed. This may overestimate the amount of energy available to the animal.
What type of hay is used for cattle?
Most experts recommend mixing alfalfa with grass hay, rather than relying exclusively on alfalfa hay. Alfalfa hay is often recommended for dairy cattle, but may not be a good fit for beef cattle, since it can lead to bloat. Legume hay is another nutritious option for cattle, since it’s high in protein.What type of hay is best for cows?
Timothy hay is recommended by many experts due to its ease on various animal’s digestive system as well as promotion of bowel regularity. Additionally, there have been scientific studies done that show Timothy hay is an ideal feed for pregnant or lactating cows.
What is cow hay?“Cow hay” is generally viewed as lower quality hay that is ideal for most beef cattle. “Dairy hay” is an extremely high protein, high energy hay suitable to support milk production in dairy animals. “Horse hay” is extremely clean, no dust or mold, hay that contains moderate levels of both protein and energy.
Article first time published onWhat is meadow hay?
What is Meadow Hay? Meadow Hay is mainly made up of native soft stemmed pasture grasses. These contain more leaves than Timothy Hay, making it have an overall softer texture. In addition to this, Meadow Hay will also contain plants other than grass – such as dandelions, daises, and thistles.
What is lucerne hay?
Lucerne hay (Medicago sativa), a clover-like plant belonging to the pea family, is grown as livestock feed in countries around the world. Because the hay is so rich in many essential elements, lucerne hay makes terrific mulch.
What is fescue hay?
Tall fescue is a grass, which grows on approximately 35 million acres of land in the United States. As many as 700,000 horses may graze fescue pastures or be fed fescue hay each year.
Is hay a wheat?
Hay is generally defined as the entire plant that has been dried. Both can come from various types of plants, including wheat. Either may be used as part of the substrate for growing plants.
What are the three categories of forage?
Forage types vary depending on the needs of animals and the wants of producers. The four forage types are pasture, hay, silage, and haylage. Pastures are improved or unimproved plant materials on land areas where animals graze.
What is the main use of hay?
Uses of Hay Feeding hay to livestock is the number one use for hay. Almost any animal on the farm – horses, cattle, sheep, goats, etc. – will eat hay. Hay is usually fed to livestock when they cannot graze or be in a pasture, either because it is winter or because of drought.
What is hay analysis?
A hay analysis provides a lot of useful information about your horse’s forage. This information is important in making sure your horse has a well-balanced diet. Remember that you should select hay based on your horses’ needs; not every horse needs premium hay with tons of energy and protein.
What does Rfv mean in hay?
RELATIVE FEED VALUE MEASURES FORAGE QUALITY INTRODUCTION. The most widely accepted measure of the quality of alfalfa is Relative Feed Value (RFV). RFV is an index used to compare the quality of forages relative to the feed value of full bloom alfalfa.
What is dry matter in hay?
Dry matter is what remains after all of the water is evaporated out of a feed: grain and fresh or dried forages. Fresh pasture has high water content and will have a lower percentage of dry matter than an equivalent weight of dryer feed, such as hay or grain.
What is the best kind of hay?
There are two primary types of horse hay: legume and grass. Alfalfa is the best variety of legume hay, and Orchard grass is the grass hay I recommend; however, Timothy, bermudagrass, bahiagrass, and Kentucky bluegrass are also excellent choices.
What is bad quality hay?
Poor-quality hay may be damp and moldy with a musty or fermented smell. Hay that appears weathered, straw-like, or brown is likely low in nutritional value. … In addition, hay cut late in maturity usually shows a large percentage of stems, with fewer leaves2. Moldy hay can be toxic to horses and should be discarded.
What's the difference between straw and hay?
Hay is a crop that is grown and harvested as a feed crop for cattle, horses and other farm animals. Straw on the other hand is a byproduct of a grain crop; in our area it’s usually usually wheat straw that we see. … Straw on the other hand, is much better for use as a garden mulch.
What is legume hay?
In the United States, legume hays typically include alfalfa and clover. Grass hays include many varieties of grasses and can include the grain (oat) hays. … The energy content is also different between legume and grass hay. Legume hays contain more calories per pound than grass hay.
What is valley grass hay?
Valley hay refers to hay grown in the Willamette valley and is usually either a Fescue, Ryegrass, or occasionally orchard blend. Valley hay is extremely efficient at delivering the horses ample fiber, which is essential to their diet, but often lack the sugars and nutrient density required for a balanced diet.
What is mulch hay?
“Hay” can make great winter mulch—but you must know just what you’re getting. It usually includes seeds of grasses and broadleaf weeds, so it is better suited for feeding livestock than for mulching plants. … Straw is a collection of the stems of field crops such as wheat and oats.
Is cow hay different than horse hay?
Horse and cow hay are mainly different in how good quality it is; cow hay may have weeds in it, horse hay usually doesn’t. Horse hay is usually nice and green, where cow hay might have been rained on, and though dry, might be less green. Horse hay is not moldy, where some cow hay might be moldy.
What is coastal hay?
Coastal hay is a grass hay that is very common in Texas and other states along the gulf coast. In some states it is considered to be an invasive species, as it is not a native north American grass. The protein levels will vary as to fertilizer and moisture conditions. It is both grazed and baled for hay.
What is hay made of?
hay, in agriculture, dried grasses and other foliage used as animal feed. Usually the material is cut in the field while still green and then either dried in the field or mechanically dried by forced hot air. Typical hay crops are timothy, alfalfa, and clover.
Why is it called timothy hay?
It is probably named after Timothy Hanson, an American farmer and agriculturalist said to have introduced it from New England to the southern states in the early 18th century. Upon his recommendation it became a major source of hay and cattle fodder to British farmers in the mid-18th century.
What is Bermuda hay?
What Is Bermuda Hay? Bermuda hay for horses is a common warm-season grass hay in the South of the United States. For hay, coastal grass is used, because its common counterpart does not reach the needed height. This hay is typically a good and less expensive alternative to orchard or timothy hay grass hay.
What is timothy hay made of?
You might be surprised to learn that timothy hay is a dried perennial grass. Its technical name in the plant world is Phleum pratense L. and you’ll find it growing an impressive 2 to 3 1/2 feet tall in meadows and on mountain sides starting in the early spring.
